Was Man Created for Woman?

Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’ (Genesis 2:18)

​Within marriage, at least within a biblical marriage, so often it is thought that woman was created for man and not the other way around. Usually this is driven by the fact that Genesis 2:18 states, “Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’” But does this mean that Eve was made for Adam, but Adam was not made for Eve? On the contrary, we read just two verses earlier, before Eve was formed, scripture says “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work [abad] it and keep [shamar] it.” The Hebrew word abad means ‘to cultivate’ or ‘to cause to flourish.’ The word shamar means ‘to protect’ or ‘guard’ or ‘keep safe.’ Adam, the man, was to do this for everything and everyone who was placed within the garden. Thus, Adam was created for Eve. His responsibility was to do what was necessary to cause his wife to flourish spiritually, emotionally, and physically. His responsibility was also to protect his wife spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Adam was created for Eve just as much as Eve was created for Adam, but for different reasons and with different obligations. Thus, a husband is given to his wife to help her just as much as she is given to her husband to help him. They are simply to help and support one another in different ways.