Genesis 5:2

2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them "Humankind" when they were created.

Genesis 5:2 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 5:2

Male and female created he them
Adam and Eve, the one a male, the other a female; and but one male and one female, to show that one man and one woman only were to be joined together in marriage, and live as man and wife for the procreation of posterity; and these were not made together, but first the male, and then the female out of him, though both in one day: and blessed them;
with a power of propagating their species, and multiplying it, and with all other blessings of nature and providence; with an habitation in the garden of Eden; with leave to eat of the fruit of all the trees in it, but one; with subjection of all the creatures to them, and with communion with God in their enjoyments: and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created;
which, as Philo F19 observes, signifies "earth"; and according to Josephus F20 red earth, out of which Adam was made; and as soon as he was made, this name was imposed upon him by God, to put him in mind of his original, that he was of the earth, earthly; and the same name was given to Eve, because made out of him, and because other marriage with him, and union to him; on that account, as ever since, man and wife bear the same name: wherefore I should rather think the name was given them from their junction and union together in love; so the name may be derived from the Arabic word F21 signifying to "join": though some think they had it from their beauty, and the elegance of their form {w}, being the most fair and beautiful of the whole creation. The names of Adam and Eve in Sanchoniatho F24, as translated into Greek by Philo Byblius, are Protogonos, the first born, and Aeon, which has some likeness to Eve: the name of the first man with the Chinese is Puoncuus F25.


FOOTNOTES:

F19 Leg. Allegor. l. 1. p. 57.
F20 Antiqu. l. 1. c. 1. sect. 2.
F21 <arabic> "junxit, addiditque rem rei---amore junxit", Golius, col. 48.
F23 (Mda) "pulcher fuit, nituit", Stockius, p. 13. Vid Ludolph. Hist. Ethiop. l. 1. c. 15.
F24 Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 1. p. 34.
F25 Martin. Hist. Sinic. l. 1. p. 3.

Genesis 5:2 In-Context

1 This is the list of the descendants of Adam. When God created humankind, he made them in the likeness of God.
2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them "Humankind" when they were created.
3 When Adam had lived one hundred thirty years, he became the father of a son in his likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth.
4 The days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years; and he had other sons and daughters.
5 Thus all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred thirty years; and he died.

Footnotes 1

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.