Genesis · Chapter 2 · Marriage

Genesis 2:18 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context

Read this verse slowly. Let it settle before you move on.

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Topics #marriage #friendship

Read in chapter context · Genesis 2

Both translations, side by side

WEB · World English Bible

"Yahweh God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to him.”"

KJV · King James Version

"And the LORD3068 God430 said559, It is not good2896 that the man120 should be1961 alone; I will make6213 him an help meet5828 for him. meet: Heb. as before him"

How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses and, lord, that, should, while the WEB renders these as yahweh, helper, comparable. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.

In context

Genesis 2:18 in Genesis 2

A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is Genesis 2:18 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of Genesis 2. Read the full chapter →

v.16 Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden;
v.17 but you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”
v.18 Yahweh God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
v.19 Out of the ground Yahweh God formed every animal of the field, and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called every living creature became its name.
v.20 The man gave names to all livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field; but for man there was not found a helper comparable to him.

Book background

About the Book of Genesis

Testament: Old Testament
Genre: Law (Pentateuch)
Author: Moses (traditional)
Date written: c. 1446–1406 BC
Audience: Israel during the wilderness wandering
Chapters: 50

Genesis is the book of beginnings — the origin of the universe, humanity, sin, nations, languages, and the covenant family of Abraham. It traces God's plan from creation through the call of Abraham, the lives of Isaac and Jacob, and the descent of Israel into Egypt under Joseph. The book frames every later biblical promise: that through Abraham's seed all peoples on earth would be blessed.

Setting: Written during the Exodus generation; covers events from creation to the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph).

Key themes: creation · covenant · promise · family · sovereignty

Read Genesis from the beginning →

Memorisation aid

How to memorise Genesis 2:18

Genesis 2:18 contains 22 words in 3 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.

1

Yahweh God said

YGS
2

“It is not good for the man to be alone

IINGFT
3

I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

IWMHAH

Frequently asked

FAQ about Genesis 2:18

What does Genesis 2:18 say?

Genesis 2:18 reads: "Yahweh God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to him.”" — from the Old Testament, Genesis (Law (Pentateuch)). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.

What book of the Bible is Genesis 2:18 in?

Genesis 2:18 is in the book of Genesis, traditionally attributed to Moses (traditional) and written around c. 1446–1406 BC. Genesis is law (pentateuch) in the Old Testament, originally addressed to Israel during the wilderness wandering. Best known for creation, the fall, Noah's flood, and the call of Abraham.

What is Genesis 2:18 about?

Genesis 2:18 is primarily a Bible verse about Marriage, with related themes including Friendship. Within Genesis, Genesis is the book of beginnings — the origin of the universe, humanity, sin, nations, languages, and the covenant family of Abraham. Read the full passage above with surrounding context.

What is the difference between Genesis 2:18 in WEB and KJV?

Genesis 2:18 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "Yahweh God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to him.”". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "And the LORD3068 God430 said559, It is not good2896 that the man120 should be1961 alone; I will make6213 him an help meet5828 for him. meet: Heb. as before him". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.

How long is Genesis 2:18?

Genesis 2:18 is 22 words in the WEB translation (102 characters), broken into 3 clauses. It is short and well-suited to memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 7 seconds.

How can I memorise Genesis 2:18?

To memorise Genesis 2:18, split it into its 3 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.

Why does Genesis 2:18 matter in Genesis?

How can I apply Genesis 2:18 today?

Many readers use Genesis 2:18 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download Genesis 2:18 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.

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