In his defense of complementarianism vs. egalitarianism, Christadelphian apologist Jonathan Burke wrote:
Ian and Averil claim that Adam
did not name Eve twice,2395 but standard commentaries on the Hebrew
by both complementarians and egalitarians agree with Sparks on this point,2396
and agree with the significance of Adam naming Eve.2397 2398
2399 2400 2401 2402 2403
2404 (Jonathan Burke, “A Review of ‘All One’: Revisionism Examined,”
December 2010, p. 392; cf. Jonathan Burke, Rightly Dividing the Word: A Review
of ‘All One’ [Bible Interpretation Series 1; LivelyStones Publishing,
2012], 225-26)
Here are the notes from pp. 392-93:
2395 ‘It is incorrect to say that
Adam “names” Eve in Genesis 2:23 “as he does the animals (2:20)” before the
fall. As we point out, the expressions and circumstances are very different. He
does name her in 3:20, after the fall, though even then it is not reasonable to
suggest that this is intended to expresses authority over her. It is a
statement of fact, not a declaration of authority.’, ‘Reply 2’, p. 81 (April 2009)
2396 The same Hebrew verb is used
in Genesis 2:20 when Adam names the animals, Genesis 2:23 when he names Eve,
and Genesis 3:20 when he names Eve again; it is the verb commonly used
throughout the Old Testament when people are given names by their parents, or
by those in authority over them
2397 ‘Here the first man names
the first woman in a similar fashion. Though they are equal in nature, that
man names woman (cf. 3:20) indicates that she is expected to be subordinate to
him, an important presupposition of the ensuing narrative (3:17).’, ’20-21 Like
the second scene (2:18–25), this, the penultimate scene, has the man’s
naming of his wife and a mention of their clothing.’,
Wenham, ‘Genesis 1-15’, Word
Biblical Commentary, volume 1, pp. 70, 93 (2002) 2398 ‘Now, however, the man
gives out the name: she shall be called Woman because she was taken out of
Man.’, ‘The man called his wife’s name Eve: because the Hebrew for man
contains the article, RSV switches back to The man. However, TEV now calls him “Adam,”
since the woman is named for the first time here also.’, Reyburn &
Fry, ‘A Handbook on Genesis’, UBS Handbook Series, pp. 75, 97 (1997)
2399 ‘Insofar as the power of
naming implies authority, the text voices the social reality of the ancient
Near East. Yet the terminology used here differs from that employed in
verse 20 for naming the animals. Here the man gives her a generic, not a
personal, name, and that designation is understood to be derived from his own, which
means he acknowledges woman to be his equal.’, ‘20. The man named his
wife Previously he had given her a generic name (2:23). Now she acquires a
personal one that expresses her nature and destiny positively and
sympathetically.’, Sarna, ‘Genesis’, JPS Torah Commentary, pp. 23., 29 (1989)
2400 ‘The man has already called
her “woman” (2:23); why a double naming?’, Hamilton (egalitarian), The
Book of Genesis: chapters 1-17’, New International Commentary on the Old
Testament, p. 206 (1990) 2401 ‘Adam gives his wife a name, but she already
has a name (2:23b)’, Coats, ‘Genesis: With an Introduction to Narrative
Literature’, Forms of the Old Testament Literature, volume 1, p. 56 (1983)
2402 ‘Fourthly, the wife is
under the authority of her husband: he names her woman (23) and later Eve
(3:20), just as earlier he had named the animals (19). This concept of
the man’s head-ship is taken for granted elsewhere in the Bible (e.g. 1 Cor.
11:3; 1 Pet. 3:1–6).’, Carson et al, ‘New Bible Commentary: 21st century
edition’ (4th rev. ed. 1994)
2403 ‘Adam earlier had named the
animals, which was a demonstration of his authority over them. Here his
naming of Eve suggests Adam’s position of rule, as referred to in verse 16.’,
Walton, Matthews, & Chavalas, ‘IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament’,
p. (electronic ed. 2000)
2404 ‘The one with authority
to name (2:19), in his climactic act, captures the essence of this newest
creature.’, Ortlund, ‘Man and Woman’, in Alexander & Rosner, ‘New
Dictionary of Biblical Theology’ (electronic ed. 2001)
