Dist. 18, Art. 1, Q. 1
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/2/d/18/q/bon-sent-II-d18-a1-q1
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### Article I. *On the production of woman's body from the side of man.*
### Question I. *Whence the body of woman was produced.*

Concerning the first point, the inquiry proceeds thus, and it is asked, whence the body of woman was produced. And the Master says in the text, and it is drawn from the second [chapter] of Genesis, that woman was formed from man, and not from any part whatever, but from a rib, from which woman was formed *of man while he was sleeping.* And thus three things are touched on in the formation of woman, namely, that she was made *of man*, and *of man sleeping*, and not from any part whatever, but *from his rib and bone*. — *Against the first* it is objected thus.

1. Genesis 1: *God made man to his own image and likeness, male and female he created them.* If, then, in the primary establishment God created the male and the female simultaneously, it does not seem that he produced woman from man.

2. Likewise, the distinction of sexes pertains to the perfection of the species; but other species of animals, in which there is distinction of sexes, were produced together and at once: therefore etc.

3. Likewise, that which is related to another after the manner of something material is less complete than that which is produced from it: if therefore the man has completion in regard to the woman, then not the woman should have been produced from the man, but on the contrary the man from the woman.

**Against the *second*** it is objected thus.

4. Sleep or deep-sleep is a rest *of the animal powers* with an intensification *of the natural [powers]*; but in Adam the senses were not fatigued, nor the animal powers: therefore it seems that that sleep was not natural to Adam. If therefore nothing should have been done to Adam except what befitted his nature, it seems that God should not have sent a deep-sleep upon him in order to produce woman from his rib.

5. Likewise, in the separation of that [rib] there was either *some hurt* and affliction, or *not*. If *so*: then Adam suffered punishment before he committed fault. If *not*: then it could equally well have been done from the side of him waking as from the side of him sleeping.

6. Likewise, it witnesses to greater power to separate a part from the whole in a man awake without pain than in one sleeping: therefore God's power would have been more manifest if he had produced woman from the side of Adam awake, without pain, than when he produced her from his side while sleeping.

**Against the *third*** it is objected thus.

7. The female sex is by nature weaker than the male: therefore she should have been made from his weaker parts: therefore not from bone, but rather from flesh.

8. Likewise, in the text is subjoined afterwards: *This now is bone from my bones, and flesh from my flesh:* therefore she was made not only from a rib of Adam, but also from other flesh.

9. Likewise, that rib was either *necessary* to Adam, or *superfluous*. If *necessary*: then another rib should have been restored to Adam in its place. If *superfluous*: then Adam's body in its first production was not perfectly formed, since it pertains to perfection to have nothing superfluous, nothing diminished. — Likewise, if it was *superfluous*: then it was not fitting that flesh be filled in for it.

There is therefore the question: why woman *from man*? and if from man: why rather from *sleeping* than from waking? and if from sleeping: why rather from *a rib* than from flesh?

> **Conclusion.**
>
> *The body of the first woman was formed from a bone of Adam's side, in which there is a twofold congruence of order.*

**I respond:** For the understanding of what has been stated it must be noted that, since the wisdom of God is shown forth as admirable and praiseworthy in all his works, it is nevertheless made manifest most of all in the formation of the rational creature. Yet this appears more clearly if one considers the congruence of order which the divine wisdom kept when it produced woman from the side of man.

For it was fitting that woman be thus produced from man, both on account of the disposition of order which is attended to between *man* and *woman* in the human species, and also on account of the order and disposition which is attended to between those things which have to be *signified* through man and woman.

For man and woman according to the property and nature of their sexes were so made that they should be joined to one another, and from this the one should be sustained in the other, and the one should be quieted by the other. Since therefore by a strong and singular bond woman is joined to man and conversely, therefore one sex was produced from the other. And since that conjunction gives to man quieting, therefore she was produced *from man while sleeping.* Again, since the man gives to the woman fortitude and sustenance, hence it is that the woman is said to have been made *from bone.* And since in all these there is a certain equality of mutual society, therefore woman was formed not from any bone whatever, but *from a rib* and *from his side.* And thus it is clear how the manner of formation answers to the properties of that mutual conjunction which is between man and woman in their reality.

It accords too no less with the things which are *signified* through woman and man. For through man and woman are signified *God* and *the soul*, *Christ* and *the Church*, *the higher portion of reason* and *the lower.* — To the first signification corresponds the formation of woman from man according to the manner stated. For since all rational spirits are immediately produced by God as by their first and immediate principle; and God rests in them and is as it were lulled to sleep, while *his delights are to be with the children of men*; and the rational spirit by the divine Spirit dwelling within is con-

formed and strengthened: the sign is most fittingly conformed to the thing signified, according as through man and woman are signified *God* and *the soul.*

In like manner [the formation] corresponds [to that] according as through man and woman are signified *Christ* and *the Church.* For the Church is formed from Christ when from the side of Christ asleep on the cross flowed blood and water, from which there overflowed an efficacy into the sacraments of the Church, through which sacraments the Church is founded; and thus *man* answers to Christ, *sleeping* answers to death, *removal of the rib* answers to the opening of the side.

This formation also accords with the signification, according as through man and woman are to be signified *the higher portion of reason* and *the lower.* For as the man is stronger and the woman weaker, so the higher portion and the lower; and as woman [comes] from man, so the lower portion comes from the turning of the spirit to these lower things. And while [the spirit] turns toward these lower things, it ceases from the wakefulness of contemplation and is in a certain manner made weaker than itself and inclines toward the softness of woman; and therefore in a certain manner it is said to be *lulled asleep*, and to have *bone* taken from it, and from that woman is formed.

And thus it is clear that great was the congruence of order observed in this formation of woman, both in itself and in what is signified through her. — These things having been seen, the response is easy to the objections.

1. To what is first objected from the text of Genesis, it must be said that it was said by *anticipation*; *furthermore*, it was said with respect to the production of the soul, according to which woman was not formed from man, but from nothing, as will appear below.

2. To what is objected concerning other species, the response is already clear. For it is not similar on account of the law of matrimony, which is not so attended to in beasts as in human beings.

3. To what is objected, that the man is more perfect than the woman; it must be said that *the material* is less noble than that which is produced from it, with respect to that which is material; but the man was not matter of the woman according to himself as a whole, but according to something of himself, namely according to the rib; and therefore, although the man is more noble, nevertheless the body of woman could be formed from his rib. For there is not as much perfection in one rib of the man as there is in one body of the woman. — But if you should ask, why rather woman from man than man from woman; it must be said that this was at some time going to be, as in the second Adam, namely Christ; and therefore, *that the works of God might be perfect*, woman likewise had to be from man alone. For thus were fulfilled, as Anselm says, the four modes of bringing forth man into *being*: «One, which is from man and woman, which manner nature now observes; another, which is neither from man nor from woman, which was in the production of the first man; the third, which is from man only, and this was in the formation of Eve; the fourth, which is from woman only without man», and this was in the production of Christ from the Virgin. Then, however, it was more fitting that woman be brought forth from man, that it might be shown that *the man is the head of the woman*, and that *not the man for the woman, but the woman for the man*, and many other things which were touched on earlier.

*4. 5. 6.* To those things which are objected concerning the inducing of sleep, it must be said that that *deep-sleep* was not from weariness, but was from divine sending, as the text says; nor however was it against nature, since, if Adam had stood [in innocence], sleep would still have been in him, not on account of weakness of the sensitive power, but on account of the invigoration of the vegetative part; since, although neither of these powers happened to be wearied in Adam, nevertheless, when one ceased from its operation, it happened that the other was invigorated, while the whole soul was intent upon the act of one power. *But the Lord cast a deep-sleep upon Adam* not on account of this, that he could not separate the rib from him waking without pain and horror, but on account of *signification* and also on account of the lifting up of Adam's mind, since, as the Saints say, Adam in that sleep foresaw many things. Hence as soon as he awoke, he spoke prophetically; and in

this much is shown forth God's power, who was able so to separate the rib that nature did not lose its quiet. — And from this are clear those three objections concerning sleep. For the first does not hold, because there sleep was not from weariness. The second likewise does not hold, because it was not done to conceal injury to the man. The third also does not hold, because God's power is just as well manifested in his not waking the sleeper from sleep as it would have been manifested had he formed her from his side waking without any pain.

*7. 8. 9.* To those things which are objected, that she should not have been made from bone; it must be said that woman was made not only from *bone* or from *a rib*, but also some little particle was taken from the *flesh* of Adam, as the following text suggests: *This now is bone from bone, and flesh from my flesh.* The denomination is rather from *bone*, either because that was the principal part; or because the man confers strength on the woman, and the woman is invigorated through fellowship with the man, while the man through fellowship with the woman is softened — and therefore [the man] is said to be flesh filled in for the rib, since the man *gives fortitude* and *receives weakness* — or also because that rib occupied the place of flesh; for it was not made in Adam that it should remain in him, but that woman should be formed from it. — And thus those three objections are clear. For the first does not hold, since woman, although she is weak in herself, nevertheless has it from the man to be strengthened; and therefore she is rather said to be made *from a rib* than *from flesh.* The second does not hold; for that woman is said to be made *from a rib* is not understood precisely, as if not *from flesh.* The third does not hold, because, if that rib was superfluous to Adam, in so far as he was an individual, it was nevertheless opportune, in so far as it was the principle of woman. And therefore it will rise again in the woman, not in the man, as is more plainly explained in the fourth [book].