ezer kenegdo (H5828 / H5048)

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H5828 ezer kenegdo (AY-zer keh-NEG-doh) — a strong helper who stands face to face. Ezer is used most often for God. 

Word: עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ · ezer (noun, Strong's H5828) + kenegdo (preposition neged, Strong's H5048, "in front of, opposite," with "like" and "him")

In brief

In Genesis 2:18, God says the human should not be alone and will make an ezer kenegdo. Ezer means help or helper, and in the Hebrew Bible it is used most often of God, the one who rescues Israel. Kenegdo means "corresponding to him" or "standing opposite him," a partner face to face. The phrase does not describe an assistant. English "helper" and the older "helpmeet" have made it sound like one.

Where it appears

  • Genesis 2:18, 20 — the woman is an ezer kenegdo.
  • Exodus 18:4 — Moses names his son Eliezer: "the God of my father was my ezer."
  • Deuteronomy 33:7, 26, 29 — God rides the heavens as Israel's ezer, "the shield of your help."
  • Psalm 33:20 — "our soul waits for the LORD; he is our ezer and our shield."
  • Psalm 121:1–2 — "My ezer comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth."

Of the roughly 21 times ezer appears, two describe the woman, most of the rest describe God, and a few describe military allies.

What the lexicons say

Lexicons define ezer as help, support, or a helper. Nothing in the word implies lower rank; God is the usual subject. Neged means "in front of" or "opposite," so kenegdo describes someone who matches and faces the other.

How translations render it

Translation Genesis 2:18
KJV "an help meet for him"
ESV "a helper fit for him"
NIV (2011) "a helper suitable for him"
NRSV "a helper as his partner"
CEB "a helper that is perfect for him"

In the KJV, "meet" meant "suitable." Later readers ran the two words together into "helpmeet" and then "helpmate," a word that does not appear in the text.

See for yourself

  1. Read Psalm 121:1–2 and Genesis 2:18 side by side. Does ezer sound weaker in one than the other?
  2. Read Deuteronomy 33:26–29. What kind of help does an ezer give?
  3. Genesis 2:18 begins "It is not good." What problem is the ezer kenegdo solving?

Related words

'adam (H120, human) · ish / ishah (H376 / H802, man / woman)

Sources