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Genesis 2:18
The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
What is a helper ?
ezer: help, helper, helpers
Original Word: עֵזֶר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: `ezer
Pronunciation: AY-zer
Phonetic Spelling: (ay'-zer)
KJV: help
NASB: help, helper, helpers
A helper is a Godlike attribute where a woman is much like God in the relationship with man, her husband.
Definition and Core Idea
עֵזֶר denotes assistance rendered at a point of real need, whether by God or by a fellow human being. It emphasizes effective strength supplied from outside oneself, meeting exigent circumstances rather than merely offering sympathy.
First Appearance: Creation of Woman (Genesis 2:18, 20)
• “I will make for him a helper suitable for him.” The term establishes that the woman is an indispensable partner who supplies what the man alone lacks.
• The context rejects notions of inferiority; the same word later describes the Lord Himself. The marriage union thus images mutual dependence within God-given roles.
God as Helper in Salvation History
• Exodus 18:4 – Moses names his son Eliezer, “for ‘My father’s God was my helper, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.’” Personal deliverance becomes memorialized in a name.
• Deuteronomy 33 – In Moses’ final blessing:
– Verse 7: “O LORD, be Judah’s help against his foes.”
– Verse 26: “There is none like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to your aid.”
– Verse 29: “Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is the shield of your help.”
These passages reveal the covenant pattern: the Lord binds Himself to intervene with decisive power when His people call.
Poetic Celebrations of Divine Help (Psalms)
The Psalter anchors worship in confident dependence:
• Psalm 20:2 – “May He send you help from the sanctuary.”
• Psalm 33:20 – “Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.”
• Psalm 70:5 – “Hasten to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer.”
• Psalm 89:19 – “I have bestowed help on a warrior; I have exalted one chosen from the people.”
• Psalm 115:9-11 – “O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and shield.” Threefold repetition extends help to priests and all who fear God, uniting the nation in trust.
• Psalm 121:1-2 – “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
• Psalm 124:8 – “Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
• Psalm 146:5 – “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God.”
Here עֵזֶר grounds praise, petition, and assurance, showing that every phase of life—national crisis, individual peril, daily journey—is secured by God’s active aid.
The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
What is a helper ?
ezer: help, helper, helpers
Original Word: עֵזֶר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: `ezer
Pronunciation: AY-zer
Phonetic Spelling: (ay'-zer)
KJV: help
NASB: help, helper, helpers
A helper is a Godlike attribute where a woman is much like God in the relationship with man, her husband.
Definition and Core Idea
עֵזֶר denotes assistance rendered at a point of real need, whether by God or by a fellow human being. It emphasizes effective strength supplied from outside oneself, meeting exigent circumstances rather than merely offering sympathy.
First Appearance: Creation of Woman (Genesis 2:18, 20)
• “I will make for him a helper suitable for him.” The term establishes that the woman is an indispensable partner who supplies what the man alone lacks.
• The context rejects notions of inferiority; the same word later describes the Lord Himself. The marriage union thus images mutual dependence within God-given roles.
God as Helper in Salvation History
• Exodus 18:4 – Moses names his son Eliezer, “for ‘My father’s God was my helper, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.’” Personal deliverance becomes memorialized in a name.
• Deuteronomy 33 – In Moses’ final blessing:
– Verse 7: “O LORD, be Judah’s help against his foes.”
– Verse 26: “There is none like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to your aid.”
– Verse 29: “Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is the shield of your help.”
These passages reveal the covenant pattern: the Lord binds Himself to intervene with decisive power when His people call.
Poetic Celebrations of Divine Help (Psalms)
The Psalter anchors worship in confident dependence:
• Psalm 20:2 – “May He send you help from the sanctuary.”
• Psalm 33:20 – “Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.”
• Psalm 70:5 – “Hasten to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer.”
• Psalm 89:19 – “I have bestowed help on a warrior; I have exalted one chosen from the people.”
• Psalm 115:9-11 – “O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and shield.” Threefold repetition extends help to priests and all who fear God, uniting the nation in trust.
• Psalm 121:1-2 – “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
• Psalm 124:8 – “Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
• Psalm 146:5 – “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God.”
Here עֵזֶר grounds praise, petition, and assurance, showing that every phase of life—national crisis, individual peril, daily journey—is secured by God’s active aid.
