Me, Myself and Us

 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.  Genesis 2:25 ESV

Wife – Scholars have known for a long time that the Hebrew word for woman, ishshah, is not etymologically related to the Hebrew word for man, ish.  We made an observation about this when we noticed that Adam changes his linguistic identification from adam (man) to ish (man) when the woman comes on the scene.  But this verse may provide us with another clue about the man-woman relationship.

The word translated “ashamed” is derived from the verb bosh.  This is a particularly odd verbal form called the Hithpolel, a form where the final consonant is repeated (here as b-o-s-s in yitbosasu).  I find it interesting that this verbal form repeats what we find in the word “both,” a word that already means “repetition.”  Here the verse seems to say that the repeating action of being both is not the repetition of repeated shame.  I also find it interesting that the verb is imperfect, indicating that the action is not finished.  It seems as if the verbal form and tense were chosen to perfectly fit the conceptual framework of the Hebrew idea of “both.”

What else might we learn here?  The verb bosh (to be ashamed) primarily means “to fall into disgrace through failure.”  That certainly sounds like a foreshadowing of the next part of the story.  As foreshadowing, this clearly takes the focus off of lack of clothing and puts it squarely on the issue of obedience.  To be naked and not ashamed is to obey.  Clothes have nothing to do with it.  TWOT reminds us “the force of bôš is somewhat in contrast to the primary meaning of the English ‘to be ashamed,’ in that the English stresses the inner attitude, the state of mind, while the Hebrew means ‘to come to shame’ and stresses the sense of public disgrace, a physical state.” ^[1]  In other words, neither “naked” nor “shame” are about inner psychological states.  In Hebrew, both concepts are about public action.  We are what others observe!  Declarations of faithfulness mean nothing unless the consequent, observable, public behavior is present.

The woman (wife) is the “do again” of the man.  Both are repeated awareness of the uninhibited presence of God.  To be naked is to be undefiled!  And this repetition transparency flows into observable behavior so that there is no need to hide.  In modern terms, this verse describes a relationship of unity, equally matched in direction and purpose, without personal agendas, open to inspection and exhibiting obedience as essential to existence.  Over and over, without end.

I am us.  We are me.  Back to the Garden.

Topical Index:  wife, ishshah, hithpolel, Genesis 2:25, ashamed, bosh