The phrase “he took one of his ribs” continues the unique and intimate creative act begun as Adam lay in a divinely induced deep sleep. The Hebrew word translated as “rib” is tsēlāʿ, which appears throughout the Old Testament not only in anatomical contexts but also in architectural descriptions, such as the sides of the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:12) or the tabernacle (Exodus 26:20). As John Walton observes, tsēlāʿ may be more accurately understood as “side” or “component,” suggesting that the woman was not created from a single rib bone but from a substantial portion of Adam’s own bodily structure.1 This interpretation finds confirmation in Adam’s exclamation in Gen 2:23—“bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh”—indicating both bone and flesh were taken.
This detail is not incidental. The choice to form the woman from the man’s side carries profound theological meaning. By taking from Adam’s very substance, God affirms the ontological equality of the man and the woman: she is not another species, nor a secondary creation from dust like the animals, but shares fully in his humanity. And yet, she is also distinct in formation, crafted not from the earth but from the man himself, emphasizing both unity of nature and complementarity in function.
The phrase “and closed up the flesh instead thereof” adds further depth. The verb sāgar, “to shut or close,” is used in contexts of sealing and protection (e.g., Gen 7:16, where God “shuts” Noah in the ark). Here, it suggests that God restores Adam’s body with sovereign care. This is the first recorded instance of something akin to healing, which reinforces the intentionality and compassion of the Creator. The wound is not left open; it is sealed, complete, and made whole. Theologically, this act suggests that God’s provision never diminishes His creation, it completes it.
The manner of the woman’s creation has long been recognized for its symbolic richness. Thomas Aquinas remarked, “For since the woman should not have ‘authority over the man’ (1 Tim 2:12), it would not have been fitting for her to have been formed from his head, nor since she is not to be despised by the man, as if she were but his servile subject, would it have been fitting for her to be formed from his feet.”2 Similarly, Matthew Henry wrote that the woman was “not made out of his 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, and near his heart to be beloved.”3
While such interpretations are not directly exegetical, they reflect theological truths consistent with the broader biblical witness: truths about mutual dignity, protective love, and covenantal companionship (cf. Eph 5:28–29).
This act of taking the woman from Adam’s side is not only a moment of intimate creation but also a profound Christological foreshadowing. As the first Adam enters a deep, divinely induced sleep and has his side opened to bring forth his bride, so also the Second Adam, Jesus Christ, enters the sleep of death, and from His pierced side—flowing with blood and water (John 19:34)—comes the redeemed people of God, His bride, the Church.
This typological parallel is grounded in the New Testament’s own theology. The apostle Paul identifies Christ as the “last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45), whose redemptive work restores what the first Adam forfeited. In Ephesians 5:25–32, Paul draws a direct comparison between Adam and Christ, between the marital union and Christ’s self-giving love for the Church. He writes that Christ “loved the church, and gave himself for it… that he might present it to himself a glorious church… for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones” (vv. 25, 27, 30). This language echoes Genesis 2:23, where Adam receives his bride as “bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.” The imagery seems too deliberate to be incidental.
Moreover, in both cases the bride is formed through sacrifice. Adam experiences a wound; Christ experiences death. Adam’s side is opened in a state of perfect peace and innocence; Christ’s side is pierced in an act of atoning judgment. From each, a bride is brought forth: Eve, physically; the Church, spiritually yet no less real. The blood and water that flow from Christ’s side symbolize both the atonement and cleansing by which the Church is created (cf. 1 John 5:6–8; Titus 3:5–6).
Thus, the taking of the woman from the man’s side is not only a moment of creation but also a revelation of divine purpose: to establish human fellowship, image-bearing unity, and a covenantal relationship that reflects the greater mystery of Christ and His redeemed people.
- John H. Walton, Genesis (NIVAC; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 177. ↩︎
- Kenneth A. Matthews, Genesis 1–11:26 (NAC 1A; Nashville: B&H, 1996), 217. ↩︎
- Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary – Verses 21–25, https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Gen.2.21-Gen.2.25. ↩︎