Companionship by Design
Genesis 2:18–20 (NASB95)
18Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” 19Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. 20The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him.
God’s creative work, up to this point, has been marked by repeated affirmations of goodness, yet for the first time we hear that something is “not good”—the man’s aloneness. Even in Eden, with honorable work and God’s presence, Adam is missing something essential. God’s response is not to provide Adam with a group, multiple women, another man, or even a child, but with one woman. This deliberate choice reveals that God’s ideal for humanity is found in the unique bond between one man and one woman—a partnership that is singular, exclusive, and foundational to human community and flourishing.
The text describes the woman as a “helper suitable” (or “helper equal”), and far from being a lesser or derogatory term, the Hebrew word for “helper” (ʿēzer) is often used of God Himself in Scripture. God is Israel’s Helper, providing strength, support, and deliverance (e.g., Psalms 20:2; 121:1-2). The woman’s role, then, carries dignity, strength, and necessity; she is an indispensable partner, not to be viewed as simply a subordinate but essential for the man to fulfill the calling God placed on both their lives.
To help Adam appreciate this, God brings the animals before him. As Adam names each creature, he exercises authority and observes their kind, yet finds none who correspond to him. This moment is pedagogical—Adam sees firsthand that his true counterpart is not found among the animals, over which he has dominion, but in someone who shares his nature. When God brings the woman to Adam, fashioned not from the ground like the animals but from his very side, Adam recognizes in her his equal: “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” Here, the text powerfully affirms the equality and unity of man and woman. She is not to be dominated; she is his equal, his partner, and together they share in God’s mandate to steward creation.
God solves Adam’s aloneness not with a crowd, but with a companion—a single woman—demonstrating that both men and women in their togetherness are essential to God’s design. The unity described is not merely physical, but spiritual, emotional, and intellectual. This profound interdependence is foundational for human flourishing and for the fulfillment of God’s blessing and mission in the world.
The church is called to uphold and celebrate the dignity, equality, and necessity of both men and women. God’s intention from the very beginning was for men and women to need, value, and support one another, working side by side as partners in life and faith. In a culture often confused about the nature of relationships and the roles of men and women, the church should demonstrate the beauty of God’s design—mutual respect, partnership, and the shared calling of His image bearers. Let us honor and nurture relationships that reflect this divine pattern, recognizing that our need for each other is woven into the very fabric of creation. Without the togetherness of men and women, male and female, society as a whole suffers, becoming disconnected from God’s purpose and plan.