Meaning of Eve

2002-11-14 04:25:00

Glad to have you back on line, Rick and thank you for your kind words. It'll be nice to hear more of you.

Some time ago Rebecca wrote:
Hello, JJ. I recently read your article, Sex and Knowing God (which, btw, I found to be very interesting). In it, you mentioned that the word Elohiym was translated into its singular form God as well as Adam being translated as ONE man instead of mankind in general. I was just wondering where you received this information and how I can learn more about it and anything related to it (i.e. other mistranslated words, etc). Another question: If Adam really meant the whole of mankind, does that mean that Eve/Chawah meant all of womenkind? I've heard it translated into several different words-- life, mothers of all things living, hay, etc.

She was referring this statement I made:
In the Old Testament Hebrew, two words are translated as "man." The first is ADAM and the second is IYSH. ADAM is sometimes translated as "man" and sometimes literally as "Adam." ADAM is not the name of a person, but of a racial being that is the hermaphroditic combination of male and female in the image of God: "Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called THEIR name Adam, in the day when they were created." [Genesis 5:2] On the other hand, the word IYSH refers to the single male only.

JJ Comment:
There are not many places you can go to learn the true meaning of the original language of the Bible. The best thing to do is get a Strong's concordance and study the words yourself. With a little common sense you will be able to translate better than the experts who are handicapped by their attachment to dogma.

The Hebrew word ADAM is only translated Adam a couple times in the Bible but is usually translated as "man." It usually refers to man of Hebrew descent. There have been many Adams. Each Adam is a new advance in human evolution. The account in the Bible is an account of the last new creation among humanity. The very first Adam was a hermaphrodite and after the split into make and female, a number of Adams have followed.

Christ was called a spiritual Adam in the scriptures because He initiated a new group among humanity, who follow the Spirit.

"Eve" is an interesting word and comes from the Hebrew CHAVVAH. It is generally believed to mean "Life-giver" because of the following scripture:

"And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living" in Gen 3:20.

The word "because" is not in the original Hebrew and has caused believers to give a wrong meaning to the word Eve. If she was indeed named Eve "because" she was the mother of all living then it would be logical to assume that Eve means "living" or "mother of all living."

But if we read it more closely to the Hebrew, we receive a totally different slant:

"And Adam called his woman's name Eve; the mother of all living."

Here we are given a totally different slant. Eve was not called Eve "because" she was the mother of all living, but she was named Eve, and in addition to being called this name she was "also" the mother of all living."

An examination of the root word from whence Eve comes from reveals much more truth about the word than the side comment that she was the mother of all living.

As I said, Eve comes from the Hebrew CHAVVAH which is derived from the prime root CHAVAH. By studying the context of the six times CHAVAH is used one can see that the common meaning is "to reveal."

What does this tell us? Adam called his wife Eve because she was a source of revelation.

Question:

What does it tell you when you contemplate the fact that the female side of humanity is a source of revelation?


The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, But that it is too low and we reach it.
Michelangelo