Genesis 2

1So the heavens and the earth and everything else were created.

The Seventh Day

2 # Ex 20.11. #He 4.4,10. By the seventh day God had finished his work, and so he rested. 3God blessed the seventh day and made it special, because on that day he rested from his work.

4That's how God created the heavens and the earth.

The Garden of Eden

When the Lord God made the heavens and the earth, 5no grass or plants were growing anywhere. God had not yet sent any rain, and there was no one to work the land. 6But streams#2.6 streams: Or “mist.” came up from the ground and watered the earth.

7 # Ws 15.8,11; 1 Co 15.45. The Lord God took some soil from the ground and made a man.#2.7 man: In Hebrew “man” comes from the same word as “ground.” God breathed life into the man, and the man started breathing. 8The Lord made a garden in a place called Eden, which was in the east, and he put the man there.

9 # Rev 2.7; 22.2,14. The Lord God filled the garden with all kinds of beautiful trees and fruit trees. Two other trees were in the middle of the garden. One of these gave life—the other gave the wisdom to know the difference between right and wrong.

10From Eden a river flowed out to water the garden, then it divided into four rivers. 11The first one is the Pishon River that flows through the land of Havilah, 12where pure gold, rare perfumes, and precious stones are found. 13The second is the Gihon River that winds through Ethiopia.#2.13 Ethiopia: The Hebrew text has “Cush,” which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan. 14The Tigris River that flows east of Assyria is the third, and the fourth is the Euphrates River.

15The Lord God put the man in the Garden of Eden to take care of it and to look after it. 16But the Lord told him, “You may eat fruit from any tree in the garden, 17except the one that has the power to let you know the difference between right and wrong. If you eat any fruit from that tree, you will die before the day is over!”

18The Lord God said, “It isn't good for the man to live alone. I will make a suitable partner for him.” 19-20So the Lord took some soil and made animals and birds. He brought them to the man to see what names he would give each of them. Then the man named the tame animals and the birds and the wild animals. That's how they got their names.

None of these was the right kind of partner for the man. 21So the Lord God made him fall into a deep sleep, and he took out one of the man's ribs. Then after closing the man's side, 22the Lord made a woman out of the rib.

The Lord God brought her to the man, 23and the man exclaimed,

“Here is someone like me!

She is part of my body,

my own flesh and bones.

She came from me, a man.

So I will name her Woman!”#2.23 a man … Woman: In Hebrew the words “man” and “woman” are similar.

24 # Mt 19.5; Mk 10.7,8; 1 Co 6.16; Eph 5.31. That's why a man will leave his own father and mother. He marries a woman, and the two of them become like one person.

25Although the man and his wife were both naked, they were not ashamed.

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Genesis 2

The Creation of Man and Woman

1So the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts (inhabitants). 2And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested (ceased) on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3So God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it [as His own, that is, set it apart as holy from other days], because in it He rested from all His work which He had created and done.

4This is the history of [the origin of] the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day [that is, days of creation] that the #Heb YHWH (Yahweh), the Hebrew name of God which traditionally is not pronounced by the Jews, usually rendered Lord. See front material, Principles of Translation.Lord God made the earth and the heavens— 5no shrub or plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to #Lit work.cultivate the ground, 6but a #Or flow of water.mist (fog, dew, vapor) used to rise from the land and water the entire surface of the ground— 7then the Lord God #The word is “formed” (Heb yatsar), but in 1:26, 27 the action is described with the Hebrew word “created” (Heb bara).formed [that is, created the body of] man from the #The essential chemical elements found in soil are also found in humans and animals. This scientific fact was not discovered until recent times, but God is displaying it here.dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being [an individual complete in body and spirit]. 8And the Lord God #This is a reference, not to the creation of plant life in general, but to the planting of specific plants in the Garden of Eden (2:8, 9).planted a garden (oasis) in the east, in Eden (delight, land of happiness); and He put the man whom He had formed (created) there. 9And [in that garden] the Lord God caused to grow from the ground every tree that is desirable and pleasing to the sight and good (suitable, pleasant) for food; the tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the [experiential] knowledge (recognition) of [the difference between] good and evil.

10Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four [branching] rivers. 11The first [river] is named Pishon; it flows around the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12The gold of that land is good; bdellium (a fragrant, valuable resin) and the #It is often difficult to match the names or descriptions of ancient gems and other materials with their contemporary equivalents. Modern research indicates this may instead be carnelian, a red gemstone.onyx stone are found there. 13The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the entire land of Cush [in Mesopotamia]. 14The third river is named Hiddekel (Tigris); it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

15So the Lord God took the man [He had made] and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it. 16And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely (unconditionally) eat [the fruit] from every tree of the garden; 17but [only] from the tree of the knowledge (recognition) of good and evil you shall not eat, otherwise on the day that you eat from it, you shall most certainly #Both spiritually and physically, physical death in the sense of becoming mortal; they were created immortal.die [because of your disobedience].”

18Now the Lord God said, “It is not good (beneficial) for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper [one who balances him—a counterpart who is] #Lit like his opposite.suitable and complementary for him.” 19So the Lord God formed out of the ground every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. 20And the man gave names to all the livestock, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helper [that was] suitable (a companion) for him. 21So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam; and while he slept, He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. 22And the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man He made (fashioned, formed) into a woman, and He brought her and presented her to the man. 23Then Adam said,

“This is now bone of my bones,

And flesh of my flesh;

She shall be called Woman,

Because she was taken out of Man.”

24For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. 25And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed or embarrassed.

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