Creation Days: The Sixth Day (morning)

 

Male and female He created them.

Genesis 1:27

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Although Adam was made in the image of God, he alone was incomplete. Since God Himself is a communion of Divine Persons, man too would also need a communion of human persons. In this portion of Genesis, God's communal name is used (Elohim) and with the words, "Let us make man in our image" begins the work of creating humankind; man and woman.

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The narrative of the creation of man and woman has numerous interpretations, but their symbolic significance is hidden in words. It's important to consider that words in the Hebrew language are generally polyvalent, meaning a single word can be translated in various ways depending on the form. For example, the word nachash in Genesis can mean both serpent or bronze/shining one. The word nismat is used for both the Breath and Spirit of God. When the narrative is viewed this light, we see that Haadam (Adam) is taken from the Adamah (the ground), but woman is made in a different way; from the side of man. For this reason, Adam speaks a poem over her: 

Bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;

She shall be called woman (ishah) for out of man (ish) she was taken. 

She is not called by name here, only by the word ishah which shares a similarity not to earth, as in the name Adam, but to isheh- fire.

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When the story is imbued with this language, the narrative itself becomes a vivid image. After having received the Breath of life from God, consciousness is drawn from Adam; the man of the earth is put into a deep sleep, a temporary death. He is then resurrected with the morning light and as he awakes, is given a new bride; earth is joined with fire, flesh joined with glory, man joined with woman. It is perhaps in this thought that the apostle writes that woman is the glory of man, for together, they uniquely mirror the glorified body of Christ as well as the union of the Divine Bridegroom with His Church. The wholeness of God's communion with all mankind is thus reflected in holy union of man and wife. Adam is raised anew and transfigured by a radiant bride, Eve. And there was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day.

Part 10 of 12 of the Creation Days series