A helper — ishah
Eight verses, 116 words. From “not good” to “one flesh” — why the sentences are built the way they are, read in the original.
Verse by verse: which patterns build each sentence, and why — so that you can read it without a translation.
1-1Before you read — הָאָדָם and אָדָם
In this section “Adam” is almost always הָאָדָם (ha-adam), with the article (verses 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25). But וּלְאָדָם (u-le-adam) at the end of verse 20 has no article — with the article לְ would have become לָ (לָאָדָם). The YLV renders both forms “Adam.”
As on the previous pages, the divine name comes as the pair יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (YHWH God) (verses 18, 19, 21, 22). Its verbs are always 3rd masculine singular.
1-2What each verse does — Genesis 2:18–25
Before the text, see for each verse of 2:18–25: (1) what it does in the story, (2) what it says, (3) the verbs and sentence structure it uses. Tap a row to go to that verse.
The storyline — the 12 verbs that carry the story of Genesis 2:18–25
Why only these verbs? — In Hebrew narrative the “and he did” verb (wayyiqtol, pattern 1) moves the events forward one by one. Read these verbs in order and you have the storyline of 2:18–25. The other clauses (descriptions, the verbs inside God’s speech, perfects and so on) are added to this line. See this storyline first, and in the text you will notice where a sentence moves forward and where it pauses.
From “he said” in verse 18 to “they were” in verse 25, twelve wayyiqtols follow one another. Clauses that are not wayyiqtols come in at five places — the end of verse 19, “that was its name” (a verbless sentence); verse 20, “but for Adam he did not find” (fronted word + perfect); the poem of verse 23 (inside speech); verse 24, “therefore …” (a closing remark outside the story); and the end of verse 25, “they were not ashamed” (וְלֹא + imperfect).
Tap a word to open its notes below. Pronunciation is by a modern Israeli Hebrew voice.
YLVAnd YHWH God said, "It is not good for Adam to be alone; I will make him a helper as his counterpart."
How this sentence is built — and why
- How many clauses?Three: [YHWH God said] [it is not good for Adam to be alone] [I will make him a helper].
- What comes first?The first clause opens with the wayyiqtol וַיֹּאמֶר → pattern 1. The second and third clauses are what God said.
- The first clause of the speechThe judgment לֹא־טוֹב first, and in the subject slot the infinitive הֱיוֹת (“being”) + its subject הָאָדָם + לְבַדּוֹ. No finite verb → pattern 30 (an infinitive as subject, built like pattern 4).
- The second clause of the speechThe 1st-person imperfect אֶעֱשֶׂה — א in front = “I,” God himself speaking. Inside speech the future is told with an imperfect → pattern 17. The ־וֹ of לּוֹ and כְּנֶגְדּוֹ is “him” (Adam) → pattern 18.
- Why is it written this way?The “good” (כִּי־טוֹב) of Genesis 1 becomes, for the first time, “not good” (לֹא־טוֹב). The judgment comes first, then the decision. As with “let us make” (נַעֲשֶׂה) in 1:26, he speaks before he makes.
- The accents matchThe atnach (◌֑) on לְבַדּוֹ divides it exactly: [judgment | decision].
Clause by clause
YLVAnd YHWH God said,
Why?The wayyiqtol וַיֹּאמֶר first, the subject יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים after — “verb → subject.” The first event of this section is again “he said.”
YLV"It is not good for Adam to be alone;
Why?The first clause of the speech has no finite verb. The judgment לֹא־טוֹב (“not good”) comes first, then the “thing” judged — the infinitive הֱיוֹת (“being”) + its subject הָאָדָם + לְבַדּוֹ (“alone”). An infinitive stands as subject, like a noun, in a verbless sentence.
YLVI will make him a helper as his counterpart."
Why?After the judgment comes the decision. The speaker himself is the subject — the א (aleph) in front = “I,” imperfect אֶעֱשֶׂה (“I will make”). Inside speech, the future is told with an imperfect, not a wayyiqtol. לּוֹ (“for him”) is the preposition לְ with the suffix ־וֹ “him,” and the ־וֹ in the object עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ is the same “him” (Adam).
Verbs — who did it?
How the accents divide it
The bigger the box, the bigger the pause. Read from right to left.
The atnach (◌֑) on לְבַדּוֹ (“alone”) divides the verse: the judgment — “not good for Adam to be alone” | the decision — “I will make.” The first half divides again at the zaqef (◌֔) on אֱלֹהִים: “he said” | what he said.
Word by word
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙va-yomerand he said
יְהוָ֣הYHWHYHWH
The four-letter name of God, י-ה-ו-ה. The vowels the Masoretes placed on this name do not record how it is read. As on the previous pages, it stands beside אֱלֹהִים: “YHWH God.”
אֱלֹהִ֔יםElohimGod
Standing beside יְהוָה: “YHWH God.” Plural in form (־ִים), yet the verb וַיֹּאמֶר is singular. Zaqef (◌֔) — the pause between “he said” and what he said.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- אֱלוֹהַּ (“god”) with the plural ending ־ִים
- Accent
- Zaqef qatan a major pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H430
לֹאlonot
The negative “not.” Here it stands before the adjective טוֹב, not a verb: “not good.” Joined by maqaf (־), it has no stress of its own. The final א is silent: lo.
ט֛וֹבtovgood
The very word of chapter 1’s sevenfold “good” — here for the first time with לֹא before it: “not good.” A masculine singular adjective serving as predicate with no verb (“is” is not written). Its subject is the infinitive phrase that follows. Tevir (◌֛) — a small pause.
הֱי֥וֹתheyotbeing
The infinitive construct of hayah, “to be.” It has no person marker (no י in front, no ending) — “who” is given by הָאָדָם that follows. Used like a noun, it is the subject of this clause: “(Adam’s) being (alone).” Note that no preposition stands before it. The first letter ה is a guttural, so it takes a hateph segol (הֱ) instead of a shewa.
- Parsing
- verb · Qal · infinitive construct
- Grammar
- Qal steminfinitive constructaccents
- Form
- root ה-י-ה → infinitive construct הֱיוֹת (ending ־וֹת)
- Accent
- Merkha conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H1961
הָֽאָדָ֖םha-adamthe adam (Adam)
Article + אָדָם. א cannot take a dagesh, so the article lengthens to הָ. It is the subject of the infinitive הֱיוֹת — “Adam’s being.” The stroke in הָֽ is not a pause but a lengthening mark (meteg). The YLV renders “Adam.”
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- אָדָם (“man, Adam”) + article הָ
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H120
לְבַדּ֑וֹle-vaddoalone
לְ + בַּד (“separateness”) + the suffix ־וֹ (“his”) — literally “in his separateness” = “alone.” The dagesh in ד shows the doubled d of בַּד (root ב-ד-ד). After the shewa ב loses its dagesh, a soft v: vaddo. Atnach (◌֑) here — verse 18 divides into the judgment “not good” and the decision “I will make.”
- Parsing
- preposition + noun · masculine · singular · construct + pronominal suffix · 3rd masculine singular
- Grammar
- prepositiongender and numberconstruct statepronominal suffixaccents
- Form
- לְ + בַּד + ־וֹ (3ms “his”) → לְבַדּוֹ
- Accent
- Atnach the main pause in mid-verse — divides the verse in two
- Lexicon
- H905
אֶֽעֱשֶׂהּe‘esehI will make
Qal imperfect of asah, “to make.” The א (aleph) in front = “I” — God himself, the speaker. An imperfect telling the future inside speech (compare 1:26 “let us make,” נַעֲשֶׂה, where נ in front = “we”). ע is a guttural and takes a hateph segol (עֱ). The dot inside the final ה stands in the text but is not a suffix — OSHB too parses it as 1st singular with no suffix. Joined by maqaf to לּוֹ.
לּ֥וֹlofor him
The preposition לְ (“to, for”) with the suffix ־וֹ (“him”): “for him.” The “him” is Adam. Read together with the previous word by maqaf, the ל has taken a dagesh (a dot that appears in close joining). A pronoun suffix on a preposition (pattern 18).
- Parsing
- preposition + pronominal suffix · 3rd masculine singular
- Grammar
- prepositionpronominal suffixaccents
- Form
- לְ + ־וֹ (3ms) → לוֹ · dagesh לּ in close joining
- Accent
- Merkha conjunctive
- Lexicon
עֵ֖זֶרezera helper
A masculine singular noun from the root ע-ז-ר, “to help”: “help, helper.” A segolate noun stressed on the first syllable (עֵ֖זֶר). It has no article — not “the helper” but “a helper.” In Ps 121:1–2 the same word is “my help” that comes from YHWH (see “Going deeper”).
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- root ע-ז-ר (“help”) → עֵזֶר
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H5828
כְּנֶגְדּֽוֹke-negdoas his counterpart
Three pieces: כְּ (“as, according to”) + נֶגֶד (“in front of, opposite”) + ־וֹ (“his”). Literally “as one in front of him” — “matching him, his counterpart.” With the suffix the second vowel of נֶגֶד drops (נֶגְדּ), and ד after the closed syllable takes a dagesh. The combination כְּנֶגֶד occurs in the Old Testament only in 2:18 and 20. Silluq at the verse end.
- Parsing
- preposition + preposition + pronominal suffix · 3rd masculine singular
- Grammar
- prepositionpronominal suffixaccents
- Form
- כְּ + נֶגֶד + ־וֹ → כְּנֶגְדּוֹ
- Accent
- Silluq the final pause of the verse
- Lexicon
- H5048
YLVAnd YHWH God formed out of the ground (adamah) every living thing (chai) of the field and every bird of the heavens, and brought it to Adam to see what he would call it; and whatever Adam called it, the living soul (nephesh), that was its name.
How this sentence is built — and why
- How many clauses?Three, one with an embedded clause: [he formed — out of the ground — beasts and birds] [he brought — to Adam — to see 〈what he would call it〉] [whatever Adam called it — that was its name].
- What comes first?Clauses one and two open with wayyiqtols (וַיִּצֶר, וַיָּבֵא) → pattern 1. Forming → bringing: two events in order.
- The tail of clause twoלִרְאוֹת (“to see”) is לְ + infinitive, giving the purpose (pattern 13). The מַה־יִּקְרָא־לוֹ inside it is an imperfect — what would happen after the bringing.
- Clause threeNot a wayyiqtol: a long block (וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר … נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה) is placed first and closed by הוּא שְׁמוֹ, a verbless sentence → pattern 26 (the sentence joined by הוּא) + a relative clause with אֲשֶׁר (pattern 10).
- Why is it written this way?After two events (pattern 1) it adds not an event but a rule: “what Adam calls it, that is its name.” So the verb is an imperfect (repeated), and the clause ends without a verb.
- The accents matchThe atnach (◌֑) on לוֹ divides it: [God forming and bringing | what Adam called it was its name].
Clause by clause
YLVAnd YHWH God formed out of the ground (adamah) every living thing (chai) of the field and every bird of the heavens,
Why?Wayyiqtol וַיִּצֶר (“he formed”) → subject → “out of the ground” → two objects (every beast of the field, every bird of the heavens), the second marked again by וְאֵת. It is the same verb used of man in 2:7.
YLVand brought it to Adam to see what he would call it;
Why?Again a wayyiqtol, וַיָּבֵא (“he brought”); the object “it” is not written. Then לְ + the infinitive לִרְאוֹת (“to see”) gives the purpose, and inside it is embedded “what he would call it” (מַה־יִּקְרָא־לוֹ). The embedded verb is an imperfect, because it is what would happen after the bringing.
YLVand whatever Adam called it, the living soul (nephesh), that was its name.
Why?Not a wayyiqtol. A long block is placed first — “whatever Adam called it (the living soul)” (וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר …) — and the pronoun הוּא (“that”) picks the block up again: “that was its name,” with no verb. Inside the אֲשֶׁר clause the verb is the imperfect יִקְרָא — “whatever he would call,” something repeated.
Verbs — who did it?
How the accents divide it
The bigger the box, the bigger the pause. Read from right to left.
The atnach (◌֑) falls on לוֹ (“it”): God forming and bringing | what Adam called it was its name. Within the first half the zaqefs (◌֔) on הַשָּׁמַיִם and הָאָדָם mark off [forming] · [bringing] · [to see].
Word by word
וַיִּצֶר֩va-yitserand he formed
Qal wayyiqtol of yatsar, “to form, shape.” וַ + יּ (dagesh); the י in front = “he” — YHWH God, who follows. It is the same verb used when man was “formed” in 2:7. There it is spelled וַיִּיצֶר (two yods), here וַיִּצֶר (one yod) — the same form written two ways. The telisha (◌֩) on the first word is a conjunctive accent.
יְהוָ֨הYHWHYHWH
אֱלֹהִ֜יםElohimGod
The second word of “YHWH God.” The one who formed — the subject after the verb.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- אֱלוֹהַּ (“god”) with the plural ending ־ִים
- Accent
- Geresh a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H430
מִןminout of
“From, out of.” Here it is written as a separate word, joined by maqaf (מִן־הָאֲדָמָה), without its נ being absorbed. It tells where the material came from.
- Parsing
- preposition
- Grammar
- prepositionmaqqefaccents
- Form
- מִן — its separate form · joined by maqaf
- Accent
- Maqaf joined to the next word by maqaf (־)
- Lexicon
- H4480a
הָֽאֲדָמָ֗הha-adamahthe ground
The article הָ (lengthened before א) + אֲדָמָה (“ground,” feminine ־ָה). אָדָם (adam) and אֲדָמָה (adamah) share the three letters א-ד-מ. Like man in 2:7, the beasts and birds too are formed “out of the ground.” Revia (◌֗) — a small pause.
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · feminine · singular
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- אֲדָמָה (“ground”) + article הָ
- Accent
- Revia a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H127
כָּלkolevery
The construct of כֹּל (“all”), bound to the next word: “every ….” Joined by maqaf it loses its stress and its vowel becomes a short o (qamets hatuf) — read “kol,” not “kal.”
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular · construct
- Grammar
- gender and numberconstruct statemaqqefaccents
- Form
- כֹּל → construct · before maqaf כָּל־
- Accent
- Maqaf joined to the next word by maqaf (־)
- Lexicon
- H3605
חַיַּ֤תchayyatliving thing of
The construct of חַיָּה (“living thing, beast”) — the feminine ending ־ָה becomes ־ַת, binding it to “the field”: “living thing of the field.” The dagesh in י is a doubled sound. The YLV shows the Hebrew: “living thing (chai).”
- Parsing
- noun · feminine · singular · construct
- Grammar
- gender and numberconstruct stateaccents
- Form
- חַיָּה → construct חַיַּת (־ָה → ־ַת)
- Accent
- Mahpakh conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H2416c
הַשָּׂדֶה֙ha-sadehthe field
The article הַ + dagesh in the next letter שׂ (שּׂ). שָׂדֶה is “field”; the final ה is a silent vowel letter. Pashta (◌֙) — a small pause.
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- שָׂדֶה (“field”) + article הַ → שּׂ
- Accent
- Pashta a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H7704b
וְאֵת֙ve-etand (object marker)
“And” וְ + the object marker אֵת, pointing separately to the second object, “every bird of the heavens.” The same form as וְאֵת in 1:1.
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + object marker
- Grammar
- conjunction wawobject marker אֵתaccents
- Form
- וְ + אֵת
- Accent
- Pashta a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H853
כָּלkolevery
The construct of כֹּל (“all”), bound to the next word: “every ….” Joined by maqaf it loses its stress and its vowel becomes a short o (qamets hatuf) — read “kol,” not “kal.”
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular · construct
- Grammar
- gender and numberconstruct statemaqqefaccents
- Form
- כֹּל → construct · before maqaf כָּל־
- Accent
- Maqaf joined to the next word by maqaf (־)
- Lexicon
- H3605
ע֣וֹףofbird of
“Flying creature, bird” — singular in form but naming birds as a whole (vav ו as the vowel “o”). The construct has the same form, bound to “the heavens”: “bird of the heavens.” Munach (◌֣) — conjunctive.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular · construct
- Grammar
- gender and numberconstruct stateaccents
- Form
- עוֹף (“bird”) — construct has the same form
- Accent
- Munach conjunctive — joins to the next word
- Lexicon
- H5775
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִםha-shamayimthe heavens
The word of 1:1 — the article הַ + dagesh in שּׁ, always plural in form. Bound to עוֹף: “bird of the heavens.” Zaqef (◌֔) — the first clause ends here.
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- שָׁמַיִם (“heavens”) + article הַ → שּׁ
- Accent
- Zaqef qatan a major pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H8064
וַיָּבֵא֙va-yaveand he brought
The Hiphil wayyiqtol of bo, “to come” — “cause to come = bring.” וַ + יּ; the י = “he” — YHWH God of the previous clause. As the Hiphil of a hollow verb (בּוֹא), its prefix vowel is qamets (יָ); the final א is silent. The object “it/them” is not written. In verse 22 the same verb carries the ending ־הָ (“her”).
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + verb · Hiphil · wayyiqtol (narrative sequence) · 3rd masculine singular
- Grammar
- conjunction wawHiphil stemwayyiqtolaccents
- Form
- root ב-ו-א → Hiphil יָבִיא → wayyiqtol וַיָּבֵא
- Accent
- Pashta a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H935
אֶלelto
The direction of movement, “to, toward.” Joined by maqaf, it has no stress of its own.
- Parsing
- preposition
- Grammar
- prepositionmaqqefaccents
- Form
- אֶל — unchanging · joined by maqaf
- Accent
- Maqaf joined to the next word by maqaf (־)
- Lexicon
- H413
הָ֣אָדָ֔םha-adamthe adam (Adam)
Where he brought them — “to the adam (Adam).” It carries munach and zaqef (◌֔): the clause “he brought” pauses here.
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- אָדָם (“man, Adam”) + article הָ
- Accent
- Munach conjunctive — joins to the next word
- Lexicon
- H120
לִרְא֖וֹתlir’otto see
לְ + the infinitive construct רְאוֹת of ra’ah, “to see” — “in order to,” giving the purpose (pattern 13). The next letter has a shewa, so to avoid two shewas לְ becomes לִ (li). The one who sees is God, who brought them. Tipcha (◌֖) — a small pause.
- Parsing
- preposition + verb · Qal · infinitive construct
- Grammar
- prepositionQal steminfinitive constructaccents
- Form
- root ר-א-ה → infinitive רְאוֹת + לְ → לִרְאוֹת
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H7200
מַהmahwhat
The question word “what.” Here it opens an embedded question: to see “what he would call it.” Joined by maqaf, it puts a dagesh into the first letter of the next word (יּ of יִּקְרָא) — a dot that often follows מַה־.
יִּקְרָאyikrahe would call
Qal imperfect 3ms of qara, “to call.” The י in front = “he” — this time not God but Adam. There is no וַ, so it is not a wayyiqtol. The dot in יּ is not the wayyiqtol sign but a dagesh from being joined to מַה־. It is an imperfect because it is what would happen after the bringing. The final א is silent.
ל֑וֹloit (to it)
לְ + the suffix ־וֹ (“him, it”). “Call + לְ” = “call something (a name),” as in 1:5. The “it” is each animal brought. Joined by maqaf, yet here ל has no dot. Atnach (◌֑) — verse 19 divides here.
- Parsing
- preposition + pronominal suffix · 3rd masculine singular
- Grammar
- prepositionpronominal suffixaccents
- Form
- לְ + ־וֹ (3ms) → לוֹ
- Accent
- Atnach the main pause in mid-verse — divides the verse in two
- Lexicon
וְכֹל֩ve-kholand whatever
וְ + כֹּל (“all”). After the vowel כ loses its dagesh: a soft kh (khol). Not a construct but the independent form (long o, holem); with אֲשֶׁר after it, “whatever ….” This clause sets the whole long block first.
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- conjunction wawgender and numberaccents
- Form
- וְ + כֹּל → dagesh drops: וְכֹל
- Accent
- Telisha qetana conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H3605
אֲשֶׁ֨רasherthat, which
The relative word “that, which” (pattern 10). It opens the clause describing כֹל (“whatever”): “whatever Adam called it.” It never changes form.
יִקְרָאyikrahe would call
The same imperfect יִקְרָא. This time no מַה־ precedes, so י has no dot. The “he” is הָאָדָם, written after it. An imperfect inside אֲשֶׁר speaks not of once but of “each thing he called” — something repeated.
ל֧וֹloit (to it)
Again לוֹ (“it”) with “call + לְ.” Darga (◌֧) — conjunctive.
- Parsing
- preposition + pronominal suffix · 3rd masculine singular
- Grammar
- prepositionpronominal suffixaccents
- Form
- לְ + ־וֹ (3ms) → לוֹ
- Accent
- Darga conjunctive
- Lexicon
הָֽאָדָ֛םha-adamthe adam (Adam)
The subject of יִקְרָא, “Adam” — after the verb. Tevir (◌֛) — a small pause.
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- אָדָם (“man, Adam”) + article הָ
- Accent
- Tevir a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H120
נֶ֥פֶשׁnefeshsoul
“Soul, life, a breathing being.” A segolate noun stressed on the first syllable. The feminine adjective חַיָּה modifies it, so it is treated as feminine here. The very two words by which Adam became “a living soul” (לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה) in 2:7 are used here of the animals. נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה spells out what the לוֹ (“it”) before is. The YLV: “the living soul (nephesh).”
- Parsing
- noun · masculine or feminine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- נֶפֶשׁ (“soul”)
- Accent
- Merkha conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H5315
חַיָּ֖הchayyahliving
The adjective “living,” feminine singular (ending ־ָה), agreeing with נֶפֶשׁ. It follows its noun. The dagesh in י is a doubled sound. Tipcha (◌֖).
ה֥וּאhuthat (it)
The 3ms pronoun “he, it.” It picks up the long block placed first (“whatever Adam called it”) and closes a verbless sentence: “that — its name” (pattern 26). It is masculine because what it resumes, כֹל (“whatever”), is masculine.
- Parsing
- personal pronoun · 3rd · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- personal pronounaccents
- Form
- הוּא — 3ms pronoun
- Accent
- Merkha conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H1931
שְׁמֽוֹshemoits name
שֵׁם (“name”) + the suffix ־וֹ (“his, its”). With the suffix the stress moves on and the first vowel reduces to shewa (שֵׁם → שְׁמ). The predicate of the verbless sentence. Silluq at the verse end.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular · construct + pronominal suffix · 3rd masculine singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberconstruct statepronominal suffixaccents
- Form
- שֵׁם + ־וֹ (3ms) → שְׁמוֹ
- Accent
- Silluq the final pause of the verse
- Lexicon
- H8034
YLVAnd Adam called names to all the cattle and to the bird of the heavens and to every living thing (chai) of the field; but for Adam he did not find a helper as his counterpart.
How this sentence is built — and why
- How many clauses?Two: [Adam called names — to cattle, birds, beasts] [for Adam — he did not find — a helper].
- What comes first?The first opens with the wayyiqtol וַיִּקְרָא → pattern 1. In the second, not the verb but “for Adam” (וּלְאָדָם) comes first → pattern 2, “X + perfect.”
- So what fills the verb slot?No wayyiqtol is possible, so the perfect מָצָא (bare form = “he”), with the negative לֹא before it. Who “he” is, is not written.
- Why is it written this way?The second clause is not a new event extending the chain but a contrast with the first (1 + 2, the combination for setting a pair side by side). Every animal had a name, but for Adam there was no עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ, the very two words of verse 18.
- The accents matchThe atnach (◌֑) on הַשָּׂדֶה divides it: [the naming | none found].
Clause by clause
YLVAnd Adam called names to all the cattle and to the bird of the heavens and to every living thing (chai) of the field;
Why?Wayyiqtol וַיִּקְרָא → subject הָאָדָם → object שֵׁמוֹת (“names”) → three “to …” phrases (לְ, וּלְ, וּלְ). What verse 19 set up now happens — this time the one calling is Adam.
YLVbut for Adam he did not find a helper as his counterpart.
Why?“For Adam” (וּלְאָדָם) is placed before the verb, so no wayyiqtol is possible: the perfect מָצָא (“found,” bare form = “he”), with the negative לֹא in front. It is not a new event in the chain but a contrast set against the previous clause — the animals had names, but for Adam there was no helper. The עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ of verse 18 returns word for word.
Verbs — who did it?
How the accents divide it
The bigger the box, the bigger the pause. Read from right to left.
The atnach (◌֑) falls on הַשָּׂדֶה (“the field”): Adam named them | for Adam none was found. The first word of the second half, וּלְאָדָם, carries a zaqef gadol (◌֕), setting “for Adam” apart.
Word by word
וַיִּקְרָ֨אva-yikraand he called
The same form as “he called” in 1:5 — וַ + יּ; the י = “he.” But this time the “he” is not God but הָאָדָם that follows. What verse 19 set out to see — “what he would call” — now takes place.
הָֽאָדָ֜םha-adamthe adam (Adam)
The one who called — the subject after the verb, “Adam.” It carries a geresh (◌֜).
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- אָדָם (“man, Adam”) + article הָ
- Accent
- Geresh a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H120
שֵׁמ֗וֹתshemotnames
Plural of שֵׁם (“name”). A masculine noun, yet its plural ending is ־וֹת, not ־ִים — an example that the ending alone does not decide gender. The object of “called”: “names.” Revia (◌֗).
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- שֵׁם → plural שֵׁמוֹת (־וֹת)
- Accent
- Revia a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H8034
לְכָלle-kholto all
לְ (“to”) + כָּל (“all,” construct). After the shewa כ loses its dagesh: a soft kh. The first of three groups that received names. Maqaf.
- Parsing
- preposition + noun · masculine · singular · construct
- Grammar
- prepositiongender and numberconstruct statemaqqefaccents
- Form
- לְ + כָּל־ → לְכָל־
- Accent
- Maqaf joined to the next word by maqaf (־)
- Lexicon
- H3605
הַבְּהֵמָה֙ha-behemahthe cattle
The article הַ + dagesh in בּ + בְּהֵמָה (“cattle, beast,” feminine ־ָה). Singular in form, naming the whole kind. Pashta (◌֙).
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · feminine · singular
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- בְּהֵמָה (“cattle”) + article הַ
- Accent
- Pashta a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H929
וּלְע֣וֹףu-le-ofand to the bird of
Before a shewa (לְ) “and” becomes וּ (u). וּ + לְ + עוֹף (“bird,” construct) — the second group, “to the bird of the heavens.”
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + preposition + noun · masculine · singular · construct
- Grammar
- conjunction wawprepositiongender and numberconstruct stateaccents
- Form
- וּ + לְ + עוֹף → וּלְעוֹף
- Accent
- Munach conjunctive — joins to the next word
- Lexicon
- H5775
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִםha-shamayimthe heavens
Bound to עוֹף: “bird of the heavens.” Zaqef (◌֔).
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- שָׁמַיִם (“heavens”) + article הַ → שּׁ
- Accent
- Zaqef qatan a major pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H8064
וּלְכֹ֖לu-le-kholand to every
וּ (before shewa) + לְ + כֹּל (construct). With no maqaf and its own accent (tipcha ֖) the vowel stays a long o (כֹל) — compare לְכָל־ above. The third group: “to every living thing of the field.”
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + preposition + noun · masculine · singular · construct
- Grammar
- conjunction wawprepositiongender and numberconstruct stateaccents
- Form
- וּ + לְ + כֹּל → וּלְכֹל
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H3605
חַיַּ֣תchayyatliving thing of
The construct of חַיָּה (“living thing, beast”) — the feminine ending ־ָה becomes ־ַת, binding it to “the field”: “living thing of the field.” The dagesh in י is a doubled sound. The YLV shows the Hebrew: “living thing (chai).”
- Parsing
- noun · feminine · singular · construct
- Grammar
- gender and numberconstruct stateaccents
- Form
- חַיָּה → construct חַיַּת (־ָה → ־ַת)
- Accent
- Munach conjunctive — joins to the next word
- Lexicon
- H2416c
הַשָּׂדֶ֑הha-sadehthe field
Article הַ + שּׂ, bound to חַיַּת: “living thing of the field.” Atnach (◌֑) here — verse 20 divides into the naming and “none found.”
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- שָׂדֶה (“field”) + article הַ → שּׂ
- Accent
- Atnach the main pause in mid-verse — divides the verse in two
- Lexicon
- H7704b
וּלְאָדָ֕םu-le-adambut for Adam
וּ + לְ + אָדָם. There is no article — with it, the form would be לָאָדָם (la-adam). Because this word is placed before the verb, the verb is the perfect מָצָא, not a wayyiqtol (pattern 2): “names for the animals — but for Adam ….” Zaqef gadol (◌֕).
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + preposition + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- conjunction wawprepositiongender and numberaccents
- Form
- וּ + לְ + אָדָם (no article)
- Accent
- Zaqef gadol a major pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H120
לֹֽאlonot
matsahe found
עֵ֖זֶרezera helper
The word of verse 18 again — the עֵזֶר God said he would make was not found among the animals. It is the object.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- root ע-ז-ר (“help”) → עֵזֶר
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H5828
כְּנֶגְדּֽוֹke-negdoas his counterpart
The same כְּנֶגְדּוֹ (“as his counterpart”) as in verse 18. Both verses end with the same two words, עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ, setting the word (18) against the not-finding (20). Silluq at the verse end.
- Parsing
- preposition + preposition + pronominal suffix · 3rd masculine singular
- Grammar
- prepositionpronominal suffixaccents
- Form
- כְּ + נֶגֶד + ־וֹ → כְּנֶגְדּוֹ
- Accent
- Silluq the final pause of the verse
- Lexicon
- H5048
YLVAnd YHWH God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept, and he took one of his ribs and closed up flesh (basar) in its place.
How this sentence is built — and why
- How many clauses?Four: [he caused sleep to fall] [he slept] [he took one] [he closed up flesh].
- What comes first?All four open with wayyiqtols (וַיַּפֵּל, וַיִּישָׁן, וַיִּקַּח, וַיִּסְגֹּר) → pattern 1 four times.
- Who is “he”?All four verbs have י in front = “he.” But the “he” of the first, third and fourth is YHWH God, and the “he” of the second, וַיִּישָׁן, is Adam. No subject is repeated; “upon Adam” just before and the sense decide who “he” is.
- Where the forms changeThe first verb is Hiphil (יַ + doubled פּ, “cause to fall”); מִצַּלְעֹתָיו shows the נ of מִן absorbed into צּ; the ־ֶנָּה of תַּחְתֶּנָּה is a feminine “it,” pointing to the אַחַת he took.
- Why is it written this way?Four wayyiqtols in an unbroken row: sleep → sleeping → taking → closing, the order of the words being the order of the events. No descriptive clause interrupts.
- The accents matchThe atnach (◌֑) on וַיִּישָׁן divides it: [the sleep | the taking and closing].
Clause by clause
YLVAnd YHWH God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam,
Why?Wayyiqtol וַיַּפֵּל (“caused to fall,” Hiphil) → subject יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים → object תַּרְדֵּמָה (“deep sleep”) → “upon Adam.” Because it is Hiphil, it is not “sleep fell” but “(God) caused sleep to fall.”
YLVand he slept,
Why?A one-word clause, וַיִּישָׁן (“he slept”). The י = “he” — this time not God but Adam. No subject is written, but “upon Adam” just before tells who it is.
YLVand he took one of his ribs
Why?Wayyiqtol וַיִּקַּח (“he took”) — the “he” is God again. The object אַחַת מִצַּלְעֹתָיו (“one of his ribs”) has the shape “one + מִן + plural.”
YLVand closed up flesh (basar) in its place.
Why?Wayyiqtol וַיִּסְגֹּר (“he closed up”) → object בָּשָׂר (“flesh”) → תַּחְתֶּנָּה (“in its place”). The ending ־ֶנָּה is “it (feminine)” — the same as the feminine אַחַת, the one he took. All four clauses are wayyiqtols: the acts follow in order.
Verbs — who did it?
How the accents divide it
The bigger the box, the bigger the pause. Read from right to left.
The atnach (◌֑) falls on וַיִּישָׁן (“he slept”): the sleep | the taking and closing. Up to Adam’s falling asleep is the first half; God’s two acts are the second. The ׀ (paseq) after אֱלֹהִים is a small separating stroke.
Word by word
וַיַּפֵּל֩va-yappeland he caused to fall
The Hiphil wayyiqtol of nafal, “to fall” — “cause to fall.” וַ + יּ; the י = “he” — YHWH God, who follows. The root’s first letter נ has disappeared and the next פּ is doubled (dagesh). The patach prefix vowel (יַ) marks the Hiphil. Telisha (◌֩) — conjunctive.
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + verb · Hiphil · wayyiqtol (narrative sequence) · 3rd masculine singular
- Grammar
- conjunction wawHiphil stemwayyiqtolaccents
- Form
- root נ-פ-ל → Hiphil יַפִּיל → wayyiqtol וַיַּפֵּל (נ absorbed into פּ)
- Accent
- Telisha qetana conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H5307
יְהוָ֨הYHWHYHWH
אֱלֹהִ֧יםElohimGod
The second word of “YHWH God” — the one who caused the sleep to fall. The ׀ (paseq) after it is a small separating stroke.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- אֱלוֹהַּ (“god”) with the plural ending ־ִים
- Accent
- Darga conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H430
תַּרְדֵּמָ֛הtardemaha deep sleep
“Deep sleep” — a feminine noun (ending ־ָה), made by adding ת in front of the root ר-ד-ם (“sleep deeply”). It is the object of the Hiphil וַיַּפֵּל — what God “caused to fall” is this sleep. Tevir (◌֛).
- Parsing
- noun · feminine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- root ר-ד-ם → prefix ת + feminine ־ָה → תַּרְדֵּמָה
- Accent
- Tevir a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H8639
עַלalupon
הָאָדָ֖םha-adamthe adam (Adam)
“Upon the adam (Adam).” No meteg here. Tipcha (◌֖) — the first clause ends here.
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- אָדָם (“man, Adam”) + article הָ
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H120
וַיִּישָׁ֑ןva-yishanand he slept
וַיִּקַּ֗חva-yikkachand he took
אַחַת֙achatone
The feminine of the number “one” (the masculine is אֶחָד, 1:5). It is feminine because צֵלָע that follows is treated as feminine. “One + מִן + plural” = “one of ….” Pashta (◌֙).
מִצַּלְעֹתָ֔יוmi-tsal‘otavfrom his ribs
Three pieces: מִן (“from”) + צַלְעֹת (plural of צֵלָע) + ־ָיו (“his,” the form used on plural nouns). The נ of מִן is absorbed into the next letter, giving the dagesh in צּ. The plural ending ־וֹת is written ֹת, without the vowel letter ו. The “his” is Adam. For what צֵלָע means, see “Going deeper.” Zaqef (◌֔).
- Parsing
- preposition + noun · masculine or feminine · plural · construct + pronominal suffix · 3rd masculine singular
- Grammar
- prepositiongender and numberconstruct statepronominal suffixaccents
- Form
- מִן + צַלְעֹת (plural) + ־ָיו → מִצַּלְעֹתָיו
- Accent
- Zaqef qatan a major pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H6763
וַיִּסְגֹּ֥רva-yisgorand he closed up
בָּשָׂ֖רbasarflesh
“Flesh, body,” masculine singular, no article. The object of וַיִּסְגֹּר — flesh is what closed the place. It returns in verse 23, “flesh of my flesh,” and verse 24, “one flesh.” The YLV: “flesh (basar).” Tipcha (◌֖).
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- בָּשָׂר (“flesh”)
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H1320
תַּחְתֶּֽנָּהtachtennahin its place
תַּחַת (“under, instead of, in the place of”) + the suffix ־ֶנָּה (“her, it,” feminine). The “it” is feminine — the אַחַת before, the one he took. With the suffix תַּחַת shortens to תַּחְתּ, and the suffix ־ֶנָּה has a doubled נ (נּ). Silluq at the verse end.
- Parsing
- preposition + pronominal suffix · 3rd feminine singular
- Grammar
- prepositionpronominal suffixaccents
- Form
- תַּחַת + ־ֶנָּה (3fs) → תַּחְתֶּנָּה
- Accent
- Silluq the final pause of the verse
- Lexicon
- H8478
YLVAnd YHWH God built the rib which he had taken from Adam into a woman (ishah), and brought her to Adam.
How this sentence is built — and why
- How many clauses?Two, with an embedded relative clause: [he built — the rib 〈which he had taken from Adam〉 — into ishah] [he brought her — to Adam].
- What comes first?Both open with wayyiqtols (וַיִּבֶן, וַיְבִאֶהָ) → pattern 1.
- The embedded clauseאֲשֶׁר־לָקַח מִן־הָאָדָם (“which he had taken from Adam”) is a relative clause (pattern 10). Its verb is the perfect לָקַח, pointing back to what was done in verse 21.
- The suffixThe second verb וַיְבִאֶהָ ends in ־הָ (“her”), carrying its object inside the verb (pattern 18).
- Why is it written this way?It is the same pair as verse 19 — “he formed → he brought to Adam” (וַיִּצֶר … וַיָּבֵא / וַיִּבֶן … וַיְבִאֶהָ). Written in the same order, it lets Adam’s words in the next verse show how the one now brought differs from the animals.
- The accents matchThe atnach (◌֑) on לְאִשָּׁה divides it: [building | bringing].
Clause by clause
YLVAnd YHWH God built the rib which he had taken from Adam into a woman (ishah),
Why?Wayyiqtol וַיִּבֶן (“he built”) → subject → object אֶת־הַצֵּלָע (“the rib”) + relative clause אֲשֶׁר־לָקַח מִן־הָאָדָם (“which he had taken from Adam”) → לְאִשָּׁה (“into ishah”). The build is “make A into (לְ) B,” and the verb in the relative clause is the perfect לָקַח — already done in verse 21.
YLVand brought her to Adam.
Why?Wayyiqtol וַיְבִאֶהָ (“he brought her”) — the object suffix ־הָ (“her”) is attached to the verb. It is the same verb as וַיָּבֵא in verse 19: as he brought the animals, now he brings ishah to Adam.
Verbs — who did it?
How the accents divide it
The bigger the box, the bigger the pause. Read from right to left.
The atnach (◌֑) falls on לְאִשָּׁה (“into ishah”): building | bringing. The two events take half a verse each.
Word by word
וַיִּבֶן֩va-yivenand he built
Wayyiqtol of banah “to build.” וַ with a dagesh in the next יּ — the form that moves the story on. The י (yod) in front = “he”; the “he” is the next words, יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים. Banah ends in ה, so in the wayyiqtol the final ה of the imperfect יִבְנֶה (yivneh) drops off, and a segol (ֶ) comes between ב and נ: יִּבֶן (the same kind of short form as וַיַּרְא in 1:4). נ takes its final form ן. The small sign over the first letter (◌֩) is telisha qetannah, a joining accent.
יְהוָ֨הYHWHYHWH
אֱלֹהִ֧יםElohimGod
Standing beside יְהוָה, it forms one subject, “YHWH God.” The form is plural (־ִים), yet the verb וַיִּבֶן is singular (prefix י, “he”). The verb comes before the subject. The vertical line ׀ after it (paseq) is a small separating stroke between words.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- אֱלוֹהַּ (“god”) with the plural ending ־ִים
- Accent
- Darga conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H430
אֶֽתet(object marker)
The object marker, pointing to the definite “the rib” — the material he built. Joined by maqaf, its vowel is short (אֶת); the stroke in אֶֽ is a lengthening mark (meteg).
- Parsing
- object marker
- Grammar
- object marker אֵתmaqqefaccents
- Form
- אֵת → before maqaf אֶת־
- Accent
- Maqaf joined to the next word by maqaf (־)
- Lexicon
- H853
הַצֵּלָ֛עha-tselathe rib
The article הַ doubles the next letter — the dagesh in צּ. It is “the” rib because it was already spoken of in verse 21. Tsela means “side, rib.” Under ל is a qamets (a); the final ע has no vowel and is barely heard: tse-la. The accent beneath (◌֛) is tevir.
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine or feminine · singular
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- צֵלָע (“rib, side”) + article הַ → צּ
- Accent
- Tevir a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H6763
אֲשֶׁרasherwhich
The relative particle “which.” It picks up “the rib” and lets the following clause say which rib it was. Joined by maqaf to the verb, it carries no accent. אֲשֶׁר itself never changes form.
laqachhe had taken
Laqach “to take.” The bare form with no ending = perfect 3rd masculine singular, “he did.” No subject is written in this clause: the “he” is the subject of the main sentence, YHWH God. After the relative אֲשֶׁר a perfect stands, not a narrative wayyiqtol, pointing back to what he had already done in verse 21: “had taken.” Qamets under ל, patach under ק; the final ח has no vowel and closes the word: la-qach.
מִןminfrom
The preposition “from.” Here it is written separately and joined by maqaf to the next word; before a word beginning with the article it is often written this way, מִן־ (in verse 23 it appears attached, as מֵ and מִ).
- Parsing
- preposition
- Grammar
- prepositionmaqqefaccents
- Form
- מִן as is · joined by maqaf
- Accent
- Maqaf joined to the next word by maqaf (־)
- Lexicon
- H4480a
הָֽאָדָ֖םha-adamthe Adam
א cannot take a dagesh, so the article lengthens to הָ instead of הַ. The stroke in הָֽ is a meteg (lengthening mark). The accent beneath is tipcha (◌֖).
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- אָדָם (“Adam, man”) + article הָ
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H120
לְאִשָּׁ֑הle-ishahinto a woman (ishah)
“Build + לְ” = “build something into something” — לְ shows what the material (the rib) became. לְ has only a shewa (ְ), so there is no article: “into a woman.” The dot in שּׁ marks doubling; the final ־ָה is the feminine noun ending. The YLV shows the Hebrew with it: “woman (ishah).” This word carries the verse’s central pause, atnach (◌֑): verse 22 divides into the building and the bringing.
- Parsing
- preposition + noun · feminine · singular
- Grammar
- prepositiongender and numberaccents
- Form
- אִשָּׁה (“woman”) with prefix לְ (“into”)
- Accent
- Atnach the main pause in mid-verse — divides the verse in two
- Lexicon
- H802
וַיְבִאֶ֖הָva-yvi-ehaand he brought her
Hiphil (causative) wayyiqtol of bo “to come” — “cause to come” = “bring.” The י in front = “he,” YHWH God. The pronoun suffix הָ (-ha) “her” is attached — 3rd feminine singular, pointing to the feminine אִשָּׁה just before. The ֶ (e) is a linking vowel between verb and suffix. With the suffix the stress moves back, the vowel under י reduces to a shewa (יְ), and so — as in וַיְהִי of 1:3 — the י loses its dagesh. Without the suffix the form is וַיָּבֵא.
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + verb · Hiphil · wayyiqtol (narrative sequence) · 3rd masculine singular + pronominal suffix · 3rd feminine singular
- Grammar
- conjunction wawHiphil stemwayyiqtolobject suffix on a verbaccents
- Form
- root ב-ו-א (“come”) → Hiphil wayyiqtol וַיָּבֵא + suffix ־ֶהָ (“her”) → וַיְבִאֶהָ
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H935
אֶלelto
הָֽאָדָֽםha-adamthe Adam
The same word as before — the article הָ before א. At the verse end (silluq) a vertical stroke stands under דָֽ.
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- אָדָם (“Adam, man”) + article הָ
- Accent
- Silluq the final pause of the verse
- Lexicon
- H120
YLVAnd Adam said, "This now is bone of my bones and flesh (basar) of my flesh (basar); for this one it shall be called Woman (ishah), because from Man (ish) this one was taken."
How this sentence is built — and why
- How many clauses?Four: [Adam said] and the three clauses of the poem — [this one now: bone, flesh] [to this one: “ishah” shall be called] [for from ish this one was taken].
- What comes first?Only the first clause opens with a wayyiqtol, וַיֹּאמֶר → pattern 1. Inside the poem there is no wayyiqtol at all → pattern 32 (a short poem).
- The verb slot in the poemThe first lines have no verb (pattern 4). In line three לְזֹאת is placed first, giving the passive imperfect יִקָּרֵא (Niphal, pattern 11); in line four כִּי (reason, pattern 20) + מֵאִישׁ come first, giving the passive perfect לֻקֳחָה (Pual).
- The pairingעֶצֶם מֵעֲצָמַי / וּבָשָׂר מִבְּשָׂרִי — two lines of one shape. זֹאת three times (beginning זֹאת, middle לְזֹאת, end זֹּאת). Lines three and four are a mirror: “this one · called · ishah” / “ish · taken · this one.”
- Why is it written this way?Adam, who “called names” to the animals in verse 20, now gives a name together with its reason. אִישׁ / אִשָּׁה — two words that pair even in their letters — are joined by the text itself: “because from Man (ish) this one was taken.”
- The accents matchThe segolta (◌֒) on הָאָדָם and the atnach (◌֑) on מִבְּשָׂרִי divide it: [he said ‖ bone, flesh | name, reason].
Clause by clause
YLVAnd Adam said,
Why?Wayyiqtol וַיֹּאמֶר → subject הָאָדָם. For the first time in this section, Adam speaks.
YLV"This now is bone of my bones and flesh (basar) of my flesh (basar);
Why?The first two lines of the poem. Subject זֹאת (“this one”) + הַפַּעַם (“now, this time”) + predicate “bone — from my bones / flesh — from my flesh.” A verbless sentence (pattern 4), with two lines of the same shape (noun + מִן + the same noun + ־ַי / ־ִי “my”).
YLVfor this one it shall be called Woman (ishah),
Why?Line three: לְזֹאת (“to this one”) is placed first, so the verb is the imperfect יִקָּרֵא (“shall be called,” Niphal passive). It speaks of being called rather than of who calls, and the name אִשָּׁה (ishah) comes last.
YLVbecause from Man (ish) this one was taken."
Why?Line four gives the reason (כִּי): “from ish” (מֵאִישׁ) placed first, then the passive perfect לֻקֳחָה (“was taken,” Pual; ending ־ָה = “she”), and זֹּאת again at the end. It mirrors line three: “this one · called · ishah” / “ish · taken · this one.” אִשָּׁה and אִישׁ pair even in their letters — both begin with א and have שׁ, and ishah adds the feminine ending ־ָה. The text itself gives the reason: “because from Man (ish) this one was taken.”
Verbs — who did it?
How the accents divide it
The bigger the box, the bigger the pause. Read from right to left.
The segolta (◌֒) on הָאָדָם sets “Adam said” well apart, and the atnach (◌֑) falls on מִבְּשָׂרִי (“from my flesh”): the two lines of bone and flesh | the two lines of name and reason. The accents too group the four lines in pairs.
Word by word
וַיֹּאמֶר֮va-yomerand he said
הָֽאָדָם֒ha-adamthe Adam
The speaker — the subject after the verb. The article is הָ before א, with a meteg on הָֽ. The accent over the last letter (◌֒) is segolta, a major pause: “Adam said” — a full stop — then his words follow.
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- אָדָם (“Adam, man”) + article הָ
- Accent
- Segolta a major pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H120
זֹ֣אתzotthis (one)
The demonstrative pronoun “this,” feminine singular (masculine זֶה) — feminine because the one pointed to is a woman. It is the first word of Adam’s speech, and the sentence has no verb: “this is … bone.” The “o” is a holem (זֹ); the א is silent.
- Parsing
- demonstrative pronoun · feminine · singular
- Grammar
- demonstrativeaccents
- Form
- זֹאת (“this,” feminine) · masculine זֶה
- Accent
- Munach conjunctive — joins to the next word
- Lexicon
- H2063
הַפַּ֗עַםha-paamthis time, now
Pa’am is a feminine noun, “step, time (occurrence).” With the article there is a dagesh in פּ — “the time” = “this time, now.” Together with זֹאת: “this, at last.” The ע in the middle is barely heard: pa-am. The accent above (◌֗) is revia.
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · feminine · singular
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- פַּעַם (“time, step”) + article הַ
- Accent
- Revia a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H6471
עֶ֚צֶםetsembone
Etsem “bone” — a feminine noun though it does not end in ה. It is a “segolate” noun with two segols (ֶ), like erets and erev, stressed on the first syllable. Without the article, “bone” — the “what” in the verbless sentence “this is what.” The accent under the first letter (◌֚) is yetiv. ם is the final form of מ.
- Parsing
- noun · feminine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- עֶצֶם (“bone”) · segolate noun
- Accent
- Yetiv a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H6106
מֵֽעֲצָמַ֔יme-atsamaiof my bones
When the preposition מִן (“from”) is attached, its נ usually merges into the next letter as a doubling; but ע cannot take a dagesh, so מִ lengthens to מֵ (me-) instead. עֲצָמַי is the plural of etsem + the suffix ־ַי (-ai) “my” (the form of “my” used on plural nouns) — “my bones.” “Bone of my bones” means bone taken out of my bones. The accent (◌֔) is zaqef.
- Parsing
- preposition + noun · feminine · plural · construct + pronominal suffix · 1st common singular
- Grammar
- prepositiongender and numberconstruct statepronominal suffixaccents
- Form
- מִן → מֵ (before ע) + עֲצָמִים (“bones”) + ־ַי (“my”) → מֵעֲצָמַי
- Accent
- Zaqef qatan a major pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H6106
וּבָשָׂ֖רu-vasarand flesh (basar)
Before ב “and” becomes וּ (u) (as before the other lip-sounds מ, פ). After the vowel ב has no dagesh: a soft v, u-vasar. Basar “flesh, body” is masculine, here without the article: “flesh.” שׂ has its dot on the left, so it is an “s.” The YLV shows the Hebrew: “flesh (basar).” It pairs with “bone of my bones” before it.
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- conjunction wawgender and numberaccents
- Form
- וּ + בָּשָׂר (“flesh”) → dagesh drops: בָשָׂר
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H1320
מִבְּשָׂרִ֑יmi-besariof my flesh (basar)
This time the נ of מִן merges into the next letter ב as a doubling — the dagesh in בּ — and the prefix stays מִ (mi-). Compare מֵעֲצָמַי just before. בְּשָׂרִי is basar singular + the suffix ־ִי (-i) “my” (the form used on singular nouns) — “my flesh.” With the suffix the stress moves back and the first vowel ָ reduces to a shewa (בְּ). Atnach (◌֑) here — verse 23 divides into “this is bone and flesh” and “she shall be called Ishah.”
- Parsing
- preposition + noun · masculine · singular · construct + pronominal suffix · 1st common singular
- Grammar
- prepositiongender and numberconstruct statepronominal suffixaccents
- Form
- מִן → מִ + doubled בּ · בָּשָׂר → בְּשָׂרִי (“my flesh”)
- Accent
- Atnach the main pause in mid-verse — divides the verse in two
- Lexicon
- H1320
לְזֹאת֙le-zotfor this one
לְ + the feminine demonstrative זֹאת. As in 1:5, where “call + לְ” meant “give a name to,” here לְ marks the one who receives the name, “this one.” It stands before the verb. The accent (◌֙) is pashta.
- Parsing
- preposition + demonstrative pronoun · feminine · singular
- Grammar
- prepositiondemonstrativeaccents
- Form
- לְ (“to”) + זֹאת (“this,” feminine)
- Accent
- Pashta a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H2063
יִקָּרֵ֣אyiqqare(it) shall be called
The Niphal (passive) imperfect of qara “to call” — “shall be called.” The י in front = “he / it” (3rd masculine singular). The Niphal imperfect is at root יִנְ-, but that נ merges into the first root letter, giving the dagesh in קּ — the doubling in יִקָּ is the sign of the Niphal imperfect. The 3ms is the plain form for “it shall be called” without naming who does the calling; the one named is לְזֹאת before it, and the name is אִשָּׁה after it. As an imperfect it looks ahead: “shall be.” The final א is silent.
אִשָּׁ֔הishahWoman (ishah)
The name given: “Ishah.” The word of verse 22, here standing as a name with no article or preposition. The dot in שּׁ marks doubling; the final ־ָה is the feminine ending. Its sound answers אִישׁ (ish, man) in the next clause — “from ish, so ishah.” The YLV shows the Hebrew: “Woman (ishah).” The accent (◌֔) is zaqef.
- Parsing
- noun · feminine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- אִשָּׁה (“woman”)
- Accent
- Zaqef qatan a major pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H802
כִּ֥יkibecause
In 1:4 it introduced what was seen (“that”); here it opens the reason for what was just said, “because” — why she is called “Ishah.” The accent beneath (◌֥) is merkha.
- Parsing
- conjunction
- Grammar
- conjunction wawaccents
- Form
- unchanging
- Accent
- Merkha conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H3588a
מֵאִ֖ישׁme-ishfrom Man (ish)
מִן is attached before א; since א cannot take a dagesh, it lengthens to מֵ (me-), as in מֵעֲצָמַי. Ish “man” is masculine; the “i” is written with the vowel letter י (אִי). No article: “from man.” The word stands before the verb, putting weight on “from where.” The YLV: “Man (ish).”
- Parsing
- preposition + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- prepositiongender and numberaccents
- Form
- מִן → מֵ (before א) + אִישׁ (“man”)
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H376
לֻֽקֳחָהluqochahshe was taken
The Pual (passive) perfect of laqach “to take” — “was taken.” The ֻ (u, qibbuts) under the first letter is the Pual sign. The middle root letter is normally doubled (dagesh), but here ק has, instead of the dot, the short vowel ֳ (hateph qamets, o). The ending ־ָה (-ah) is 3rd feminine singular, “she” — the “she” is זֹּאת (this one) joined to it by maqaf. Being passive, the word does not say who did the taking. The stroke in לֻֽ is a meteg.
זֹּֽאתzotthis one
The same feminine demonstrative as זֹאת, the first word of the verse — here the subject of לֻקֳחָה (“she”). The previous word ends in ־ָה and is joined by maqaf, so ז takes a dagesh (זּ), a doubling that arises in joined reading. Verse 23 opens with זֹאת and closes with זֹּאת. Silluq at the verse end.
- Parsing
- demonstrative pronoun · feminine · singular
- Grammar
- demonstrativeaccents
- Form
- זֹאת → after maqaf זֹּאת (ז doubled)
- Accent
- Silluq the final pause of the verse
- Lexicon
- H2063
YLVTherefore a man (ish) shall leave his father and his mother and cleave to his woman (ishah), and they shall become one flesh (basar).
How this sentence is built — and why
- How many clauses?Three: [therefore a man leaves his father and mother] [he cleaves to his woman] [they become one flesh].
- What comes first?Not the verb but עַל־כֵּן (“therefore”) → pattern 31. A closing remark made outside the story chain (the wayyiqtols).
- So what fills the verb slot?The first verb is the imperfect יַעֲזָב (what is always so). Then two weqatals, וְדָבַק and וְהָיוּ (pattern 14), carry on the same time. It is וְ (shewa), not וַ + dagesh (wayyiqtol).
- How “who” changesיַעֲזָב and דָבַק are “he” (אִישׁ); הָיוּ ends in ־וּ = “they” — the one who leaves has become “two” by the last verb. הָיָה לְ (pattern 24) + בָשָׂר אֶחָד.
- Why is it written this way?It takes up what happened in verse 23 with “therefore” and says what, because of it, is always so. אִישׁ without the article means “any man.”
- The accents matchThe atnach (◌֑) on אִמּוֹ divides it: [leaving | cleaving and one flesh].
Clause by clause
YLVTherefore a man (ish) shall leave his father and his mother
Why?עַל־כֵּן (“therefore”) first → the verb is not a wayyiqtol but the imperfect יַעֲזָב (“leaves, shall leave”). The subject is אִישׁ without the article — not one particular person but “a man (any man).” The two objects carry the suffixes ־ִיו / ־וֹ (“his”), each marked by אֶת.
YLVand cleave to his woman (ishah),
Why?וְ + the perfect דָבַק (“cleaves”) — a weqatal. It is וְ, not the wayyiqtol וַ, and the verb is a perfect (bare form = “he”), yet it continues the imperfect before it, saying the same “always so.” The “he” is the אִישׁ of the previous clause.
YLVand they shall become one flesh (basar).
Why?Another weqatal, וְהָיוּ (“they shall become”) — the ending ־וּ = “they,” the man and his woman. With הָיָה לְ (“become”), לְבָשָׂר אֶחָד (“one flesh”). The “he” of the previous clause becomes “they” here.
How the accents divide it
The bigger the box, the bigger the pause. Read from right to left.
The atnach (◌֑) falls on אִמּוֹ (“his mother”): leaving | cleaving and one flesh. Leaving is the first half; becoming one is the second.
Word by word
עַלalupon, because of
כֵּן֙kenso → therefore
יַֽעֲזָבyaazovhe shall leave
The Qal imperfect of azav “to leave, forsake.” The י in front = “he”; the “he” is the next word, אִישׁ (a man). The first root letter ע is a throat-letter, so it takes ֲ (hateph patach) instead of a shewa, and the prefix vowel follows as יַ (ya-) rather than יִ (the stroke in יַֽ is a meteg). The usual form is יַעֲזֹב (ya’azov); joined by maqaf it loses its stress and the holem shortens to a short o written ָ (qamets hatuf) — read ya-a-zov, not ya-a-zav. After עַל־כֵּן the imperfect states not a single past event but what is always so: “shall leave.”
אִ֔ישׁisha man (ish)
The אִישׁ (ish) of verse 23. Without the article it is “a man” — any man at all. It is the subject of יַעֲזָב, right after the verb; being masculine singular, it matches the verb’s 3ms י. The accent (◌֔) is zaqef. YLV: “a man (ish).”
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- אִישׁ (“man”) · the “i” is written with י
- Accent
- Zaqef qatan a major pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H376
אֶתet(object marker)
The object marker, pointing to what he leaves, “his father.” Joined by maqaf: the short אֶת.
- Parsing
- object marker
- Grammar
- object marker אֵתmaqqefaccents
- Form
- אֵת → before maqaf אֶת־
- Accent
- Maqaf joined to the next word by maqaf (־)
- Lexicon
- H853
אָבִ֖יוavivhis father
Av (אָב) “father” + the suffix ו “his” (3rd masculine singular) — the “he” is the man (אִישׁ). Before suffixes av takes a י (אֲבִי-), so the ו comes after י: אָבִיו, the יו read as one syllable, close to “-iv.” A noun with a suffix is definite without the article, which is why אֶת stands before it. The accent (◌֖) is tipcha.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular · construct + pronominal suffix · 3rd masculine singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberconstruct statepronominal suffixaccents
- Form
- אָב (“father”) → אָבִי- + ו (“his”) → אָבִיו
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H1
וְאֶתve-etand (object marker)
“And” וְ + the object marker. As with וְאֵת in 1:1, it points separately to the second object, “his mother.” Here it is joined by maqaf, so the vowel is short: אֶת.
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + object marker
- Grammar
- conjunction wawobject marker אֵתmaqqefaccents
- Form
- וְ + אֵת → before maqaf וְאֶת־
- Accent
- Maqaf joined to the next word by maqaf (־)
- Lexicon
- H853
אִמּ֑וֹimmohis mother
Em (אֵם) “mother” + the suffix וֹ (-o) “his” — the man’s mother. With a suffix the מ doubles (the dagesh in מּ): אִמּ-. It is the same “his” as in אָבִיו; on singular nouns it is normally this וֹ. Atnach (◌֑) here — verse 24 divides into the leaving and the cleaving that makes one flesh.
- Parsing
- noun · feminine · singular · construct + pronominal suffix · 3rd masculine singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberconstruct statepronominal suffixaccents
- Form
- אֵם (“mother”) → אִמּ- + וֹ (“his”) → אִמּוֹ
- Accent
- Atnach the main pause in mid-verse — divides the verse in two
- Lexicon
- H517
וְve-davaqand he shall cleave
Davaq “to cling, cleave.” וְ + the bare form (perfect 3ms, “he”) — a weqatal. Not the wayyiqtol וַ with doubling, but וְ (shewa) on a perfect: it carries on the imperfect יַעֲזָב before it and is read the same way, “shall.” The “he” is the man (אִישׁ) already named. After וְ the ד has no dagesh. The accent (◌֣) is munach.
בְּאִשְׁתּ֔וֹbe-ishtoto his woman (ishah)
“Cleave + בְּ” = “cleave to.” אִשָּׁה (ishah) takes the suffix וֹ “his” (the man’s). Before suffixes the feminine ending ־ָה turns into ת: אִשְׁתּ- (isht-). The dot in ת marks the hard sound after a shewa. YLV: “his woman (ishah).” The accent (◌֔) is zaqef.
- Parsing
- preposition + noun · feminine · singular · construct + pronominal suffix · 3rd masculine singular
- Grammar
- prepositiongender and numberconstruct statepronominal suffixaccents
- Form
- בְּ + אִשָּׁה → אִשְׁתּ- + וֹ (“his”)
- Accent
- Zaqef qatan a major pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H802
וְהָי֖וּve-hayuand they shall become
Weqatal of hayah “to be, become.” The ending ־וּ (-u) is 3rd plural, “they” (the perfect 3rd plural has one form for both genders). “They” are the man and his woman, the two of them — for the first time in this verse the subject is plural. As וְ + perfect it continues the imperfect and weqatal before it: “shall.” With the following לְ it means “become” (the same build as וַיְהִי … לְ in 2:7).
לְבָשָׂ֥רle-vasarinto flesh (basar)
The לְ of “become + לְ” — what they become. לְ is attached to the בָּשָׂר (basar) of verse 23. After לְ the ב has no dagesh: a soft v, le-vasar. No article. The accent (◌֥) is merkha, joining it to the next word, אֶחָד.
- Parsing
- preposition + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- prepositiongender and numberaccents
- Form
- לְ + בָּשָׂר → dagesh drops: לְבָשָׂר
- Accent
- Merkha conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H1320
אֶחָֽדechadone
The אֶחָד (“one”) of “day one” in 1:5. Since בָּשָׂר is masculine, the masculine אֶחָד is used (feminine אַחַת), following the noun: “one flesh.” “They” (plural) become “one” (singular). Silluq at the verse end (the stroke in אֶחָֽד); the form stays אֶחָד.
YLVAnd they were both naked, Adam and his woman (ishah), and they were not ashamed.
How this sentence is built — and why
- How many clauses?Two: [the two of them were naked — Adam and his woman] [they were not ashamed].
- What comes first?The first opens with the wayyiqtol וַיִּהְיוּ → pattern 1 — back to the story from the closing remark of verse 24. In the second וְלֹא comes first → no wayyiqtol is possible.
- So what fills the verb slot?The verb of the second clause is the imperfect יִתְבֹּשָׁשׁוּ (לֹא + imperfect, pattern 29). Here it is not a prohibition but an ongoing state within the past scene.
- Who?Both verbs have י in front + ־וּ at the end = “they.” The first clause spells out “they” as שְׁנֵיהֶם (“the two of them”) → הָאָדָם וְאִשְׁתּוֹ (“Adam and his woman”).
- Why is it written this way?An event (pattern 1) sets “they were naked,” and an ongoing state (imperfect) adds “they were not ashamed,” closing the section. עֲרוּמִּים (“naked”) is almost the same in letters as עָרוּם (“cunning”) of the serpent in 3:1 — the hinge to the next section.
- The accents matchThe atnach (◌֑) on וְאִשְׁתּוֹ divides it: [naked | not ashamed].
Clause by clause
YLVAnd they were both naked, Adam and his woman (ishah),
Why?Wayyiqtol וַיִּהְיוּ (“they were”) — י in front + ־וּ at the end = “they.” Subject שְׁנֵיהֶם (“the two of them”), predicate עֲרוּמִּים (“naked,” plural), and then who “the two” are: הָאָדָם וְאִשְׁתּוֹ (“Adam and his woman”).
YLVand they were not ashamed.
Why?“And” is attached not to the verb but to לֹא (“not”), which stands before the verb, so no wayyiqtol is possible; the imperfect יִתְבֹּשָׁשׁוּ comes (י in front + ־וּ at the end = “they”). Though shaped like the prohibition of 2:17 (pattern 29), here it is not a prohibition but an ongoing state within the past scene — “they were not ashamed.” The תְ marks the Hithpael (the form for doing something to oneself or one another).
How the accents divide it
The bigger the box, the bigger the pause. Read from right to left.
The atnach (◌֑) falls on וְאִשְׁתּוֹ (“his woman”): both naked | not ashamed.
Word by word
וַיִּֽהְי֤וּva-yihyuand they were
Wayyiqtol of hayah “to be,” 3rd masculine plural. וַ + יּ (dagesh); the prefix י and the ending ־וּ together make “they” (with י alone it would be “he”). “They” are שְׁנֵיהֶם (the two of them) that follows — Adam and his woman. A group of a man and a woman takes the masculine plural. וַיְהִי in 1:3 is the shortened singular; the plural adds ־וּ: יִּהְיוּ. The stroke in יִּֽ is a meteg; the accent (◌֤) is mahpakh.
שְׁנֵיהֶם֙sheneihemthe two of them
Shenayim (שְׁנַיִם) “two” is a dual (־ַיִם, the form for a pair). Its construct שְׁנֵי- (“two of”) takes the suffix ־הֶם “their” (3rd masculine plural): “the two of them,” “both.” It is the subject of וַיִּהְיוּ, right after the verb; man and woman together take the masculine plural suffix. ם is the final form. The accent (◌֙) is pashta.
עֲרוּמִּ֔יםarummimnaked
The adjective “naked,” masculine plural (ending ־ִים), agreeing with the subject “the two of them.” The “u” is the vowel letter וּ; the dagesh in מּ marks doubling. It says what they were, with the verb וַיִּהְיוּ (“were”). In the very next verse, 3:1, the serpent is called עָרוּם (“cunning”), a word with almost the same letters. The accent (◌֔) is zaqef.
הָֽאָדָ֖םha-adamthe Adam
The first name that spells out who שְׁנֵיהֶם (“the two of them”) are — “both, Adam and….” The article is הָ before א, with a meteg on הָֽ. The accent (◌֖) is tipcha.
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- אָדָם (“Adam, man”) + article הָ
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H120
וְאִשְׁתּ֑וֹve-ishtoand his woman (ishah)
The אִשְׁתּוֹ of verse 24 with “and” וְ. The feminine ending ־ָה becomes ת before the suffix, אִשְׁתּ-, + וֹ “his” — here “his” is Adam’s, just named. With Adam she makes up “the two of them.” YLV: “his woman (ishah).” Atnach (◌֑) here — verse 25 divides into “they were naked” and “they were not ashamed.”
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + noun · feminine · singular · construct + pronominal suffix · 3rd masculine singular
- Grammar
- conjunction wawgender and numberconstruct statepronominal suffixaccents
- Form
- וְ + אִשָּׁה → אִשְׁתּ- + וֹ (“his”)
- Accent
- Atnach the main pause in mid-verse — divides the verse in two
- Lexicon
- H802
וְלֹ֖אve-loand not
“And” וְ + the negative לֹא “not.” The “o” is a holem (לֹ); the א is silent. Since לֹא heads the clause, before the verb, the verb cannot be a wayyiqtol: an imperfect, יִתְבֹּשָׁשׁוּ, follows. In 2:17 לֹא + imperfect was a prohibition (“you shall not eat”); here it describes how things were in the story: “they were not ashamed.” The accent (◌֖) is tipcha.
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + negative particle
- Grammar
- conjunction wawnegationaccents
- Form
- וְ + לֹא (“not”)
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H3808
יִתְבֹּשָֽׁשׁוּyitboshashuthey were ashamed
The Hithpael imperfect, 3rd masculine plural, of bosh “to be ashamed.” The prefix י and the ending ־וּ together = “they” — Adam and his woman (man and woman together, so masculine plural). The תְ (t) after י is the mark of the Hithpael (the form for doing something to oneself or one another). The root’s middle letter is ו, so in this form the last letter שׁ is written twice instead (בֹּשָׁשׁ). After תְ the ב has the hard-sound dot. At the silluq the word is pausal, with a lengthened vowel under שָׁ (without the pause: יִתְבֹּשְׁשׁוּ).
All the sentence patterns of this page in one table, and the places where views differ.
2-1Sentence patterns on this page
Which patterns build the clauses of this page, in one table.
| Pattern | On this page |
|---|---|
| 1. The wayyiqtol narrative sentence | 2:18 And YHWH God said,2:19 And YHWH God formed out of the ground (adamah) every living thing (chai) of the field and every bird of the heavens,2:19 and brought it to Adam to see what he would call it;2:20 And Adam called names to all the cattle and to the bird of the heavens and to every living thing (chai) of the field;2:21 And YHWH God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam,2:21 and he slept,2:21 and he took one of his ribs2:21 and closed up flesh (basar) in its place.2:22 And YHWH God built the rib which he had taken from Adam into a woman (ishah),2:22 and brought her to Adam.2:23 And Adam said,2:25 And they were both naked, Adam and his woman (ishah), |
| 2. The “X + perfect” sentence | 2:20 but for Adam he did not find a helper as his counterpart. |
| 4. The verbless sentence | 2:18 "It is not good for Adam to be alone;2:23 "This now is bone of my bones and flesh (basar) of my flesh (basar); |
| 10. The relative clause with אֲשֶׁר | 2:19 and whatever Adam called it, the living soul (nephesh), that was its name.2:22 And YHWH God built the rib which he had taken from Adam into a woman (ishah), |
| 11. The passive — Niphal (and Pual) | 2:23 for this one it shall be called Woman (ishah),2:23 because from Man (ish) this one was taken." |
| 13. לְ + infinitive construct, “to …” | 2:19 and brought it to Adam to see what he would call it; |
| 14. The weqatal — what is to follow, inside speech | 2:24 and cleave to his woman (ishah),2:24 and they shall become one flesh (basar). |
| 17. First person: “let us …,” “I will …” | 2:18 I will make him a helper as his counterpart." |
| 18. Pronoun suffixes on verbs, prepositions and אֵת | 2:18 I will make him a helper as his counterpart."2:21 and closed up flesh (basar) in its place.2:22 and brought her to Adam.2:24 Therefore a man (ish) shall leave his father and his mother |
| 20. The causal כִּי clause, “because …” | 2:23 because from Man (ish) this one was taken." |
| 24. הָיָה לְ: “become” | 2:24 and they shall become one flesh (basar). |
| 25. “And + subject + imperfect”: repeated background | 2:25 and they were not ashamed. |
| 26. The verbless sentence linked by the pronoun הוּא | 2:19 and whatever Adam called it, the living soul (nephesh), that was its name. |
| 30. The sentence with an infinitive as subject | 2:18 "It is not good for Adam to be alone; |
| 31. עַל־כֵּן + imperfect · weqatal — what is always so | 2:24 Therefore a man (ish) shall leave his father and his mother2:24 and cleave to his woman (ishah),2:24 and they shall become one flesh (basar). |
| 32. A short poem (verse) — paired lines | 2:23 "This now is bone of my bones and flesh (basar) of my flesh (basar);2:23 for this one it shall be called Woman (ishah),2:23 because from Man (ish) this one was taken." |
2-2Going deeper
Verses 18 and 20, “עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ” — what do “helper” and “as his counterpart” mean?
What the text makes clear — עֵזֶר is a masculine singular noun from the root ע-ז-ר (“help”), “help, helper.” כְּנֶגְדּוֹ is three pieces: כְּ (“as, according to”) + נֶגֶד (“in front of, opposite”) + ־וֹ (“his”). The two words appear identically twice — in verse 18 (God’s word) and verse 20 (not found among the animals) — and in verse 23 Adam calls her “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.”
① “Helper” — the word itself carries no sense of lower rank
- Evidence
- עֵזֶר occurs 22 times in the Old Testament (OSHB). Outside Genesis 2 most refer to help that God gives: Ps 121:1–2, “from where shall my help (עֶזְרִי) come? My help is from with YHWH, Maker of heaven and earth”; Exod 18:4, “the God of my father was my help (בְּעֶזְרִי)”; Ps 33:20, “he is our help and our shield”; Deut 33:29, “the shield of your help” (מָגֵן עֶזְרֶךָ). See also Deut 33:7, 26; Ps 70:6; 115:9–11; 124:8; 146:5; Hos 13:9.
- Problems
- That the word is used of God does not by itself settle the relationship here (who leads, who follows) — עֵזֶר is also used of human help (Isa 30:5; Ezek 12:14; Dan 11:34). The word names the role of helping; the context says the rest.
- Sources
- Occurrences counted in OSHB · the BDB lexicon entry עֵזֶר
② “Corresponding to him, fit for him” — כְּנֶגְדּוֹ speaks of a counterpart
- Evidence
- נֶגֶד is “in front of, opposite”: Exod 19:2, “Israel encamped before the mountain (נֶגֶד הָהָר)”; Gen 31:32, “before our brothers (נֶגֶד אַחֵינוּ).” With כְּ (“as, according to”) it becomes “as one standing before him, matching him.” The context of verse 20 (none among the named animals) and verse 23 (bone of my bones) points to “a counterpart of the same kind.” The Septuagint renders verse 18 “κατ᾽ αὐτόν” (“suited to him”) and verse 20 “ὅμοιος αὐτῷ” (“like him”).
- Problems
- The combination כְּנֶגֶד occurs in the Old Testament only in these two verses (2:18, 20; OSHB). Its meaning must therefore be drawn from its parts (כְּ + נֶגֶד) and the context, and readers differ on whether to stress “sameness” or “standing opposite and completing.”
- Sources
- Septuagint · the BDB lexicon entry נֶגֶד
③ “Against him” — a Jewish reading by wordplay
- Evidence
- It relies on נֶגֶד (“opposite”) being readable as “opposed.” The Babylonian Talmud (Yevamot 63a) and Rashi (11th century) on Gen 2:18 explain: “if he is worthy, a help; if not, against him.”
- Problems
- This is homiletic wordplay. Grammatically כְּ means “as, according to,” not “against,” and the context of verses 18 and 20 speaks only of something lacking, not of conflict. Adam’s words in verse 23 are a welcome, not opposition.
- Sources
- Babylonian Talmud, Yevamot 63a · Rashi on Genesis
④ “A power equal to him” — taking עֵזֶר from a root meaning “strength”
- Evidence
- Because Hebrew ע merges two older Semitic sounds (ʿ and ġ), some עֵזֶר are taken to come from a root “be strong” (ġ-z-r). R. David Freedman argued this in Biblical Archaeology Review (1983).
- Problems
- OSHB and most lexicons treat all 22 occurrences of עֵזֶר as one word, “help.” In places like Ps 121:1–2, “from where shall my help come,” “help” is the natural sense. It rests on an etymological assumption from outside the text.
- Sources
- R. David Freedman, “Woman, a Power Equal to Man” (Biblical Archaeology Review, 1983)
What the grammar says for certain is “עֵזֶר (helper) + כְּ (as) + נֶגֶד (in front of) + ־וֹ (his),” and that no such one was found among the animals (verse 20). The YLV renders “a helper as his counterpart.”
Verse 21, “צֵלָע” — a rib, or a side?
What the text makes clear — God took from Adam’s body “אַחַת מִצַּלְעֹתָיו” — “one of his צֵלָעs,” closed up flesh in its place (verse 21), and built ishah from it (verse 22). צֵלָע is treated as feminine (אַחַת, תַּחְתֶּנָּה). The word occurs 41 times in the Old Testament (OSHB); outside Gen 2:21–22 almost every use refers to the “side” of a building, an object or a hillside — sides, side-chambers, planks (Job 18:12 alone is read either as a person’s “side” or as “stumbling”).
① “One of his ribs”
- Evidence
- The shape “אַחַת מִ + plural” (one of several) suits something the body has many of. Verse 23, “bone of my bones,” names bone first. The Septuagint has “πλευρά,” the Latin Vulgate “costa” (rib), and most translations follow.
- Problems
- צֵלָע never means a bone of the body anywhere else in the Old Testament. The Septuagint’s “πλευρά” itself means both “rib” and “side,” so it cannot be pressed to show that the translators meant “bone.”
- Sources
- Septuagint · Vulgate · most translations
② “A side”
- Evidence
- Everywhere else צֵלָע is a “side”: Exod 26:20, “for the second side of the tabernacle (mishkan)” (וּלְצֶלַע הַמִּשְׁכָּן); 2 Sam 16:13, “the side of the hill” (בְּצֵלַע הָהָר); 1 Kgs 6:5, “side-chambers” (צְלָעוֹת). Verse 23 speaks not only of bone but of “flesh of my flesh,” and verse 21 says flesh closed up the place. Genesis Rabbah 8:1 cites Exod 26:20 and reads “from his sides.”
- Problems
- Some note that “one of” with a plural (אַחַת מִצַּלְעֹתָיו) fits something one has many of better than “sides,” of which there are only two. And since almost every other use is of buildings and objects, it remains open whether that sense carries over directly to a body.
- Sources
- Genesis Rabbah 8:1 · BDB lexicon (“side, rib”)
Neither reading changes what the text plainly says — ishah was built from what was taken from Adam’s body, and so she is “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” (verse 23). The YLV renders “one of his ribs.”