Whatisawoman?
Itisaquestionthatmakesbigheadlines,dividingpolitical parties overwhatmakesuphalftheAmericanpopulation.Countless debatesareheldovergenderissues,genderroles,gender classification,etc.Butwhatisthebiblicaldefinitionof awoman?
IntheGenesisnarrative,Godcreatedmanandgavehimdominion overtheearthandallthewildlifethatpopulatedit.However,the manwasalone.
TheLORDGodsaid,“Itisnotgoodforthemantobealone.Iwill makeahelpersuitableforhim”(Genesis2:18NIV).
AndsoGodputmantosleep,tookouthisribandshapedawoman fromit.InEnglish,“suitablehelper”(orinsometranslations, “help-meet”)doesnotconjurethemostgratifyingimagebecauseit impliessubordination.ButtheoriginalHebrewis ,a termwhichbringsaricherinterpretation. means“aid”or “helper”while canbetranslatedas“oppositeto”or “correspondingto.”IntheOldTestament, isusedintwo ways—fornationstowhomIsraelappealedformilitaryaidandfor GodasIsrael’shelper.Forexample,Psalm33:20states,“We wait inhopefortheLORD;heisourhelpandourshield.”Itisused consistentlyandconstantlyacrossmilitarycontexts.Thus,God createdwomentobewarriorsinHiskingdom.
Eversincethefallofman,Satan'sprimarytargetiswomenand theirseed.
betweenyouandthewoman, andbetweenyouroffspringandhers; hewillcrushyourhead, andyouwillstrikehisheel”(Genesis3:15).
“AndIwillputenmity
