You are a warrior. Twice to describe woman and 16 times to describe God. It is a masculine noun, though used here of a woman, Phoebe in the New Testament was described as a male deacon. Nandu Kumar. Today I'm sharing an encouraging story sent to me by a long-time friend who's part of the ministry ... “Does anybody know what we are living for?” asked Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of the rock ... You know that nickname you have for your spouse? But to understand woman we must understand help. Women throughout Israel's history show what it really means to be an ezer knegdo, a helper equal to a man. Men need us, women! Think of one thing or area in which you have held yourself back -believing that you shouldn’t or couldn’t do it because you are a woman. Understanding the ezer-kenegdo. The word ezer occurs twenty-one times in the Old Testament. Even God knows that! In no other occurrence in the Old Testament does this refer to an inferior, but always to a superior or an equal...'help' expresses that the woman is a help/strength who rescues or saves man.". The word Ezer Kenegdo might be old but the purpose of our existence as women is the same. Go back to that moment and ask the Holy Spirit to show you what you can do to strengthen yourself in situations like that. Based on a work at www.theologyofwork.org. The word ezer occurs twenty-one times in the Old Testament. The Ezer is a warrior. Complementary is what you are, not what you are doing. The root word Hebrew word ezer is a combination of two roots: `-z-r, meaning “to rescue, to save,” and g-z-r, meaning “to be strong.” Further examination of the difference between the two is the first letter in Hebrew. Three times it refers to powerful nations Israel called on for help when besieged. Do you ever wonder what your purpose is as a woman? Your identity as a woman in this world? Clearly God is not our subordinate. The first occurrence of the Hebrew word neqebah, the general word for female, is found in Genesis 1:27. I don’t want to be a “helper” or “helpmeet”, that sounds so lame. Eve is given to Adam as his ezer kenegdo ... "When Eve was [deceived], the artistry of being a woman took a fateful dive into the barren places of control and loneliness." The Hebrew expression ezer kenegdo appears, meaning "one who is the same as the other and who surrounds, protects, aids, helps, supports." In the Hebrew text the word is “ezer” which is traditionally translated in English as “helper”. This word means a rescuer, someone who comes running when the people cry out for help. An ezer drops everything to save those in need… That's the meaning of ezer. Many opinions of women have been shaped by the word in Genesis 2:18, “helper.” Was the woman to be merely a helpful assistant to the man? This is only going to work when your one hand is the kenegdo to your other hand. Like I was made to be an assistant or servant of man. Woman is called ezer. In the book of Genesis, our purpose and true identity as a woman is revealed. In the fourth century A.D., the deserts of Egypt, Palestine, Arabia, and Persia were peopled by a ... Sign Up for our blog and periodic ministry updates. How to say Ezer in English? Was the woman to be merely a helpful assistant to the man? In the Old Testament, the word Ezer is used 21 times. In Hebrew, the word used to describe woman is Ezer kenegdo. The Hebrew word “kenegdo” means suitable, appropriate, and meet. The first word in the phrase, עזר (ezer, Strong's #5828), is simple and means "helper." The Hebrew word Kenegdo means opposite as to him or corresponding as to him. But that is far from the meaning of the Hebrew word used to describe the first woman. Recently R. David Freedman has pointed out that the Hebrew word ezer is a combination of two roots: `-z-r, meaning "to rescue, to save," and g-z-r, meaning "to be strong." Together they reflect the image of God as strengths and weaknesses complement each other. Adopted by the Theology of Work Project Board February 4, 2017. Eve was the solution to Adam’s deficiency. So what does the modern-day Ezer Kenegdo do without a man? And so God created woman to be an ezer to man. God created the woman as an ezer. This my dear sisters is a lie. The Daily Memo | September 30, 2020 | I Call Her Sparkles, The Daily Memo | September 16, 2020 | Denying Ourselves, The Daily Memo | January 18, 2021 | Setting Goals. In two cases it refers to the first woman, Eve, in Genesis 2. You are a warrior princess and there is nothing you can’t do with the power of the King of kings. This word is even used of God, sometimes, noting that He is our Helper (Psalm 115:9-11). All rights reserved. While many devout Christians see a woman's function as a subordinate to a man, the word ezer in the original Hebrew overturns that idea. You are free to share (to copy, distribute and transmit the work), and remix (to adapt the work) for non-commercial use only, under the condition that you must attribute the work to the Theology of Work Project, Inc., but not in any way that suggests that it endorses you or your use of the work. The word ‘ezer means “helper” and is never used in the Old Testament to refer to an inferior or to a subordinate. I believe this Scripture is misinterpreted by a lot of people, especially women. The word “help” in this scripture is “EZER” a Hebrew word meaning “help”. Today that letter is silent in Hebrew; but in ancient times, it was a guttural sound formed in the back of the throat. Used with Permission. In Genesis 2:18-20 God speaks and says that he will provide an ezer kenegdô for the solitary human he has created. The way I see it is that man and woman are like two hands. There are two completely different names in the Bible that both transliterate into English as Ezer. Every resource on our site was made possible through the financial support of people like you. I love the word complementary. We'll call them Ezer I (אצר) and Ezer II (עזר). Man and woman are equally and uniquely created, a perfect fit. The word ezer is indeed a helper. A woman is no better or less than the man. Three times it refers to powerful nations Israel called on for help when besieged. I discovered the Hebrew word “ezer” and it made all the difference in my world. Complementary is not what you become, you were born complementary to man. Many opinions of working women have been shaped by the word in Genesis 2:18, "helper." You are a warrior. © 2017 by the Theology of Work Project, Inc. Ezer has two meanings in Hebrew, depending on the pronunciation: to rescue/to save and to be strong. In Hebrew, the word used to describe woman is Ezer kenegdo. In his book Man and Woman: One in Christ, Philip Payne puts it this way: "The noun used here [ezer] throughout the Old Testament does not suggest 'helper' as in 'servant,' but help, savior, rescuer, protector as in 'God is our help.' And you have fingers and a thumb on each hand. 3 So strong is the word ezer that Jewish parents chose it when naming their sons. Theology of Work Project Online Materials by Theology of Work Project, Inc. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. In two cases it refers to the first woman, Eve, in Genesis 2. However, this word is often used in a military sense for being an ally in the field of battle. / I think you will be complete with the right man, and without one, you are still God’s beloved daughter. In the sixteen remaining cases the word refers to God as our help. ... Strong's Number H5828 matches the Hebrew עֵזֶר (`ezer), ... Women's Resources. One hand might be a little stronger and is your preferred hand, but you can perfectly use each hand on its own. Thisezer kenegdô will provide a level of companionship that the animals are incapable of, and will alleviate the human’s unsatisfactory (“not good”) solitude (Gen. 2:18). The woman was to be a help to the man: (1) as a spiritual partner to assist the man in obeying the word of God and being active in spiritual ministry; (2) as man's partner in the divinely assigned process of procreation, in order to assure the continuation of the race (Ge 1:28); (3) as man's friend to offer comfort and fellowship (Ge 2:23, 24); and (4) as man's encouragement and inspiration. These files are considered public domain. God's intention in creating the woman for the man was for the two to be partners in the many tasks involved in stewarding God's creation. The Hebrew wordezer is used elsewhere in the Old Testament and always refers to a strong, rescuing kind of help. He is the one who comes alongside us in our helplessness. I have one too. This is incorrect. Hebrew etymology is trending on Twitter after Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver, a Missouri Democrat, ended his opening prayer to the 117th Congress with the phrase “amen and a-woman… The Hebrew lexicon is Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Lexicon; this is keyed to the "Theological Word Book of the Old Testament." You are made for so much more. The Hebrew is אזר 'ezer (Strong's 5828), as in 'eben-ezer, 'stone of help' or Ezra 'help'. The Hebrew word Kenegdo means opposite as to him or corresponding as to him. After God delivered Moses from Pharaoh's sword (Ex. The Hebrew words used here to describe woman as a helper are ‘ezer kenegdo. The Daily Memo | January 15, 2021 | What Does Incite Really Mean? Meaning of ‘ezer kenegdo’ – A woman was created to be a man’s ‘help meet’ and the Hebrew word is ‘ezer kenegdo’. Have you ever asked yourself the question, how did I get here? Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” Genesis 2:18 NASB A helper suitable– We have investigated a lot about the Hebrew phrase ‘ezer kenegdo. The Daily Memo | January 14, 2021 | Fly the Kite, The Daily Memo | January 13, 2021 | Fallen Kings & Fallen Kingdoms, The Daily Memo | January 12, 2021 | Eat The Frog. The Greek translation ofezer in the … Two Hebrew terms in this verse provide important information to better understand the creation of Eve as the first woman. “Ezer” (pronounced “eh-zer”) is a Hebrew word that means “help!” It is used 21 times in the Hebrew scriptures (the Christian Old Testament). Ezer has two meanings in Hebrew, depending on the pronunciation: to rescue/to save and to be strong. Women are designed to image God as ezers. Both Ruth and the Proverbs 31 woman are called women of valor (hayil). “According to biblical scholar David Freedman, the Hebrew word translated thee into English as “help” is ezer. The woman was not created to serve the man, but to serve with the man. This word therefore merits some greater attention. You have bones, muscles, veins, skin, nails. ~The definition of the Hebrew word “azer”, the root word behind “ezer” ~A survey of the OT Scriptures to discover how “azer” is used; its full definition and meaning in the Word; what this all reveals to us about God’s design for women and their God-given roles and responsibilities to come alongside men, partnering with them to subdue and take dominion You can get more done with less effort when using both hands together. God actually calls woman “EZER” “a HELP” the very same word that has been used to describe Himself. So woman was an EZER – a power, strength, help for the man. One is the quite common name עזר (Ezer) and the other one is אצר, which is usually transliterated as Ezer and sometimes as Ezar in English Bibles. Word ezer is used 21 times in the Old Testament and it is always and only used in the context of vitally important and powerful acts of rescue and support. Image by A woman is no better or less than the man. The word used in the Bible for "helper" is the Hebrew word "ezer." Complementary to man. It’s a difficult word to translate into English or any other language. … Centuries of misinterpretation of woman as “Ezer kenegdo” have resulted in a misunderstanding of woman as a subordinate being; someone less in rank and value; or someone who was subservient. There is no indication of inferiority or of a secondary position in an hierarchical separation of the male and female "spheres" of responsibility, authority, or social position. Because God is not subordinate to his creatures, any idea that an ezer-helper is inferior is untenable. Produced by TOW Project, Theology of Work Project Online Materials, 10 Key Points About Work in the Bible That Every Christian Should Know, Beyond Rank and Power: What Philemon Tells Us About Leadership, God Created Woman as an Ezer Kind of Helper (Genesis 2:18), Shiphrah and Puah: Two Ezer Midwives Defy the King (Exodus 1:8-22), Rahab: Diverse Situations Require Ezer Work (Joshua 2), Deborah: An Ezer Woman Equipped to Lead (Judges 4-5), Abigail: An Ezer Ranch Wife Saves Her Household From Disaster (1 Samuel 25), Huldah: A Prophet and Teacher (2 Kings 22), Esther: A Harem Girl Grows Into a Powerful Queen (Esther 4), Lady Wisdom and the "Beginning of Wisdom" (Proverbs 1:20-32; 9:10), Lady Wisdom in Street Clothes (Proverbs 31), Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. This is image-bearer language, for ezer is used most often in the Old Testament to refer to God as Israel’s Ezer when His people are oppressed and suffering at the hands of their enemies. Article 18:4), Moses named one of his sons Eliezer, which in Hebrew means “My God is my help.” Ezer is the word the Holy Spirit had Moses use to describe the woman when God created her. Support for the ezer -warrior comes from other Bible passages that use military language for women. The difference between the two is the first letter in Hebrew. But, YHVH's chosen word for "woman" in the garden is found in Genesis 2:18 ("I will make him a help-mate" - an 'ezer). In the Old Testament, God uses the word ezer when he creates the first woman. This video series covers the full range of the Hebrew concept of ezer-kenegdo, God’s words for the design of the woman.From the Genesis account to the letters of Paul, the Hebraic idea found in these unique words offers new insight into the role of women in marriage, the home, the community and the world. I discovered a bigger meaning, a wider vision to aspire to as a woman. Remember, you are a warrior princess of the Most-High King. We discovered that these words spoken by God about the creation of the woman are filled with royal language, … No, I don’t think so. Don Stewart FAQs. God created the woman as an ezer. Does this mean you can only be whole with a man? © Copyright Embracing Brokenness Ministries, The Daily Memo | November 6, 2020 | A Witchdoctor Known as the "River Priest". But this word, translated as helper, is not about making brunch and darning a man’s socks. In fact, the word is used in reference to God as our helper (Psalm 10:14; 30:10; 54:4; 70:5; 72:12; 121:2). It’s a difficult word to translate into English or any other language. This idea stems back to creation wherein Genesis 2:20 a woman was created to be a help meet for a man or in the Hebrew an ezer kenegedo. “It is not good for the man to be alone. But that is far from the meaning of the Hebrew word used to describe the first woman. I will make a helper ezer suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18, 21) I know we’ve always thought the ezer was the “helpmeet” — wife and mother — which leaves a lot of women permanently out of this discussion. It is important that we understand it correctly and live up to our full potential. Your left and right hand are the exact opposite of each other, but the one hand is not more important than the other one. You are a strong warrior, complementary to man. ‘Ezer is a sign of strength and power. The Daily Memo | October 22, 2020 | What Is The Meaning Of Life? But what does ezer mean and how was this word used elsewhere in the Old Testament? The base word is the word נגד (neged, Strong's #5048), which will be discussed shortly, with the prefix כ (k) meaning "like," and the suffix ו (o) meaning "of him" of "his." As an organization committed to bringing the healing message of Jesus Christ to a hurting world, we covet your prayers. 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