Genesis 3:20

And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

1. I've used Eve's name until now for convenience, but this is the first time her name is mentioned.


2. The name "Eve" apparently means or has something to do with her being the "mother of all living."


3. Eve was the mother of all living. It's not clearly explained what this means. She obviously did not give birth to every living creature, nor did all the plants and animals require her mothering care, nor could she have provided it even if she wanted to - there were too many, and they had their own mothers. It might be another way of describing her role with respect to the LORD God's decree that man would have dominion over all living creatures (see Genesis 1:26, 28). It might mean she was to be the source of the human race, but there are conflicting views about that and whether other human-like creatures existed prior to Adam and Eve. Apparently, though, only apparently on Adam and Eve and their descendents are regarded by God and/or the writer of Genesis as being "men" and "women," for no others are mentioned. If there were other humans before them, they must apparently be regarded, within a biblical context anyway, as prototypical and not part of the final mold, so to speak.