Genesis 3:20
in Genesis 3And Adam named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all the living.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the man called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
KJV
And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
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This verse in Genesis 3
Commentary
10 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
the mother of all the living
Adam names his wife Eve right after the sentence of death. The verse gives his own reason for the name: she would be mother to everyone who lives. She is named for the living she will bear, on the day the sentence fell.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
The woman who initiated transgression was called "Life," because she was responsible for the succession of those who came to birth and sinned. She thus became mother of the righteous and unrighteous alike. Each one of us shows himself to be just or willfully renders himself disobedient.
With that manifest knowledge which God gave to Adam, whereby he gave names to Eve and to the animals, God did not reveal the discoveries of things that were concealed; but in the case of that hidden knowledge from the stars downward, Adam was able …
(Verse 20) And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she is the mother of all living. Therefore, Eve, which means life, is called so, because she is the mother of all living. Eve indeed translates to life.
A commentator
John ChrysostomCommentary (church-history corpus) · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
See the precision of Sacred Scripture, how it didn't pass over even this detail, but taught us that Adam named his wife as well. "He called his wife Eve, which means life," the text says, you see, "because she was the mother of all the living" that is to say, she is the source of all those who will come from her, the root and foundation of the future race. Then, after teaching us the naming of the woman, it further shows us God's goodness, how he does not overlook them in their depth of shame and nakedness after being created by him.
What I possess is flesh, not earth, even although of the flesh it is said: "Dust you are, and unto dust shall you return." In these words there is the mention of the origin, not a recalling of the substance. The privilege has been granted to the flesh to be nobler than its origin, and to have happiness aggrandized by the change wrought in it.
4 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And it is established that Adam gave his wife this name by divine instinct, which very fittingly corresponds to the Holy Church, in whose unity alone, which is called Catholic, …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And Adam called his wife's name Eve,.... Whom he had before named "Ishah", a woman, because taken from him the man, Gen 2:23 and now gives her a new name upon this scene of things, which had taken place; which is derived not from "Chavah", to "show forth", to "declare"; as if she was called so, because of her discourse with the serpent, being loquacious and talkative, and telling everything she knew, according to some Jewish writers (g); but from "Chayah, to live", as the reason given in the text shows.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living - A man who does not understand the original cannot possibly comprehend the reason of what is said here. What has the word Eve to do with being the mother of all living?
And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living - A man who does not understand the original cannot possibly comprehend the reason of what is said here. What has the word Eve to do with being the mother of all living?
The words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקְרָ֧א | vaiyikra' | and he called | H7121 → | 733 times |
| הָֽאָדָ֛ם | haadam | the man | H120 → | 551 times |
| שֵׁ֥ם | shem | [the] name of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ | ʾishto | wife his | H802 → | 781 times |
| חַוָּ֑ה | chavah | Eve | H2332 → | |
| כִּ֛י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הִ֥וא | hi' | she | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| הָֽיְתָ֖ה | hayetah | she was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אֵ֥ם | ʾem | [the] mother of | H517 → | 220 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| חָֽי׃ | chai | living [person] | H2416 → | 498 times |
וַיִּקְרָ֧אand he called
vaiyikra'H7121 →733 times
הָֽאָדָ֛םthe man
haadamH120 →551 times
שֵׁ֥ם[the] name of
shemH8034 →864 times
אִשְׁתּ֖וֹwife his
ʾishtoH802 →781 times
חַוָּ֑הEve
chavahH2332 →
כִּ֛יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
הִ֥ואshe
hi'H1931 →1879 times
הָֽיְתָ֖הshe was
hayetahH1961 →3559 times
אֵ֥ם[the] mother of
ʾemH517 →220 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
חָֽי׃living [person]
chaiH2416 →498 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 1:23“Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”).
it leads to
- Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 9:6–7
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of…
- Psalms 46:11
The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
- John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
- Isaiah 12:2
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. For the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He also has become my salvation.”
- Isaiah 7:14
Through
Genesis 2:23And the man said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man she was taken.”
it leads to
- Ephesians 5:28–30
In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
- 1 Corinthians 11:8–9
For man did not come from woman, but woman from man.
- Ephesians 5:28–30
Through
Genesis 16:11The angel of the LORD proceeded: “Behold, you have conceived and will bear a son. And you shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard your cry of affliction.
it leads to
- Exodus 2:23–24
After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God.
- Exodus 2:23–24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies28
On this chapter
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About Genesis
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on Genesis (Hexaemeron); Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 3; Ephrem the Syrian, HYMNS ON PARADISE 12.16; Jerome, Hebrew Questions on Genesis; John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis; John Chrysostom, Commentary (church-history corpus); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Flesh.