Our death comes as a punishment we have been given to drink. We have received this from the stock of our origin as human branches spreading out from the root. The first Adam deserved this because of sin.^[1] Sin had its beginning from a woman, as it says in Scripture, and because of her we all die.^[2] And again: Because of a single human being sin has entered into the world, and death through sin; thus death has caught up all of humanity because all have sinned.^[3] Thus in our nature there is present both guilt and punishment. God created our nature immune from guilt, and, if it had persisted without guilt, it would not then have had to experience the punishment. From our origin we have contracted this, and many other evils are derived from it as well. Therefore guilt and punishment are present in our nature: in the flesh of Jesus there was punishment without guilt because he came and abolished the guilt and the punishment.

Since it has been written, Sin had its beginning from the woman, and this is why all die,^[1] remember from which member the woman was taken and notice where the Lord was hit by the spear. Remember, I say, our primitive condition because it was not in vain, in fact, that I previously mentioned, Our old self has been crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed and we would no longer be enslaved to sin.^[2] Eve, from whom sin had its beginning, was formed by drawing her from the side of the man.^[3] While she was drawn from his side, he lay there asleep; Christ was hanging and dead on the cross when he was wounded.^[4] To sleep and to die are closely related, and thus so are these two sides, Adam’s side and Christ’s side; the Lord was wounded where our sins originated. But from that side Eve was formed who in her sinning procured death for us; from Christ’s side, however, the church was formed that brought us back to life by giving us birth.

How is it, one could say, that Scripture calls a helper she who was a hindrance? In fact it says, ‘Let us make a helper like him.’^[1] And I would ask you: how can she be a helper who deprived the man of such security and drove him out of that wonderful existence in paradise, casting him into the tumult of the present life? A schemer does this, not a helper! Woman, it says, was the beginning of sin, and because of her we all die. And blessed Paul says, Adam was not deceived. It was the woman who, being deceived, transgressed.^[2] How, then, can she be a helper who put the man at the mercy of death? How could she be a helper who brought it about that the children of God, which is to say all of the inhabitants of the earth, are submerged in death together with the beasts, the birds and all the other animals?^[3] Would not the woman have caused the ruin of righteous Job,^[4] if he had not been truly a man?^[5] Was it not the woman who brought about Sampson’s ruin?^[6] Was it not a woman who did her best that the whole Hebrew people take up the worship of Baal of Peor and was slaughtered at the hands of her brothers?^[7] And who more than anyone else consigned Ahab to the devil,^[8] and before him Solomon,^[9] despite his wisdom and fame? Even now, do not women often lead their husbands to offend God? Did not the wise man say, perhaps for this reason, Any kind of evil is small, compared with the evil of a woman? How is it then, you ask me, that God said, ‘Let us make a helper like him’?^[10] God does not lie. Nor do I say so—never! She was made for that purpose and reason, but like her companion, she did not want to remain in the dignity that was hers. The man was created by God in his image and likeness. Indeed, God said, Let us make the man in our image and likeness,^[11] just as he said, Let us make him a helper.^[12] Once created however, the man immediately lost both of these prerogatives. He knew how to keep neither the image nor the likeness (and how could he have, if he gave himself over to absurd desire, was prey to deception and was unable to overcome pleasure?). To his disgrace, the image was taken from him for all time to come.

Your wife like a fruitful vine.^[1] This is given to him who, though still imperfect, fears the Lord, but it does not hold for one who loves him with all his soul, all his heart and all his strength.^[2] For him, there are those things that eye has not seen, etc.^[3] To one who fears the Lord is given a consort of whom it is said, A good wife is good fate and A strong woman, who can find her?^[4] She is more precious than the most costly stones.^[5] An evil consort is wrath that comes from God.