19 e And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air, and f brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them; and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

e ch. 1:20, 24. f Ps. 8: 6. See ch. 6: 20.

referred to a plurality of persons in while as yet they were only in pairs, the God-head, this would express and had not multiplied and scattered the essential unity of God. An any more than the human family. help meet for him. Lit., an help as God caused them to come to Adam before him--or, as over against-to pass in review before him. It is him-an helper corresponding to him-his counterpart. Vulg., an assistant, like to him. Our version expresses it well-an help, meet, (fit, suitable,) for him. It was to be a fit companion, endowed with a nature like his own, "6 a second self." In Hebrew usage all things which are "before us," in the sight of which we delight, are objects of our care, and affection, Isa. 49: 16.

99.66

19. Here, before narrating God's actual provision for man's social want, the historian tells us of a preliminary fact. His wisdom and knowledge were to be further developed, as, also, his relation to the animal tribes. Out of the ground. In ch. 1:24 the history of their creation is, "Let the earth bring forth," etc. Here the term used is "adamah," ground." The inferior tribes, both beast and fowl, having been thus formed, the Lord God brought them, (lit.,) caused them to come unto Adam. How this was done we need not inquire. He who made them, could make them to come to him who was set over them as their lord. The objection that animals, of all kinds, could not have been gathered into one district from all climes, is groundless. 1st. Because we are by no means certain that the same varieties of climate existed before the flood as since. 2nd. That it is not necessary to suppose that all the animals created at the time, were brought there-only the representatives of all classes, as in the ark. 3d. This was doubtless done at once after their creation, and

here declared that God's object in this was-to see what he (Adam,) would call them, (lit., it,) each of them, that is, to give him opportunity to name them-not, of course, to wait on him for information. (1.) The man was thus to be made conscious of his lordship over the animal tribes. (2.) In token of his relations to them, respectively, he was to give them their respective names. (3.) His knowledge of animal nature, (in which he had been created,) is at once to be developed, under the special teaching of God. (4.) His organs of speech are to be put in exercise. (5.) His knowledge of language (Divinely imparted,) is to be developed in the use of terms for naming the several classes-under the Divine instruction and guidance. (6.) It would seem, from the connexion, that the man was to be made sensible of his social need as he should see the animals passing before him in pairs. And whatsoever. The man was created in knowledge, after the Divine image, and thus was endowed with powers of perception and discrimination, by which he could know the habits, characters, and uses of the several species, both of animals and of fowls, yet not without Divine teaching in the matter, and in the use of terms. The names which he gave them were appointed to be their names by which they should be known-and they were, doubtless, significant-as was the name of Eve, (vs. 23,) ch. 3: 20. Language itself could not so early have been a human invention, but a

20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field: but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof:

g ch. 15: 12; 1 Sam. 26: 12.

die um ihn wäre. Thus Adam was first led to see his need, in order that he might with greater gratitude receive her who was to be provided for him. God had already planned to furnish man with such a match, or counterpart, (see verse 18,) and so He introduces the companion.

Divine gift. Bishop Magee infers from this passage, the Divine origin of language. For," he says, “in what sense can we understand the naming of every beast of the field, etc., brought before Adam for this purpose by God, but in that of His instructing Adam in the manner whereby they were, in future, to be distinguished? To suppose it other-¦ ̄ 21. This formation of the woman wise, and to imagine that Adam, at the first, was able to impose names on the several tribes of animals, is either to suppose that he must, from the first, have been able to distinguish them by their characteristic marks and leading properties, and to have distinct notions of them annexed to their several appellations —or that he applied sounds at random, as names of the animals, without the intervention of such notions."-Magee on the Atonement, p. 290.

would seem to have belonged to the sixth day's work-and what was stated only in the general in ch. 1, is here stated more in detail, “male and female created He them," ch. 1:27. The manner of the woman's creation is now set forth. God was pleased to form her out of man, even as it pleased Him to form man out the dust of the ground. This was not because He needed any materials; but simply because He chose to express, by this means, an important truth, that the twain are one flesh, 20. And Adam gave names, etc. It (vs. 24,) and that as the woman was is here added, "to all cattle." But in, and of, the man, so the race for Adam, etc. The intimation is was in and of the first pair. The that he who here, by the help of God, natural headship of the race in had such a knowledge of all the ani- Adam is the basis of the federal mal tribes as to assign to them their headship. The first man is not only proper names, became sensible of his an individual, but holds in himself, need-that for him alone, the lord "in his loins," the entire race, and of this lower creation, there was not so he is appointed to act for them in found an help meet for him—as there the covenant of works. ¶ Deep was found for all the other species. sleep. The Sept. reads, an ecstasy. He felt his relation as lord over these Aquila and Symm., a lethargy. Kimanimal tribes-male and female-but chi, strong sleep. The same term he felt his want of one to whom he is used of the "deep sleep " which should stand in the relation of com- fell upon Abram, (Gen. 15: 12,) when panion, partner, bosom friend, of one God was about to make a covenant who should be an help-fit, meet, with him as father of the faithful, suitable for him-endowed with a and give him the promise of an innature so akin to his own, a counter-numerable covenant seed. So here part. Lit., as before him. Sept., a in giving to our first father a parthelp like to him. So Vulg.-Germ., ner, who was to be the mother of

22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and h brought her unto the man.

h Prov. 18: 22; Heb. 13: 4.

the race, God pleases to put him into a state of "deep sleep," and it may be that there was also a prophetic vision passed before him, of the whole transaction, and of the partner whom he was to receive. He plainly understood her origin, (vs. 23.) Milton thus expresses it:

"Mine eyes He closed, but open left the cell Of fancy, my internal sight," etc.

teachings, they take them as only the outward dress by which such teachings are given. But there is every evidence of historical truth here-and in addition to this we have a fulness of spiritual truth. (1.) Myths are commonly diffuse tales. These are compact records. (2.) If this be not the history of man's origin, we have none.

And

no such natural and reasonable one can be substituted. (3.) If this be myth, then all history can be shown to be myth, on the same principle of interpretation.-(See Introduction.)

"She was not made out of his head, to surpass him, nor from his feet to be trampled on, but from his side, to be equal to him, and near his heart, to be dear to him."

One of his ribs. God could, as easily have created the woman out of nothing. His work was, however, to be full of meaning. As Adam, himself, was a type of the Second Adam, so the woman here given to him in sacred matrimony was a type of the church, taken from the side of Christ, that was pierced for the formation of the church, and one with Him as a bride of the Lamb, T Made He a woman. Lit., And (Rev. 21:2; Eph. 5:28-32.) Only Jehovah God built the rib which He they who do not see the fulness of had taken from the man to (or for) a meaning in God's word and work, woman. It is thus represented as if will scoff at it, as if it had no mean- God built upon the rib, or out of it, ing, or pervert it into allegory, when the female form, and the language it is not that they know more than is taken by some to refer to the supeChristians, as they vainly claim, but rior symmetry and beauty of woman. that they know less. Herein they But it simply shows us that it was claim to be as Gods-knowing good not by any inherent power in the and evil; and under the power of man to form a woman out of himself, the tempter, they pluck the fruit but by God's creative power, "Male from the forbidden tree. But what and female created He them." This they reap is death as the fruit of done Jehovah God brought hertheir sin. Closed up the flesh. Of caused her to come unto the man. course there is no greater difficulty As in vs. 19, it is said of the animals in this account than in any of the that God caused them to present preceding narratives. It is all mirac- themselves before Adam, (in token ulous, and all as it pleased God. It of their subjection, and of his dois vain to speculate upon the physical minion as assigned by God,) so here, organization of our first father, the term indicates a solemn act of which allowed of this loss of part of God in which the woman is presenthis frame. God closed up the va- ed to the man in marriage covenant, cancy, supplying its place with flesh. see vs. 24. This is called "the coveBecause God's works here have such nant of God," Prov. 2:17. In every a fulness of meaning, skeptics resolve true marriage God brings the wife. these narratives into mere myths." A prudent wife is from the Lord," Because they are full of collateral Prov. 19:14.

23 And Adam said, This is now i bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man.

k

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

i ch. 29: 14; Judg. 9:2; 2 Sam. 5:1; 19: 13 Ephes, 5: 30. k 1 Cor. 11:8. 1 ch. 31: 15; Ps. 45: 10; Matt. 19:5; Mark 10: 7; 1 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 5: 31.

and in Hebrew the names, especially in the earliest time, were significant. The human pair is unlike all others in this that they are one.

by some as the language of Adam in 24. Therefore. This is understood which he shews his knowledge with which he was so wonderfully endowed. By others it is taken as the

ever, refers to it as the language of the Creator Himself. The Lord spake by Moses. In Matt. 19:4, this creation of mankind, male and female, is referred to, along with this passage, as the Divine ordinance of terms indicating an institution here marriage. It points to the future in set up for all mankind. This is that ordinance of God, therefore, for man's well being, which He established in Paradise-all violation of which is prohibited in the Decalogue, and the sanctity of which lies at the foundation of social morality and virtue.

23. Adam shows himself endowed with superior knowledge and wisdom to understand the history and discern the meaning of the transaction, and to recognise and receive his partner. He says, This is now (lit., this time,)-bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. That is this once-in this instance, (referring to the other pairs,) this female is a part-language of Moses. Our Lord, howner for me. The origin of the woman is here referred to-built out of himself-so as to be one with him"one flesh," vs. 24. Paul, in the Epistle to the Ephesians, dwells upon this history as a reason for the sacredness of the marriage relation. "Men ought to love their wives as their own bodies-for he that loveth his wife loveth himself, even as the Lord the church-for we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones," Eph. 5:28-31. (1.) This New Testament use of the facts shows the designed purport of the transaction. And there could be nothing more highly reasonable than that God, with such a design, should have chosen such a mode of operation. (2.) This New Testament reference shows the Divine origin of the record. Adam further displays his knowledge in giving a name to this partner thus made for him, and brought to him by God. ¶ She (to this,) shall be called woman

This term is the feminine form of the word for man. Man-ess would express it, like shepherd-ess. The English word is from the Anglo Saxon, wombman; that is, the female of mankind. The phrase, "shall be called," often means simply " shall be," and here it doubtless refers to the nature, as well as to the name

Shall a man leave, etc. This defines the relation as even taking precedence of the filial relation. Beyond the binding force of a child's tie to the parent is this tenderest claim"not," as Calvin remarks, "that marriage severs sons from their fathers, or dispenses with other ties of nature: for in this way God would be acting contrary to Himself. Yet it is to show that it is even less lawful to desert a wife than to desert parents. Therefore, they who, for slight causes, rashly allow of divorces, violate in one single particular all the laws of nature, and reduce them to nothing." ¶ One flesh. "Moses had not said that God had assigned many wives, but only one to one man. It remains, therefore, that the

25 m And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Nowa

Wa the serpent was more subtile than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made: and he said unto the

m ch. 3:7, 10, 11. n Exod. 32: 25; Isa. 47: 3. a Rev. 12:9; 20: 2. b Matt. 10:16; 2 Cor. 11: 3.

they were brought to him—(2.) in righteousness-as respects the observance of all his relations, both to creatures and to the Creator-and (3.) in true holiness-his soul finding its highest enjoyment in the love and service of God. (4.) With dominion over the creatures-as earthly lord and head. In the grant of territorial sovereignty there was foreshadowed the antitypical mystery of man's future exaltation in Christ, as the Psalmist saw, Ps. 8.

conjugal bond subsists between two persons only-one man and one wife. Whence it easily appears that nothing is less accordant with the Divine institution than polygamy. Now when Christ in censuring the voluntary divorces of the Jews, adduces as His reason for so doing, that 'in the beginning it was not so,' He certainly commands this institution to be observed as a perpetual rule of conduct, (Matt. 19:5; see Mal. 2:15,) and condemns divorce for any other than the one capital offence," OBSERVE. "The present ordi(Matt. 199.) Any other principle nance of God on earth enjoins labor helps to break down the sanctity of with its attendant right of property this original institution, and thus to-dominion, with its distinction and strike a deadly blow at all good order and morality in society. OBSERVE.—It is not said that the wish of parents may be disregarded in marriage. Parents are to be honored and obeyed in the Lord, (Eph. 6:1.) The good son and daughter make the good husband and wife.

25. Nakedness was no shame in that unfallen estate, because sin, which is the source of shame, had not entered. Our very clothing, therefore, in which most so pride themselves, is the token of our sin, and a memorial of our shame. As soon as sin entered, then the fallen pair were both ashamed of their nakedness, ch. 3:7. Natural shame among the civilized is a constant testimony to the truth of this narrative.

OBSERVE.-Man was created after the image of God (1.) in knowledge, having a wonderful understanding of his relations to God, and also to the animals and to the woman, as

gradation of orders-and matrimony, with its train of blessed charities. These are the very bulwarks of the social fabric. Wo to those who remove landmarks, or encourage insubordination, or despise marriage."

CHAPTER III.

§ 13. THE TEMPTATION and Fall OF MAN. Ch. 3:1-7.

According to man's constitution and the plan of God in Redemption, his trial and discipline were necessary to develop his character. As we have seen, (ch. 2,) it pleased God that man should be put upon his trial here, and the human race in him. As our first parents had been created in the Divine image, sin could enter the race only from without. Evil already existed in the world, as now appears. A superior