Pick Up That Apple!

a Mother's Day message for women

Wondering what to post for Mother’s Day, I walked past this church marquee: Women! Put down that apple! Be a Biblical Woman. Unpacking this vile idea is my Mother’s Day gift for all women.

Put down that apple! Be a Biblical Woman refers to the unnamed woman who ate from the Tree of Knowledge (Genesis 3:6) and who was later called Chava/Eve, Mother of All Life (Genesis 3:20). I suspect the people (most likely men) who came up with this seminar title have no idea who the authentic Biblical Woman is, and would be frightened of her if they did.

According to the Bible, “When the woman saw that the fruit of the Tree was good for food, and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it” (Genesis 3:6).

These three clauses—good for food, pleasing to the eye, and desirable for gaining wisdom—mark three distinct encounters with the Tree of Knowledge. In the first, the woman masters her physical hungers and does not eat from the Tree. In the second, she masters her psychological hungers, symbolized by the allure of beauty, and refrains from eating. Only in the third encounter, when she sees that the fruit will make her wise, does she eat. Wisdom alone motivates her.

This woman is the Hebrew Prometheus, stealing wisdom rather than fire from God. Although she is punished with pain in childbirth (Genesis 3:16), she is not exiled from the Garden of Eden: “So God banished him from the Garden of Eden, to work the soil from which he was taken” (Genesis 3:23). Only the man was taken from the soil (Genesis 2:7); the woman was taken from the man’s side (Genesis 2:21-22). Only the man is exiled from the Garden. The woman is allowed to stay.

Why? The woman ate for spiritual reasons, in pursuit of wisdom, only after achieving self-mastery. The man ate without thinking (Genesis 3:6). The woman ate and became wise; the man ate and became afraid (Genesis 3:10). As God said, “Look, the man has become k’achad mimenu/separate from us… Now lest he eat from the Tree of Life and live forever…” (Genesis 3:22-23). In other words, God is concerned that the man will eat from the Tree of Life and be forever condemned to fearful alienation from the Divine.

So why does the woman leave? To protect the world from this man and his passions.

The Stealer of Wisdom was created to be an ezer k’negdo for man (Genesis 2:18). Usually translated as “helpmate,” ezer k’negdo is better understood as “one who assists by opposing.” The first woman becomes the Stealer of Wisdom, standing in opposition to the man’s mindless drive to consume.

Over time, she takes on a new title, Woman of Strength, whose qualities are listed in Proverbs 31:10-31. I’ll list the verses here, grouped by topic:

The Woman of Strength is politically active for the benefit of her household and her community:

She guides her husband’s heart, and through her wisdom, her household flourishes.

She counsels her husband, and her knowledge makes him appear wise among the elders.

Her speech is full of wisdom, and her tongue teaches human kindness.

She is an entrepreneur and businesswoman:

She buys wool and flax and works cheerfully in her home.

She plans her expenditure with care; she buys land and plants a vineyard.

She reaches for the spinning wheel and cradles the spindle in her palm.

She weaves cloth and sells cloaks and belts to peddlers.

She is a tower of strength, her arms strong and secure.

She devotes herself to what is useful; she lets nothing snuff out her lamp.

She is a seeker of wisdom:

She fills herself with wisdom from distant lands, like a merchant ship laden with treasure.

She adorns herself with dignity and is unafraid of truth.

The way she lives reflects her integrity.

Her life is a testament to her goodness.

She takes care of herself and her family:

She makes for herself glorious bedspreads and dresses of fine linen and purple wool.

She rises early to attend to her household, her family, and her servants.

She fears no winter, for she has clothed her household in scarlet wool.

She anticipates her household’s needs and does not eat the bread of laziness.

Each morning, her children feel blessed. Her husband praises her:

“There are many wonderful women, but you surpass them all.”

She is kind and generous:

She repays kindness with more kindness and is never driven to seek revenge.

She opens her hands to the poor and her arms to embrace the needy.

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Recognizing that the Bible is written from the perspective of patriarchy and heteronormality, it is still very radical. I doubt this is what those who, on church marquees, urge their women to put down that apple and be a Biblical Woman have in mind. Which is why I urge all women to meditate on the Stealer of Wisdom and the Woman of Strength, and to Take Up That Apple! this Mother’s Day. I also urge all men to get out of their way as they do.