WOMAN. The Lord having created all the Animals in Pairs, Male and Female, and having brought them to Adam, in this Gen. ii. 20.Review that he made of all living Creatures, he could not observe that any one of ‘em was like himself, or created for him. Wherefore it is thought that he put up a Supplication to God, to give him a Companion and Assistant as he had done to all the other Animals. God therefore cast him into a profound Sleep, and when he was fast asleep, God took a Rib out of his Side, of which Rib he formed the Woman. When Adam awoke, he perceived it, and cried out; This is Bone of my Bone, and Flesh of my Flesh; she shall be called by a Name derived from that of Man, because she is taken out of Man. Wherefore a Man shall forsake Father and Mother, and be united to his Wife; and they two shall be but one Flesh; or, they shall be but one in two different Bodies, because of the Production of Children, which are the Blood of both.
Some Writers have thought, that Adam was created of both Sexes; because it is said in Moses, Gen. i. 26. Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And afterwards, So God created man in his own image; in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. He speaks of the Work of the sixth Day. And in the following Chapter he relates the Formation of the Woman in the manner before mentioned. It is therefore affirmed, that Man was already formed Male and Female, before Eve was created. Others think,1 that the Bodies of Adam and Eve were created even from the sixth Day, but joined and fastened sidewise to each other; and that afterwards God sent a deep Sleep to Adam, and then separated the Woman from him: And thus they explain those Words, He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. The Hebrew may be thus translated: He took one (Woman) out of his Side, and put Flesh in its place. Others will have the Man and the Woman to have been created on the Sixth Day, according to Gen. i. 27. and that what is related Chap. ii. 20, &c. is only a Recapitulation, or a Supplement, to what had been before mentioned in too concise a manner.
There are some that think,2 that the Manner in which the Creation of the Woman is related by Moses, ought to be understood in a metaphorical and allegorical Sense, and not in a real and historical manner. It must be owned, that the Relation of the sacred Penman presents something to the Mind, which has some Resemblance to Allegory and Figure. That Sleep of Adam, that Rib taken out of his Side, the Flesh that God substituted in its place; all this seems to call for an Explication more sublime than what the bare Letter offers to the Understanding. But it is too dangerous to weaken the literal Truth of Scripture; and besides, the Fathers have always explained this Passage in a literal Sense.
Some Rabbins think, that God had created Adam, a former Wife, before Eve, whose Creation is related in Gen. ii. 21, 22, &c. This first Wife they call Lilith, and she parted from Adam, and would never return to him again. See LILITH, before.
‘Tis known what Profane Authors relate of Prometheus, who formed Man of the Mud of the Earth, and stole Fire from Heaven to animate and inform him. Jupiter being provoked at this Theft of Prometheus, ordered Vulcan to form a Woman also of the Mud of the Earth: This Woman was called Pandora. Jupiter gave her a Box, which was full of Miseries and Diseases, for her to give it to Prometheus. Pandora gave the Box to Epimetheus, who took Pandora to Wife, accepted the Box, and opened it. Immediately all the Diseases and Misfortunes flew out, and scattered themselves among Mankind. He made Haste to shut it up again, but it was too late: All sorts of Evils were already gone out; and at the bottom of the Box there only remained Hope.
Woman was created to be a Companion and Assistant to Man: She was equal to him in that Authority and Jurisdiction that God gave them over all other Animals: But after the Fall, God made her subject to the Government of Man: Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall Gen. iii. rule over thee. Sarah called Abraham her 16. Lord. Besides the Duties prescribed by the Gen. xvi- Law, common to Men and Women, there ii. 12. were certain Regulations peculiar to this 1 Pet.
iii. 6. Sex; as were those legal Uncleannesses which they contracted during the Times of their ordinary Infirmities, Levit.
xv. 19. mities, and those that attended their Lying-in, Levit. xii. 2, 3. Levit. xv. 25. Numb. v. 14, 15.and those which proceeded from certain Fluxes of Humours, out of those Seasons appointed by Nature. The Law also made them liable to the Trial of the Waters of Jealousy, if their Husbands had entertained any well-grounded Suspicions of their Fidelity; and when the Tokens of Virginity could not be found in them, their Husbands Deut. xxii. 15.might put them away. The Law does not allow of any Action of the Woman against the Man; but it permits the Husband to divorce his Wife, and to cause her to be stoned, if she should violate her Conjugal Vow.
The Rabbins say,3 that whatsoever is forbid Men, in the Negative Precepts of the Law, is also forbid Women; but that as to the Affirmative Precepts, they are not bound to those which require a fix’d time for their Performance; and that on account of the Weakness and Delicacy of their Sex, of the Obedience they owe to their Husbands, and of the Services they are obliged to perform for them. They ought to inform their Husbands of their Monthly Periods, that they may not approach them. Moreover, when they kneaded their Bread, they were to make a little Cake, which was formerly offered to the Lord, but at present is thrown into the Fire. Lastly, they were to light up a Lamp in their Houses on the Friday Evening, against the Night of the Sabbath. These are what the Rabbins call the Precepts of the Women.
If a married Woman made a Vow, of whatever nature it was, she was not obligen to keep it, if her Husband was against it, Numb. xxx. 7, &c.and contradicted it the same Day. But if he staid till the next Day before he contradicted it, or knowing the thing, if he held his Peace, he was then supposed to consent to it, and the Woman was obliged to perform her Vow. See St. Paul, 1 Cor. vii. 2, 3, 4, &c. for the Duties of Women towards their Husbands. He would have them submissive, as to Jesus Christ, Ephes. v. 22. He forbids them to speak or teach in the Church, or to appear there with their Heads uncovered, or without Veils, 1 Cor. xi. 5. xiv. 34. He does not allow a Woman to teach, or to domineer over her Husband; he would have them continue in Submission and in Silence. He adds, that the Woman shall save herself by the bearing and educating her Children, if she brings them up in the Faith, in Charity, Sanctity, and a sober Life. Lastly, see the Epistle to Titus, ii. 4, 5, and the first Epistle of St. Peter, iii. 1, 2, 3, where Modesty is recommended to them, and a great care in avoiding all superfluous Ornaments, and unnecessary finery of Dress.
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