What was the nature of Adam and Eve’s Relationship Before the Fall?

On our way home from church last night, our nearly 15 year old daughter asked me a thought provoking question she pondered as she was doing her personal devotions at school. She posed the question to her two small group Bible study teachers earlier in the evening during youth group. Both of them were stumped to respond. The question is the title of this post, “What was the nature of Adam and Eve’s relationship before the fall?”

She’s reading the book of Genesis and got to chapter 3 verse 16 which says,

“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”—(Genesis 3:16)

This struck her like lightening as she considered what she had always been taught in school, Sunday school class, from the pulpit and at home, that the dad is the head of the home. But after meditating on Genesis 3:16, she questioned whether the familial hierarchy we understand today was always God’s design for the family.

She went back to Genesis 2:18 and read,

“And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”—(Genesis 2:18)

The term “help meet” is defined in the Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon as “one who is a companion and helper especially: wife.” When God formed Eve out of Adam’s rib, he created a companion, friend, and spouse. But nowhere beyond Eve’s creation does the Bible indicate a hierarchical relationship until after the fall of man. The hierarchical relationship was established by God as part of the curse pronounced upon mankind because of our disobedience to Him.

Since the Bible doesn’t specify, I’ve personally come to believe that Adam and Eve were created as co-equals, but I really don’t know for sure. What I do know for sure is that I am proud of my daughter for studying God’s Word so thoughtfully and sharing her insight with others.