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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God intentionally put Adam into a deep sleep, not just to prevent pain, but to ensure he had no active role in the creation of Eve, highlighting that she was a direct gift from God. The text emphasizes that God "took" a rib and then "closed up the flesh," implying a complete and seamless work, not a wound or loss, setting the stage for their union as one flesh.
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After naming the animals, Adam realized he was alone, lacking a suitable partner. In response, God induced a deep sleep upon Adam, during which He Himself formed woman from one of Adam's ribs, thus establishing the foundation of marriage and companionship. This act demonstrated that woman was neither superior nor inferior to man, but an equal partner taken from his side.
Why did God put Adam into a deep sleep for this pivotal moment? It wasn't just to avoid pain; it speaks to the unique nature of this creation event.
God's intervention with a "deep sleep" (Hebrew: tardēmâh) on Adam wasn't merely to prevent him from feeling pain during a surgical procedure. It signifies a supernatural event, setting this act of creation apart.
From where was woman taken? The choice of a rib, rather than from his head or feet, is incredibly symbolic. What does this tell us about her role and relationship with man?
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The formation of woman from Adam's side is a foundational theological statement about partnership and equality within humanity.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The proper name of the God of Israel, emphasizing His covenantal faithfulness, self-existence, and personal relationship with His creation.
tardemah · Hebrew Noun
A state of profound unconsciousness, often implying a supernatural or divinely induced state meant to facilitate a revelation or a unique act of God.
adam · Hebrew Noun
A term denoting humanity as a whole or specifically the first man, created from the dust of the ground (adamah). It carries the sense of being earth-bound yet created by God.
This passage speaks of Christ 'emptying himself' and taking 'the form of a servant.' While Adam's sleep was a divine act of creation for humanity's foundation, Christ's voluntary self-emptying mirrors a profound act of divine intervention for redemption.
1 Corinthians 11:8-9This passage directly references the Genesis creation account, stating that man was not made from woman, but woman from man, and that man was not created for woman's sake, but woman for man's. It highlights the foundational relationship established in Genesis 2.
Ephesians 5:28-32This New Testament passage uses the creation of Eve from Adam's side as a profound illustration of Christ's relationship with the Church, emphasizing their unity and the Church as 'bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.'
Matthew 19:4-6Jesus himself quotes Genesis 1:27 and 2:24 when discussing marriage, confirming the Genesis account of creation and the fundamental principle of 'one flesh' established from the beginning.
wesleyGenesis 2:21-22: "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;"
2:21-22 This was done upon the sixth day, as was also the placing of Adam in paradise, though it be here mentioned after an account of the seventh day's rest: but what was said in general, Ge 1:27, that God made man male and female is more distinctly related here, God caused the sleep to fall on Adam, and made it a deep sleep, that so the…
gillGenesis 2:21: "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;"
And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept,.... This was not a common and natural sleep that Adam fell into, occasioned by any weariness of the animal spirits, in viewing the creatures as they passed by him, and in examining them, and giving them suitable and proper names; but it was supernatural, and from the Lord,…
God intentionally put Adam into a deep sleep, not just to prevent pain, but to ensure he had no active role in the creation of Eve, highlighting that she was a direct gift from God. The text emphasizes that God "took" a rib and then "closed up the flesh," implying a complete and seamless work, not a wound or loss, setting the stage for their union as one flesh.
After naming the animals, Adam realized he was alone, lacking a suitable partner. In response, God induced a deep sleep upon Adam, during which He Himself formed woman from one of Adam's ribs, thus establishing the foundation of marriage and companionship. This act demonstrated that woman was neither superior nor inferior to man, but an equal partner taken from his side.
After naming the animals, Adam realized he was alone, lacking a suitable partner. In response, God induced a deep sleep upon Adam, during which He Himself formed woman from one of Adam's ribs, thus establishing the foundation of marriage and companionship. This act demonstrated that woman was neither superior nor inferior to man, but an equal partner taken from his side.
"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." — God intentionally put Adam into a deep sleep, not just to prevent pain, but to ensure he had no active role in the creation of Eve, highlighting that she was a direct gift from God. The text emphasiz…
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Last reviewed October 2026