Genesis 2:16-25

16 The LORD God ¹commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;

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 ²you will surely die."

18 Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; ³I will make him a helper suitable for him."

19 ⁴Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and ⁵brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever * the man called a living creature, that was its name.

20 The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found ⁶a helper suitable for him.

21 So the LORD God caused a ⁷deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.

22 The LORD God fashioned into a woman ⁸the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.

23 The man said, "⁹This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man."

24 ¹⁰For this reason * a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

25 ¹¹And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

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Genesis 2:16-25 Meaning and Commentary

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.