A friend sent me some text from the book Captivating by Stasi Eldredge (2007). You can read the excerpt here:
When God creates Eve, he calls her an _ezer kenegdo_. It is not good for the man to be alone, I shall make him [an _ezer kenegdo_] (Gen. 2:18 _Alter_). Hebrew scholar Robert Alter, who has spent years translating the book of Genesis, says that this phrase is notoriously difficult to translate. The various attempts we have in English are helper or companion or the notorious help meet. Why are these translations so incredibly wimpy, boring, flatâ¦disappointing? What is a help meet, anyway? What little girl dances through the house singing One day I shall be a help meet? Companion? A dog can be a companion. Helper? Sounds like Hamburger Helper. Alter is getting close when he translates it sustainer beside him.
The word _ezer_ is used only twenty other places in the entire Old Testament. And in every other instance the person being described is God himself, when you need him to come through for you _desperately_.
There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to _help_ you..
Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your shield and _helper_ and your glorious sword. (Deut. 33: 26, 29)
I lift up my eyes to the hills where does my help come from? My _help_ comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Ps. 121:1-2, emphasis added)
May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you _help_. (Ps. 20:1-2)
We wait in hope for the LORD, he is our _help_ and our shield. (Ps. 33:20
O house of Israel, trust in the LORD he is their _help_ and shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD he is their _help_ and shield.
You who fear him, trust in the LORD- he is their _help_ and shield.
(Ps. 115:9-11)
Most of the contexts are life and death, by the way, and God is your only hope. Your _ezer_. If he is not there beside youâ¦.you are dead. A better translate therefore of _ezer_ would be lifesaver._Kenegdo_ means alongside, or opposite to, a counterpart.
[...] The longing in the heart of a woman to share life together as a great adventure that comes straight from the heart of God, who also longs for this. He does not want to be an option in our lives. He does not want to be an appendage, a tagalong. Neither does any woman. God is essential. He wants us to need him desperately. Eve is essential. She has an irreplaceable role to play. And so youll see that women are endowed with a fierce devotion, an ability to suffer great hardships, a vision to make the world a better place.
The only exception that I see in the Old Testament (for that is what was written mostly in Hebrew) is Isaiah 30:5. That is telling Israel of their shame for trusting in Egypt which could not be a help to them. Also, Mrs. Eldredge probably should have put the other instance of “help” from Psalm 121:1 in italics as well. It is the same Hebrew word. This seemed like a good point to pass along.