“So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh at that place. And the LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. And the man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:21-24).

The Rib The   story   of   God   making   (creating)   Adam’s   wife,   Eve,   from his   rib   (Genesis   2:18-25)   is   a   familiar   one.     However,   much   less   well- known   are   the   layers   of   instructive   symbolism   which   overlie   this story.     Until   that   symbolism   is   appreciated,   this   story   of   the   first woman   being   made   from   her   husband’s   rib,   like   others   in   the   Bible, might seem rather bizarre. First,   the   very   fact   that   God   made   Eve   from   Adam’s   rib, instead   of   making   her   from   the   dust   of   the   ground,   as   He   had   Adam (vs.   7),   suggests   meaningful   symbolism.     That   Adam   discerns   God’s purpose   in   doing   so   is   observable   in   his   declaration,   “This   is   now   bone of   my   bones,   and   flesh   of   my   flesh;   she   shall   be   called   Woman, because   she   was   taken   out   of   Man”   (vs.   23).     This   is   reminiscent   of the   statement   made   by   Paul:     “So   husbands   ought   also   to   love   their own   wives   as   their   own   bodies.     He   who   loves   his   own   wife   loves himself;   for   no   one   ever   hated   his   own   flesh,   but   nourishes   and cherishes   it,   just   as   Christ   also   does   the   church,   because   we   are members of His body” (Ephesians 5:28-30). Adam   recognized   that   being   made   from   his   rib   made   Eve   a part   of   him   and,   therefore,   like   him,   and   compatible   with   him.     This point   is   strengthened   by   the   contrast   between   humans   and   animals God   had   just   impressed   upon   him   by   bringing   animals   to   him   to   name them.       Adam    might    have    named    the    animals    according    to    the characteristics   he   saw   in   them.     In   doing   this,   he   might   well   have seen    God’s    deeper    purpose:       to    show    him    that    none    among    the animals   was   an   appropriate   companion   for   him.     He   needed   a   mate specially   made   for   him   and   fully   compatible   with   him   —   one   with   the same   flesh   and   bones   he   had,   or   one   like   him.     Adam   showed   that   he recognized   this   by   calling   his   new   wife,   a   “woman,”   which,   in   Hebrew ( ishshah ),   is   the   same   word   as   that   for   “man”   ( ish ),   except   for   its feminine   ending.     So,   a   woman   is   simply   a   “female   human.”     Thus, humans,   men   and   women,   can   interchange   blood   with   one   another, and,   in   some   cases,   even   body   parts,   without   regard   for   whether   the recipients and donors are male or female. Also,     traditional     wedding     remarks     make     some     lovely observations   on   the   fact   that   the   first   wife   was   made   from   a   rib taken   from   her   husband’s   side.     Thus,   it   has   well   been   said   that woman   was   made,   not   out   of   the   man’s   head   to   rule   over   him,   nor out   of   his   feet   to   be   trampled   upon   by   him,   but   out   of   his   side   to   be equal   with   him,   under   his   arm   to   be   protected   by   him,   and   near   his heart to be loved by him. Another   interesting   feature   of   the   rib   is   that   it   is   the   only human    bone    which    regenerates.       Some    lower    animals,    such    as starfish,   can   regrow   amputated   limbs,   but   such   a   phenomenon   is   rare in   mammals.     Among   humans,   it   is   particularly   true   that   bones   do   not regrow.     If   they   lose   an   arm   bone,   it   does   not   regrow.     Yet,   the   rib   is an   exception.     If   a   rib   is   removed,   it   will   grow   back.     That   God   put Adam   to   sleep   and   then   removed   one   of   his   ribs   to   make   Eve   suggests the   idea   that,   when   a   man   gains   a   wife,   he   suffers   neither   pain   nor loss   but   gets   a   wonderful   and   indispensable   addition.     The   Bible   says, “He   who   finds   a   wife   finds   a   good   thing,   and   obtains   favor   from   the Lord”   (Proverbs   18:22).     Just   as   ribs   support   the   body’s   frame   and protect   its   most   vital   organs,   so   a   good   wife   supports   and   protects her   husband’s   life.     It   will   elevate   the   regard   husbands   and   wives have   for   one   another   and   their   relationship   to   contemplate   these thoughts.