Genesis 2:9-19

9 And the Lord God brought forth (out) of the earth each tree fair in sight, and sweet to eat; also he brought forth the tree of life in the midst of paradise, and the tree of knowing of good and of evil (and he brought forth the tree of life in the middle of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil).
10 And a river went out from the place of liking to moist paradise, which river is parted from thence into four heads. (And a river went out from Eden to water the garden, and this river was parted from there into four rivers.)
11 The name of the one river is Pishon, that it is that compasseth all the land of Havilah, where gold cometh forth, (The name of the first river is Pishon, and it encircleth all the land of Havilah, where gold cometh from,)
12 and the gold of that land is the best, and there is found bdellium, that is, a tree of spicery, and the stone onyx; (and the gold of that land is the best, and bdellium, that is, a spice tree, is also found there, and the onyx stone as well;)
13 and the name of the second river is Gihon, that it is that compasseth all the land of Ethiopia (and it encircleth all the land of Ethiopia);
14 forsooth the name of the third river is Tigris, that goeth against Assyrians (which floweth east of Assyria); soothly the fourth river is that Euphrates.
15 Therefore the Lord God took man, and set him in (the) paradise of liking, that he should work and keep it. (And so the Lord God took the man, and put him in the Garden of Eden, so that he would work it, and care for it.)
16 And God commanded to him and said, Eat thou of each tree of paradise; (And God commanded to him and said, Thou can eat of every tree in the garden;)
17 forsooth eat thou not of the tree of knowing of good and of evil; for in whatever day thou shalt eat thereof, thou shalt die by death. (but thou shalt not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for on the day that thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die.)
18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that a man be alone; make we to him an helper like to himself (let us make for him a helper like himself).
19 And therefore when all living beasts of [the] earth, and all the volatiles of (the) heaven(s,) were formed of [the] earth, the Lord God brought those to Adam, that he should see what he should call those; for all thing that Adam called of living soul, that is the name thereof. (And so when all the living beasts of the earth, and all the birds of the air, were formed from the earth, the Lord God brought them to Adam, to see what he would call them; for whatever name that Adam called each thing with a living soul, that is its name.)

Genesis 2:9-19 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.