Help Meet Defined

I love history. Learning all the how's and whys and meanings of things is exciting for me!

So, today I will take you on a wild ride into the history of a few words. The reason being, sometimes in translations the real meaning and beauty of what God meant gets lost, veiled or mistaken.

Here they are, the words most women begrudge:

"HELP  MEET" or "HELPER SUITABLE"

I wonder if you cringed at that, like I once did? Maybe just a bit of an irritation deep down in your soul. If so, you've got to stick around! Put on your hip-waders, cuz it's about to get deep in here!

The Lord God said,

"It is not good that the man should be alone.

I will make him an help meet for him."

~Genesis 2:18~

The common way "help meet" or "helper suitable" are understood is that God gave the man a helper who was worthy of him, or appropriate for him. While this is not at all incorrect, there is a much more to be understood about this term. With that let's dive into the original Hebrew.

"help meet" is translated from "ezer kenegdo"

The words "help" or "helper" are translated from the Hebrew words "ezer" or "azar".

• EZER means "help". It is derived from words meaning "power" and "strength".
• AZAR means to surround, protect, aid, help, succor, defend

"Ezer" is most commonly used in the Old Testament as God being an "ezer" (help, helper, protector, defender, power, strength) to humans. The Bible consistently explains itself, so grab your Bible and consider these examples:

1 Samuel 7:12 "Samuel named [the rock] Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the Lord has helped us". 'Eben' means rock, 'ezer' means help: Rock of Help.

Exodus 18:4 Moses had named his son "Eliezer, for he said, "My father's God was my helper". Eliezer is defined as "my God is helper".

In the next few verses, God is again defined as our helper:

Deuteronomy 33:29 "He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword."

Psalm 115:11 "trust in the Lord- He is their help and shield."

Psalm  121:1-2 "where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord..."

In each of the above examples the helper, the ezer, has a strength and power the helped does not have and cannot function properly without. 

PLEASE NOTE, I am not suggesting a wife ranks as God to her husband. EVER.

Only that God created her to help her husband in ways he can't help himself. You can see in day to day life, that the one doing the blessing is admired and honored above the one being blessed. Again, not suggesting a wife is above the husband. He is her head, leader in his appointed place by God. (Eph. 5:23)

But, in God's eyes, he needs help. The man's wife is custom made to be his help.

The word "meet" is translated "kenegdo".

• "KENEGDO" means corresponding to, counterpart to, equal to, matching

God did not create the woman of lesser value, but rather values her equal to the man. He created the woman as a counterpart to the man, not a doormat, slave or possession.

A wife is created special for her husband. A gift unmatchable, yet matching to. A gift of protection and strength (ezer) that he himself does not possess, yet equal to (kenegdo).

Look at your hands. They look the same, yet there are noticeable differences. One hand cannot accomplish much without the other. One hand does not work as efficiently as two. Consider tying your shoe with one hand...opening a letter...changing a diaper...just not happening!

In the same way, a wife is a counterpart to her husband. Similar in appearance, equal in ability, corresponding in tasks.

Let's put these words together using their synonyms and definitions from above.

Did you know, Genesis 2:18 is the only time the word "kenegdo" appears in all scripture? I don't know about you, but that fact thrills me just a bit! God found the woman to be so special, He even described her with a word all her own.

Let me ask you the questions I had to stare directly in the face.

Are you the protective counterpart to your husband? Ok, so maybe not in all the big muscle stuff. But, what about his heart? Proverbs 31:11-12 in KJV, describes a wife as this kind of protector:

"The heart of her husband doth 

safely trust in her...

She will do him good and not evil

all the days of her life."

 The heart of your man.....are you protecting it?
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Dear friend, I hope you could say YES! I couldn't at one time. I'm still working on it. I'm going to be working on it for the rest of my life. So are you.

I hope this has been as beautiful to you as it was for me. Next time, I hope to touch just a bit on protecting a husbands heart.

I hope you stick around!

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Take a virtual coffee break for your homemaker's heart! Go to top right side bar and join today!

You might also like....
Protecting Your Husbands Heart: Part 1
Protecting Your Husbands Heart: Part 2
Protecting Your Husbands Heart: Part 3
Protecting Your Husbands Heart: Part 4

Protecting Your Husbands Heart: Part 5

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Holley Gerth
To Love Honor & Vaccuum