Genesis 3:20

3:20 The man ¹  named his wife Eve, ²  because ³  she was the mother of all the living. ⁴ 

Genesis 12:12

12:12 When the Egyptians see you they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will keep you alive. ⁵ 

Genesis 12:20

12:20 Pharaoh gave his men orders about Abram, ⁶  and so they expelled him, along with his wife and all his possessions.

Genesis 20:17

20:17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children.

Genesis 25:10

25:10 This was the field Abraham had purchased from the sons of Heth. ⁷  There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah.

[3:20]  ¹ tn Or “Adam”; however, the Hebrew term has the definite article here.

[3:20]  ² sn The name Eve means “Living one” or “Life-giver” in Hebrew.

[3:20]  ³ tn The explanatory clause gives the reason for the name. Where the one doing the naming gives the explanation, the text normally uses “saying”; where the narrator explains it, the explanatory clause is typically used.

[3:20]  ⁴ tn The explanation of the name forms a sound play (paronomasia) with the name. “Eve” is חַוָּה (khavvah) and “living” is חַי (khay). The name preserves the archaic form of the verb חָיָה (khayah, “to live”) with the middle vav (ו) instead of yod (י). The form חַי (khay) is derived from the normal form חַיָּה (khayyah). Compare the name Yahweh (יְהוָה) explained from הָיָה (hayah, “to be”) rather than from הַוָה (havah). The biblical account stands in contrast to the pagan material that presents a serpent goddess hawwat who is the mother of life. See J. Heller, “Der Name Eva,” ArOr 26 (1958): 636-56; and A. F. Key, “The Giving of Proper Names in the OT,” JBL 83 (1964): 55-59.

[12:12]  ⁵ tn The Piel of the verb חָיָה (khayah, “to live”) means “to keep alive, to preserve alive,” and in some places “to make alive.” See D. Marcus, “The Verb ‘to Live’ in Ugaritic,” JSS 17 (1972): 76-82.

[12:20]  ⁹ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:10]  ¹³ tn See the note on the phrase “sons of Heth” in Gen 23:3.