Some of the play on words in the second creation account in Genesis 2-3:
“And the LORD God formed man (adam; אָדָם) of the dust of the ground (adamah; אֲדָמָה), and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7)
Here humans are
referred to as adam because they were taking from adamah (the ground). This
play on words highlights that humans are creations made out of the stuff of
creation. Unlike God, humans are made of the stuff of the earth … and when we
die, we return back to the earth (3:19).
“And Adam said, ‘This is now bone of my
bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman ('ishshah; אִשָּׁה), because
she was taken out of Man ('iysh; אִישׁ).’” (Genesis
2:23)
Humans are
collectively understood as being Man (adam) but they are then delineated into
two separate forms of Man: male and female (Genesis 1:27; 5:2). In the above
verse, the author indicates the special relationship and connection between
male and female. The woman is referred to as 'ishshah because she was created from man, 'iysh. Yet, everyone that lives, including
males, come from women (3:20). The author indicates that there can be no
superiority of source between male and female. Both derive from the other and
come together as one (Genesis 2:24).
“And they were both naked (`arowm; עָרוֹם), the man and his wife, and
were not ashamed. Now the serpent was more subtle (`aruwm; עָרוּם) than any beast of the field
which the LORD God had made.” (Genesis 2:25-3:1)
Oddly enough, the
author here makes a connection between the nakedness (“smooth-skinned”; `arowm) of Adam and Eve and the subtleness (“smooth-tongued”;
`aruwm) of the serpent’ words. While many scholars have noticed this
obvious connection, I’ve yet to read a commentary that offers and explanation.
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