Genesis 2:23

Zot Hapa’am

In Genesis 2:23 the phrase “this is now” is an attempt at a translation of the Hebrew phrase זאת הפעם (zot hapa’am). The word “zot” means “this,” but the word hapa’am is a little more difficult. This is the word pa’am, with the prefix “ha” meaning “the.” The word pa’am is literally a repetitive beat, like that of a drum. It can also mean a stroke of time or to repeat something, as seen in Genesis 33:3, “He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times (pa’am).” Using this understanding of the word, Genesis 2:23 could be translated as, “This time is bone from my bones.” This translation implies that the previous times were not “bone from my bones.” Three verses prior to this it states, “The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him.” In this context, we see that the “first times” were unsuccessful in finding a helper for Adam, but with Eve, this time it worked.