Genesis 2

1 And heaven and earth and all their array were finished.

2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.

3 And God blessed the seventh day, and he sanctified it, because on it he rested from all his work {of creating that [there was] to do}.

The Generations of Heaven and Earth

4 These are the generations of heaven and earth when they were created, in the day [that] Yahweh God made earth and heaven--

5 {before any plant of the field was} on earth, and [before] {any plant of the field} had sprung up, because Yahweh God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no human being to cultivate the ground,

6 but a stream [would] rise from the earth and water the whole face of the ground--

7 when Yahweh God formed the man [of] dust from the ground, and he blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

8 And Yahweh God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.

9 And Yahweh God caused to grow every tree [that] was pleasing to the sight and good for food. And the tree of life [was] in the midst of the garden, {along with} the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

10 Now a river flowed out from Eden that watered the garden, and from there it diverged and became four branches.

11 The name of the first [is] the Pishon. It went around all the land of Havilah, where [there is] gold.

12 (The gold of that land [is] good; bdellium and onyx stones [are] there.)

13 And the name of the second [is] Gihon. It went around all the land of Cush.

14 And the name of the third [is] Tigris. It flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river [is] the Euphrates.

15 And Yahweh God took the man and set him in the garden of Eden to cultivate it and to keep it.

16 And Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, "From every tree of the garden {you may freely eat},

17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day {that you eat} from it {you shall surely die}."

18 Then Yahweh God said, "[it is] not good [that] the man is alone. I will make for him a helper {as his counterpart}."

19 And out of the ground Yahweh God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and he brought [each] to the man to see what he would call it. And whatever the man called that living creature [was] its name.

20 And the man {gave names} to every domesticated animal and to the birds of heaven and to all the wild animals. But for [the] man there was not found a helper {as his counterpart}.

21 And Yahweh God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man. While he slept, he took one of his ribs, and closed up {the flesh where it had been}.

22 And Yahweh God fashioned the rib which he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man.

23 And the man said, "{She is now} bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh; {she} shall be called 'Woman,' for {she was taken} from man."

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cling to his wife, and they shall be as one flesh.

25 And the man and his wife, both of them, were naked, and they were not ashamed.

Genesis 2 Commentary

Chapter 2

The first sabbath. (1-3) Particulars about the creation. (4-7) The planting of the garden of Eden. (8-14) Man is placed in it. (15) God's command. (16,17) The animals named, The making of woman, The Divine institution of marriage. (18-25)

Verses 1-3 After six days, God ceased from all works of creation. In miracles, he has overruled nature, but never changed its settled course, or added to it. God did not rest as one weary, but as one well pleased. Notice the beginning of the kingdom of grace, in the sanctification, or keeping holy, of the sabbath day. The solemn observing of one day in seven as a day of holy rest and holy work, to God's honour, is the duty of all to whom God has made known his holy sabbaths. At this time none of the human race were in being but our first parents. For them the sabbath was appointed; and clearly for all succeeding generations also. The Christian sabbath, which we observe, is a seventh day, and in it we celebrate the rest of God the Son, and the finishing the work of our redemption.

Verses 4-7 Here is a name given to the Creator, "Jehovah." Where the word "LORD" is printed in capital letters in our English Bibles, in the original it is "Jehovah." Jehovah is that name of God, which denotes that he alone has his being of himself, and that he gives being to all creatures and things. Further notice is taken of plants and herbs, because they were made and appointed to be food for man. The earth did not bring forth its fruits of itself: this was done by Almighty power. Thus grace in the soul grows not of itself in nature's soil, but is the work of God. Rain also is the gift of God; it came not till the Lord God caused it. Though God works by means, yet when he pleases he can do his own work without them; and though we must not tempt God in the neglect of means, we must trust God, both in the use and in the want of means. Some way or other, God will water the plants of his own planting. Divine grace comes down like the dew, and waters the church without noise. Man was made of the small dust, such as is on the surface of the earth. The soul was not made of the earth, as the body: pity then that it should cleave to the earth, and mind earthly things. To God we must shortly give an account, how we have employed these souls; and if it be found that we have lost them, though it were to gain the world, we are undone for ever! Fools despise their own souls, by caring for their bodies before their souls.

Verses 8-14 The place fixed upon for Adam to dwell in, was not a palace, but a garden. The better we take up with plain things, and the less we seek things to gratify pride and luxury, the nearer we approach to innocency. Nature is content with a little, and that which is most natural; grace with less; but lust craves every thing, and is content with nothing. No delights can be satisfying to the soul, but those which God himself has provided and appointed for it. Eden signifies delight and pleasure. Wherever it was, it had all desirable conveniences, without any inconvenience, though no other house or garden on earth ever was so. It was adorned with every tree pleasant to the sight, and enriched with every tree that yielded fruit grateful to the taste and good for food. God, as a tender Father, desired not only Adam's profit, but his pleasure; for there is pleasure with innocency, nay there is true pleasure only in innocency. When Providence puts us in a place of plenty and pleasure, we ought to serve God with gladness of heart in the good things he gives us. Eden had two trees peculiar to itself. 1. There was the tree of life in the midst of the garden. Of this man might eat and live. Christ is now to us the Tree of life, (Revelation 2:7, Revelation 22:2 ) ; and the Bread of life, #Joh. 6:48, #Joh. 6:51 . 2. There was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, so called because there was a positive revelation of the will of God about this tree, so that by it man might know moral good and evil. What is good? It is good not to eat of this tree. What is evil? It is evil to eat of this tree. In these two trees God set before Adam good and evil, the blessing and the curse.

Verse 15 After God had formed Adam, he put him in the garden. All boasting was thereby shut out. Only he that made us can make us happy; he that is the Former of our bodies, and the Father of our spirits, and none but he, can fully provide for the happiness of both. Even in paradise itself man had to work. None of us were sent into the world to be idle. He that made our souls and bodies, has given us something to work with; and he that gave us this earth for our habitation, has made us something to work upon. The sons and heirs of heaven, while in this world, have something to do about this earth, which must have its share of their time and thoughts; and if they do it with an eye to God, they as truly serve him in it, as when they are upon their knees. Observe that the husbandman's calling is an ancient and honourable calling; it was needful even in paradise. Also, there is true pleasure in the business God calls us to, and employs us in. Adam could not have been happy if he had been idle: it is still God's law, He that will not work has ( 2 Thessalonians. 3:10 )

Verses 16-17 Let us never set up our own will against the holy will of God. There was not only liberty allowed to man, in taking the fruits of paradise, but everlasting life made sure to him upon his obedience. There was a trial appointed of his obedience. By transgression he would forfeit his Maker's favour, and deserve his displeasure, with all its awful effects; so that he would become liable to pain, disease, and death. Worse than that, he would lose the holy image of God, and all the comfort of his favour; and feel the torment of sinful passions, and the terror of his Maker's vengeance, which must endure for ever with his never dying soul. The forbidding to eat of the fruit of a particular tree was wisely suited to the state of our first parents. In their state of innocence, and separated from any others, what opportunity or what temptation had they to break any of the ten commandments? The event proves that the whole human race were concerned in the trial and fall of our first parents. To argue against these things is to strive against stubborn facts, as well as Divine revelation; for man is sinful, and shows by his first actions, and his conduct ever afterwards, that he is ready to do evil. He is under the Divine displeasure, exposed to sufferings and death. The Scriptures always speak of man as of this sinful character, and in this miserable state; and these things are true of men in all ages, and of all nations.

Verses 18-25 Power over the creatures was given to man, and as a proof of this he named them all. It also shows his insight into the works of God. But though he was lord of the creatures, yet nothing in this world was a help meet for man. From God are all our helpers. If we rest in God, he will work all for good. God caused deep sleep to fall on Adam; while he knows no sin, God will take care that he shall feel no pain. God, as her Father, brought the woman to the man, as his second self, and a help meet for him. That wife, who is of God's making by special grace, and of God's bringing by special providence, is likely to prove a help meet for a man. See what need there is, both of prudence and prayer in the choice of this relation, which is so near and so lasting. That had need to be well done, which is to be done for life. Our first parents needed no clothes for covering against cold or heat, for neither could hurt them: they needed none for ornament. Thus easy, thus happy, was man in his state of innocency. How good was God to him! How many favours did he load him with! How easy were the laws given to him! Yet man, being in honour, understood not his own interest, but soon became as the beasts that perish.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "the sky"
• [b]. Or "the earth"
• [c]. Or "host"
• [d]. Or "hallowed"
• [e]. Literally "which God created to do"
• [f]. Or "family records"
• [g]. Or "the sky"
• [h]. Or "the earth"
• [i]. Or "sky"
• [j]. Literally "and every plant of the field not yet was"
• [k]. Literally "and every plant of the field not yet"
• [l]. Or "and"
• [m]. "The man" indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article
• [n]. "The man" indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article
• [o]. Or "and"
• [p]. Or "And"
• [q]. "The man" indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article
• [r]. "The man" indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article
• [s]. Literally "eating you may eat"
• [t]. Literally "of your eating"
• [u]. Literally "dying you shall die"
• [v]. Or "And"
• [w]. "The man" indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article
• [x]. Literally "as his opposite"
• [y]. Or "the heavens"
• [z]. "The man" indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article
• [aa]. "The man" indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article
• [ab]. "The man" indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article
• [ac]. Literally "called names"
• [ad]. Or "the sky"
• [ae]. Literally "animals of the earth/land"
• [af]. Literally "as his opposite"
• [ag]. "The man" indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article
• [ah]. Or "And"
• [ai]. Literally "the flesh in the place of it"
• [aj]. "The man" indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article
• [ak]. "The man" indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article
• [al]. "The man" indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article
• [am]. "The man" indicates the noun is singular and occurs with the definite article

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 2

In this chapter are contained a summary of the works of creation on the six days, and God's resting from his works on the seventh day, and the sanctification of that, Ge 2:1-4 and an account of various things relating to several parts of the creation enlarged on and explained, and of various circumstances omitted in the preceding chapter, which could not so well be taken notice of there; as of a mist arising out of the earth, which watered the herbs and plants before there was any rain to fall upon them, or a man to cultivate them, Ge 2:5,6 and of the matter and manner of man's formation, Ge 2:7 and of the planting of the garden of Eden, and the trees that were in it, and the rivers that watered it, and sprung from it, and the course they steered, the countries they washed, and what those countries abounded with, Ge 2:8-14 of man's being put into it to dress it, and keep it, and of the grant he had to eat of the fruit of any of the trees in it, excepting one, which was forbidden under a penalty of death, Ge 2:15-17 and of all the creatures, beasts and fowls, being brought to him, to give them names, Ge 2:18-20 and of God's providing an help meet for him, and forming Eve out of one of his ribs, and of their marriage together, and the institution of marriage, Ge 2:21-24 and the chapter is concluded with observing the present state and circumstances of our first parents before they fell, Ge 2:25.