Bible Character Explorer
Genesis Origins • Creation (traditional dating disputed)
Eve
Mother of All LivingThe first woman, deceived by the serpent, yet given the promise that her seed would crush him
"And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living."
Genesis 3:20 (KJV)
Overview
Eve is the first woman, formed by God from Adam's rib to be a helper corresponding to him. She was deceived by the serpent into eating from the forbidden tree and gave the fruit to Adam as well. Her story is one of both catastrophic failure and enduring hope: she is named the mother of all living even after the fall, and the promise given to the serpent about her offspring crushing his head makes her, in a sense, the first recipient of the gospel promise.
Gospel Connection
The promise given in connection with Eve in Genesis 3:15, that her seed would crush the serpent's head, is the first messianic prophecy in the Bible and the seed of everything that follows in redemptive history. Every subsequent covenant promise narrows this seed further: from humanity in general, to Abraham's line, to Judah's tribe, to David's house, until Galatians 4:4 records that God sent forth his Son, 'made of a woman,' to fulfill exactly what was promised to Eve at the very beginning. Eve's failure opened the wound that only the seed of a woman, Jesus Christ, could heal.
Discover More
See how this life points to Christ in the Gospel Connection section above.