In each of these verses prior to Genesis 2:23, the same verb, the
Hebrew verb qårå’,had been used. Just as God demonstrated His
sovereignty over day and night, heavens, earth, and seas by assigning
them names, so Adam demonstrated his authority over the animal
kingdom by assigning them names. The pattern would have been eas-
ily recognized by the original readers, and they would have seen a con-
tinuation of the pattern when Adam said, “she shall be calledWoman.”
The original readers of the Old Testament would have been
familiar with this pattern, a pattern whereby people who have author-
ity over another person or thing have the ability to name that person
or thing, a name that often indicates something of that person’s char-
acter or quality. Thus, parents give names to their children (Gen. 4:25-
26; 5:3, 29; 16:15; 19:37-38; 21:3). God even changes the names of
people when He wishes to indicate a change in their character or role
(Gen. 17:5, 15, where God changes Abram’s name to Abraham and
Sarai’s name to Sarah). In each of these passages the same verb (qårå’)
is used as in Genesis 2:23, and in each case the person who gives the
name is one in authority over the person who receives the name.
Therefore when Adam gives his wife the name “Woman,” in terms of
biblical patterns of thought this indicates a kind of authority that God
gave to Adam, a leadership function that Eve did not have with respect
to her husband.
We should notice here that Adam does not give the personal name
“Eve” to his wife until Genesis 3:20 (“the man called [qårå’] his wife’s
name Eve, because she was the mother of all living”). This is because
in the creation story in Genesis 2, Adam is giving a broad category
name to his wife, indicating the name that would be given to wom-
anhood generally, and He is not giving specific personal names desig-
nating the character of the individual.^15
- The naming of the human race.God named the human race “Man,”
not “Woman.” Because the idea of “naming” is so important in the Old
Testament, it is interesting what name God chose for the human race
as a whole. We read, “When God created man, he made him in the like-
ness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them
and named them Manwhen they were created” (Gen. 5:1-2).
36 BUILDINGSTRONGFAMILIES