When was she called Eve?

Genesis 2:23 (KJV)

And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

We all know the story of Adam and Eve. God created the Earth, then created Adam from the dust. Adam was lonely, so God made Eve out of Adam’s rib. She ate of the fruit God explicitly told them not to, talked Adam into eating it as well, then God kicked them out of the Garden of Eden. We all know this story.

But do we? I asked several of my friend when Eve got her name. They all said after Adam saw her. But if you see the verse I opened this post with, you’ll see that when Adam first saw her he called her Woman. Let’s take a look at when she ate of the fruit.

Genesis 3:6 (KJV)

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

“…when the woman…”. Not “When Eve”. When she ate of the fruit she still didn’t officially have a name. What about ten verses later, when God punishes them for eating the fruit?

Genesis 3:16 (KJV)

Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Well, I guess I’m not surprised that between her eating the fruit and God punishing them she’d have been given a name. They were all a little preoccupied at the moment.

So when was she given her name?

Genesis 3:20 (KJV)

And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

So she wasn’t called Eve until the Fall, just before they were kicked out of the Garden? I’ve read this story countless times, as I’m sure most of you have, and I have never noticed that!

I don’t know what this means or have any additional commentary on this particular find. Other than no matter how much you think you know the Bible, you never really know the Bible. There will always be new things you never noticed before.