Psalmist

Corrie, I think it’s pretty obvious. Accept that EZER refers to help given from a position of strength, and strength can’t be one of the “masculine attributes” in a world where “masculine” and “feminine” are opposites. And that’s what the world of patriarchy revolves around. There’s not very much celebration of men’s and women’s shared humanity, and their differences as male and female are elevated to an absurd level, in some instances even to the point of idolatry, if one takes the writings at face value.

So if WOMAN can be strong, then that automatically weakens MAN, in that world view. MAN can’t be anything that WOMAN is. So it’s a whole lot easier to change the meaning of the Holy Scriptures than it is to change a hardened heart and a made-up mind.

Or maybe it’s fear of the idea that woman can be strong FOR THE MAN, rather than him being the he-man protector of the universe. NOBODY’s stronger than the man! Sadly, sometimes, God is even weakened to keep that “true.”