Emma Stark's failed attempt to elevate women into "warriors" by eisegesis. (from the 20:00 mark)
Emma Stark issues a scriptural challenge regarding the creation of Eve in Genesis 2:22.
Emma Stark: "I am going to challenge some of your scripturally. It says nowhere in the original text, the word 'rib'. The word 'rib' is not there, and yet we have that God took a portion of his rib, that is not accurate.. Actually in the Hebrew it means God took half of him.. literally God cut the man in half. Get away from any thought that God took a little portion of him. God cut the man in half. After that God imaged Himself male and female.. so if I am, or if we are, to be the full image of God, it is in both male and female in their place. I am not a small portion, I am not a small part, we are half and half reflecting the image of God."
Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit fore him.” Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” (Genesis 2:18-23).
Keil and Delitzsch:"צלע means the side, and, as a portion of the human body, the rib. The correctness of this meaning, which is given by all the ancient versions, is evident from the words, "God took one of his צלעות," which show that the man had several of them. "And closed up flesh in the place thereof;" i.e., closed the gap which had been made, with flesh which He put in the place of the rib." {1}
The exact procedure employed by God is not described in the passage. A literal translation of אַחַת֙ מִצַּלְעֹתָ֔יו is: “{God} took one from his side and closed up the flesh in its place” without specifying what exactly God took one of. Translators invariably insert the word “rib” because this seems to be the most likely object the text is referring to. Verse 23 says that God closed up its place with flesh. (closed up the flesh instead thereof - KJV) This phrase does not accommodate the idea that God literally cut Adam in half. The clear implication is that God closed up the place where He had removed the portion of material from the side of Adam in order to make Eve. ALL the commentaries I have read take this to be the case.
Adam Clarke: "..some part of man was to be used on the occasion, whether bone or flesh it matters not; though it is likely, from verse Genesis 2:23, that a part of both was taken; for Adam, knowing how the woman was formed, said, This is flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bone." {2}
Emma Stark: "The word 'helper' is also problematically translated. Now interestingly the more accurate translation, which you then see. particularly in the book of Joshua.. the better translation of that word is warrior and protector. 'And God says it is not good for man to be alone, I will give him a warrior, I will give him a protector, I will give him a restrainer' is the other portion of that word." Actually help-mate and helper has practically nothing to do with it.."
The LORD God also said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a suitable helper (ezer kenegdo).” And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and He brought them to the man to see what he would name each one. And whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. Genesis 2:18-20).
We cannot get away from the fact that ezer is help.
The original wording in Genesis 2:18 to describe Eve is ezer kenegdo (עזר כנגדו) All the lexicons are unequivocal, Hebrew עֵזֶר ezer is help/helper as in Ebenezer (1 Samuel 7:12). According to Strong's, kenegdo comes from the word neḡeḏ which is a difficult word to translate. Brown Driver Briggs: kenegdo ~preposition in front of, in sight of, opposite to.. {3} Literally, Eve was a helper, as over against him, or corresponding to him. According to Hebrew scholars, ezer is a neutral term that does not imply subordination. The Genesis 2 description suggests equality, and words with subordinate overtones like "assistant" are alien to the passage. I am convinced that gender roles were not even remotely an issue prior to the fall. Adam and Eve were in perfect harmony at that stage and the passage suggests the idea of complementarianism. What is beyond dispute is that it is not possible to give Eve divine attributes, or to translate ezer kenegdo out of context as "warrior redeemer and rescuer".
Strongs: "ezer: a help, helper"
Brown Driver Briggs: I. עֵ֫זֶר noun masculine Psalm 121:1 help, succour; — ׳ע absolute Genesis 2:18 +, suffix עֶזְרִי Exodus 18:4, עֶזְרֹה Ezekiel 12:14, etc.; —
1 help, succour Isaiah 30:5 ("" הוֺעִיל, opposed to בּשֶׁת, חֶרְמָּה), Daniel 11:34; from ׳י Psalm 20:3; Psalm 121:1; Psalm 121:2; Psalm 124:8; in Psalm 89:20 read נֵזֶר for ׳ע Dy Gr Kau (עֹז Bi Che), compare Hup; מָגֵן עֶזְר֑ךָ Deuteronomy 33:29 (= ׳י).
2 concrete = one who helps (compare 1. עֶזְרָה 2) ׳בְּע (בְּ essent., see ב 17b, Ges§ 119 h, i) Genesis 2:18,20; (J) + Hosea 13:9 (read ׳מִי בְע Che We GuKau Now); collective (without בְּ Ezekiel 12:14 (si vera lectio; Co עֹזְרָיו); especially of ׳מִצָּרָיו י ׳ע Deuteronomy 33:7 (poem), ׳ע + מָגֵן Psalm 33:20; Psalm 115:9; Psalm 115:10; Psalm 115:11, + מְפַלֵּט Psalm 70:6; ׳בְּע (see above) Exodus 18:4 (E), Deuteronomy 33:26 (poem), Psalm 146:4. {4}
Emma Stark produces examples from the Psalms in order to demonstrate that Eve functions as Adam's "warrior, redeemer and rescuer" (e.g. Psalm 33:20; Psalm 70:5; Psalm 115:9; Psalm 118:6). I don't think she has heard of context!
The apostle Paul describes God as his "helper" (Greek ~βοηθός). So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews13:6 cf. Psalm 118:6). The context of "helper" this New Testament verse applies exclusively to God Himself; it is clearly a different kind of "help" that is received from any human agency. (Isaiah 48:11).
Blurring the line between headship and leadership
Emma Stark: "In the Psalms, 'God is my helper in terms of my warrior, redeemer and rescuer.. in the mistranslation from Genesis we have underplayed the place of warrior women who are there beside men to be equal reflectors of the image of God in their ? unique ways... My strength is in leadership and even as my head blesses me in that strength.. and we talk headship and leadership and knowing the differences.."
But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. (1 Corinthians 11:3 cf. Ephesians 5:23).
Since Genesis 2 occurred pre-fall, there would be no occasion for Adam to require a "warrior, redeemer and rescuer". Post-fall, the roles of Adam and Eve changed significantly. (Genesis 3:16-20). Emma Stark takes one isolated verse of scripture and proceeds to further isolate one word within that verse (ezer), which she mistranslates and takes completely out of context. She fails to compare scripture with scripture, and she pays no attention at all to Paul's instruction regarding the roles of men and women. (1 Timothy 2:11-15). Judges 4 demonstrates that occasionally women are legitimately called to take on a role that appears to be outside God's stated patriarchal order. However, when that occurs it is a serious indictment against weak men! (Judges 4:8). There seems to be two extremes within the church: 1 - women who are sickeningly subservient, and 2 - women who presume to take on roles of leadership that are equivalent to/or above men. In my view both extremes are unscriptural.
Further Link:
Ezer Kenegdo in Genesis 2:18- A Power Equal To Him?: https://youtu.be/Yf1IekUt0jI
A truly appalling and perverse Christo-feminist distortion of Genesis 2.
ReplyDeleteConsidering her failure at the tree and Paul's use of her as an example of a victim of satanic deception, Eve was not much of a "warrior, redeemer and rescuer". She, like all of us, need Christ to fulfil this role.
It is of interest that Eve rather than Adam is quoted after the Fall on two occasions which indicate her faith in God's promise of a coming redeemer. I speculate Adam became bitter.
As for the Lord chopping Adam in half, Emma is revealing a pretty violent and nasty imagination more in keeping with THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE than holy writ.
My best to you, Mike
Interesting Mike. I will think about what you say about Eve after the fall.
ReplyDeleteI am astonished that anyone could follow Emma Stark.. don't they even read their bibles on a superficial level?
God bless.
An interesting insight about Eve, Mike - thanks very much.
ReplyDeleteIt’s appalling that people not only wilfully misread and misinterpret scripture to fit their own agenda, but that they then try to spread it to others. She would feel very much at home at Bethel…
Many blessings,
John