Genesis 2:7-24

7 Then the LORD God formed a man^[a] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.

9 The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters.

11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.

12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin^[b] and onyx are also there.)

13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush.^[c]

14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;

17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.

20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam^[d] no suitable helper was found.

21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs^[e] and then closed up the place with flesh.

22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib^[f] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”

24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Genesis 2:7-24 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.

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 29:16; Isaiah 43:1,21; Isaiah 44:2
• 2. S Genesis 1:27
• 3. Genesis 3:19; Genesis 18:27; Job 4:19; Job 10:9; Job 17:16; Job 34:15; Psalms 90:3; Ecclesiastes 3:20; Ecclesiastes 12:7
• 4. Genesis 3:23; Genesis 4:2; Psalms 103:14; Jeremiah 18:6; 1 Corinthians 15:47
• 5. S Genesis 1:2; Job 27:3; Job 33:4; Isaiah 2:22
• 6. S Genesis 1:30; Isaiah 42:5; Acts 17:25
• 7. Job 12:10; Job 32:8; Job 33:4; Job 34:14; Psalms 104:29; Isaiah 57:16; Ezekiel 37:5; 1 Corinthians 15:45*
• 8. ver 10,15; Genesis 3:23,24; Genesis 4:16; Genesis 13:10; Isaiah 51:3; Ezekiel 28:13; Ezekiel 31:9,16; Ezekiel 36:35; Joel 2:3
• 9. Ezekiel 31:8
• 10. Genesis 3:22,24; Proverbs 3:18; Proverbs 11:30; S Revelation 2:7; Revelation 22:2,14,19
• 11. Ezekiel 47:12
• 12. Numbers 24:6; Psalms 46:4; Ezekiel 47:5
• 13. S ver 8
• 14. Genesis 10:7; Genesis 25:18
• 15. Numbers 11:7
• 16. Genesis 41:1; Daniel 10:4
• 17. Genesis 15:18; Genesis 31:21; Exodus 23:31; Numbers 22:5; Deuteronomy 1:7; Deuteronomy 11:24; Joshua 1:4; 2 Samuel 8:3; 1 Kings 4:21; 2 Kings 23:29; 2 Kings 24:7; 1 Chronicles 5:9; 1 Chronicles 18:3; 2 Chronicles 35:20; Jeremiah 13:4; Jeremiah 46:2; Jeremiah 51:63; S Revelation 9:14
• 18. S ver 8
• 19. Genesis 3:1-2
• 20. Genesis 3:11,17
• 21. Genesis 3:1,3; Genesis 5:5; Genesis 9:29; Deuteronomy 30:15,19; Jeremiah 42:16; Ezekiel 3:18; S Romans 5:12; S Romans 6:23; James 1:15
• 22. Proverbs 31:11; 1 Corinthians 11:9; 1 Timothy 2:13
• 23. Psalms 8:7
• 24. S Genesis 1:20
• 25. S Genesis 1:5
• 26. Genesis 1:24
• 27. Genesis 3:20; Genesis 4:1
• 28. Genesis 15:12; 1 Samuel 26:12; Job 33:15
• 29. 1Co 11:8,9,12; 1 Timothy 2:13
• 30. Genesis 29:14; Ephesians 5:28-30
• 31. S Genesis 1:5
• 32. 1 Corinthians 11:8
• 33. Malachi 2:15
• 34. Matthew 19:5*; Mark 10:7-8*; 1 Corinthians 6:16*; Ephesians 5:31*

Footnotes

• [a] The Hebrew for "man (adam)" sounds like and may be related to the Hebrew for "ground (adamah)" ; it is also the name "Adam" (see verse 20).
• [b] Or "good" ; "pearls"
• [c] Possibly southeast Mesopotamia
• [d] Or "the man"
• [e] Or "took part of the man’s side"
• [f] Or "part"