Genesis 2
New King James Version
The Garden of Eden
2 Thus the heavens and the earth, and (A)all the host of them, were finished. 2 (B)And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God (C)blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
4 (D)This is the [a]history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 before any (E)plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not (F)caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man (G)to till the ground; 6 but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.
7 And the Lord God formed man of the (H)dust of the ground, and (I)breathed into his (J)nostrils the breath of life; and (K)man became a living being.
Life in God’s Garden
8 The Lord God planted (L)a garden (M)eastward in (N)Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made (O)every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. (P)The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and (Q)evil.
10 Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. 11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts (R)the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good. (S)Bdellium and the onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which goes around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is (T)Hiddekel;[b] it is the one which goes toward the east of [c]Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 Then the Lord God took [d]the man and put him in the garden of Eden to [e]tend and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (U)you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it (V)you[f] shall surely (W)die.”
18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; (X)I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 19 (Y)Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and (Z)brought them to [g]Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
21 And the Lord God caused a (AA)deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He [h]made into a woman, (AB)and He (AC)brought her to the man.
23 And Adam said:
“This is now (AD)bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called [i]Woman,
Because she was (AE)taken out of [j]Man.”
24 (AF)Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and (AG)be[k] joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
25 (AH)And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not (AI)ashamed.
Footnotes
- Genesis 2:4 Heb. toledoth, lit. generations
- Genesis 2:14 Or Tigris
- Genesis 2:14 Heb. Ashshur
- Genesis 2:15 Or Adam
- Genesis 2:15 cultivate
- Genesis 2:17 Lit. dying you shall die
- Genesis 2:19 Or the man
- Genesis 2:22 Lit. built
- Genesis 2:23 Heb. Ishshah
- Genesis 2:23 Heb. Ish
- Genesis 2:24 Lit. cling
Genesis 2
Expanded Bible
The Seventh Day—Rest
2 So the ·sky [heavens], the earth, and all ·that filled them [L their hosts] were ·finished [completed]. 2 By the seventh day God ·finished [completed] the work he had been doing, so he ·rested [or ceased] from all his work [L he had done]. 3 God blessed the seventh day and ·made it a holy day [consecrated it; set it apart], because on that day he ·rested [or ceased] from all the work he had done in creating [1:1] the world.
The First People
4 ·This is the story [L These are the generations; C introduces a new section of the book; see also 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12, 19; 36:1, 9] of the creation of the ·sky [heavens] and the earth. When the ·Lord God [Yahweh Elohim; C Elohim is the common term for God; Lord (capital letters) represents the divine name YHWH, usually pronounced “Yahweh”; see Ex. 3:14–15] first made the earth and the ·sky [heavens], 5 there were still no plants on the earth. Nothing was growing in the fields because the Lord God had not yet made it rain on the land. And there was no person to ·care for [or till; work] the ground, 6 but a ·mist [or stream] would rise up from the earth and water all the ground.
7 Then the Lord God took dust from the ground and formed a man from it [C there is wordplay between “ground” (adama) and “man” (adam)]. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nose, and the man became a living person. 8 ·Then the Lord God [or The Lord God had] planted a garden in the east [C probably east of Palestine], in a place called Eden [C related to a word meaning “luxurious”], and put the man he had formed into it. 9 The Lord God caused every ·beautiful [L desirous to see] tree and every tree that was good for food to grow out of the ground. In the middle of the garden, God put the tree ·that gives life [T of life] and also the tree ·that gives the knowledge [T of the knowledge] of good and evil.
10 A river flowed through Eden and watered the garden. From there the river ·branched out [divides] to become four ·rivers [L heads]. 11 The first river, named Pishon [C otherwise unknown], flows around the whole land of Havilah [C otherwise unknown], where there is gold. 12 The gold of that land is excellent. Bdellium [C a sweet-smelling resin like myrrh] and onyx [C a precious stone] are also found there. 13 The second river, named Gihon [C a small stream in Jerusalem (1 Kin. 1:33), but here perhaps referring to another river], flows around the whole land of Cush [C often referring to Ethiopia, but here likely a place in Mesopotamia; see 10:7]. 14 The third river, named Tigris [C a major river in Mesopotamia], flows out of Assyria [C in northern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq)] toward the east. The fourth river is the Euphrates [C a major river in Mesopotamia; the location of Eden is uncertain, but this passage suggests Mesopotamia].
15 The Lord God [L took and] put ·the man [or Adam; 1:27] in the garden of Eden to ·care for [or till] it and ·work [take care of; look after] it. 16 The Lord God commanded him, “You may eat the fruit from ·any tree [or all the trees] in the garden, 17 but you must not eat the fruit from the tree ·which gives the [T of the] knowledge of good and evil [C eating from this tree would make Adam, not God, the determiner of right and wrong]. If you ever eat fruit from that tree, you will [L certainly] die!”
The First Woman
18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper [C in the sense of a partner or ally; the word does not imply subordinate status; see Ps. 79:9] who ·is right for [is suitable for; corresponds with] him.”
19 From the ground God formed every ·wild animal [L animal of the field] and every bird in the ·sky [heavens], and he brought them to the man ·so the man could name them [L to see what he would call them]. Whatever the man called each living thing, that became its name. 20 The man gave names to all the ·tame animals [beasts; livestock], to the birds in the ·sky [heavens], and to all the ·wild animals [L animals of the field]. But ·Adam [or the man; 1:27] did not find a helper that was right for him [2:18]. 21 So the Lord God caused ·the man to sleep very deeply [L a deep sleep to fall on the man/Adam], and while he was asleep, God removed one of the man’s ·ribs [or sides]. Then God closed up the man’s skin at the place where he took the ·rib [or side]. 22 The Lord God used the ·rib [or side] from the man to ·make [L build; construct] a woman, and then he brought the woman to the man.
23 And the man said,
“·Now, this is someone whose bones came from my bones,
whose body came from my body [L At last, this is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh].
·I will call her [L She will be called] ‘woman [C Hebrew ‘ishshah],’
because she was taken out of man [C Hebrew ‘ish].”
24 So a man will leave his father and mother [C in the sense of a new primary loyalty] and be united with his wife, and the two will become one ·body [T flesh].
25 The man and his wife were naked, but they were not ashamed.
Genesis 2
1599 Geneva Bible
2 2 God resteth the seventh day, and sanctifieth it. 15 He setteth man in the garden. 22 He createth the woman. 24 Marriage is ordained.
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the [a]host of them.
2 For in the seventh day God ended his work which he had made, (A)and the seventh day he [b]rested from all his work, which he had made.
3 So God blessed the seventh day, and [c]sanctified it, because that in it he had rested from all his work, which God created and made.
4 ¶ These are the [d]generations of the heavens and of the earth, when they were created, in the day, that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,
5 And every [e]plant of the field, before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field, before it grew, for the Lord God had not caused it to [f]rain upon the earth, neither was there a man to till the ground,
6 But a mist went up from the earth, and watered all the earth.
7 ¶ The Lord God also [g]made the man [h]of the dust of the ground, and breathed in his face breath of life, (B)and the man was a living soul.
8 And the Lord God planted a garden Eastward in [i]Eden, and there he put the man whom he had made.
9 (For out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree pleasant to the sight, and good for meat: the [j]tree of life also in the midst of the garden, [k]and the tree of knowledge of good and of evil.
10 And out of Eden went a river to water the garden, and from thence it was divided, and became into four heads.
11 The name of one is Pishon: the same compasseth the whole land of [l]Havilah, where is gold.
12 And the gold of that land is good: there is [m]Bdellium, and the Onyx stone.
13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same compasseth the whole land of [n]Cush.
14 And the name of the [third] river is [o]Hiddekel: this goeth toward the East side of [p]Ashshur: and the fourth river is [q]Parah)
15 ¶ Then the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden, that he might [r]dress it, and keep it.
16 And the Lord God [s]commanded the man, saying, [t]Thou shalt eat freely of every tree of the garden,
17 But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for [u]in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt die the [v]death.
18 Also the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be himself alone: I will make him an help [w]meet for him.
19 So the Lord God formed of the earth every beast of the field, and every fowl of the heaven, and brought them unto the [x]man to see how he would call them: for howsoever the man named the living creature, so was the name thereof.
20 The man therefore gave names unto all cattle, and to the fowl of the heaven, and to every beast of the field: but for Adam found he not an helper meet for him.
21 ¶ Therefore the Lord God caused an heavy sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in stead thereof.
22 And the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man, [y]made he a [z]woman, and brought her to the man.
23 Then the man said, (C)This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called [aa]woman, because she was taken out of the man.
24 (D)Therefore shall man leave [ab]his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not [ac]ashamed.
Footnotes
- Genesis 2:1 That is, the innumerable abundance of creatures in heaven and earth.
- Genesis 2:2 For he had now finished his creation, but his providence still watcheth over his creatures, and governeth them.
- Genesis 2:3 Appointed it to be kept holy, that man might therein consider the excellency of his works and God’s goodness toward him.
- Genesis 2:4 Or, the original and beginning.
- Genesis 2:5 Or, tree, as Gen. 21:15.
- Genesis 2:5 God only openeth the heavens and shutteth them, he sendeth drought and rain according to his good pleasure.
- Genesis 2:7 Or, formed.
- Genesis 2:7 He showeth whereof man’s body was created, to the intent that man should not glory in the excellency of his own nature.
- Genesis 2:8 This was the name of a place, as some think in Mesopotamia, most pleasant and abundant in all things.
- Genesis 2:9 Which was a sign of the life received of God.
- Genesis 2:9 That is, of miserable experience, which came by disobeying God.
- Genesis 2:11 Which Havilah is a country joining to Persia Eastward, and inclineth toward the West.
- Genesis 2:12 Or, precious stone, or pearl. Pliny saith it is the name of a tree.
- Genesis 2:13 Or, Ethiopia.
- Genesis 2:14 Or, Tigris.
- Genesis 2:14 Or, Assyria.
- Genesis 2:14 Or, Euphrates.
- Genesis 2:15 God would not have man idle, though as yet there was no need to labor.
- Genesis 2:16 So that man might know there was a sovereign Lord, to whom he owed obedience.
- Genesis 2:16 Hebrew, eating thou shalt eat of.
- Genesis 2:17 Or, whensoever.
- Genesis 2:17 By this death he meaneth the separation of man from God, who is our life and chief felicity: and also that our disobedience is the cause thereof.
- Genesis 2:18 Hebrew, before him.
- Genesis 2:19 By moving them to come and submit themselves to Adam.
- Genesis 2:22 Hebrew, built.
- Genesis 2:22 Signifying that mankind was perfect, when the woman was created, which before was like an imperfect building.
- Genesis 2:23 Or, Manness, because she cometh of man: for in Hebrew Ish is man, and Ishah the woman.
- Genesis 2:24 So that marriage requireth a greater duty of us toward our wives, than otherwise we are bound to show to our parents.
- Genesis 2:25 For before sin entered, all things were honest and comely.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
