The Law · Chapter 2 of 50

Genesis 2

Creation is finished, and God rests on the seventh day, blessing and sanctifying it. The account then focuses on the making of man, formed from dust and given the breath of life. God plants a garden in Eden, places the man there to tend it, and permits every tree but one. Seeing it is not good for man to be alone, God forms a woman from his side, and the two become one flesh.

What happens in Genesis 2

Having finished the heavens and the earth, God rests on the seventh day and sanctifies it. The narrative then returns to the making of humanity in closer detail. The LORD God forms the man from the dust of the ground and breathes into him the breath of life, so man becomes a living soul. God plants a garden eastward in Eden, watered by a river that parts into four, and places the man there to dress and keep it. He may eat freely of every tree except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, on pain of death.

Judging that it is not good for the man to be alone, God brings the animals for the man to name, but no suitable companion is found. So God causes a deep sleep to fall on him, takes a rib, and forms a woman, bringing her to the man. He receives her as bone of his bones, and the chapter concludes that a man shall leave his parents and cleave to his wife, becoming one flesh, and the two were naked and unashamed.

Genesis 2 in context

This chapter complements the sweeping account of Genesis 1 with an intimate, ground level portrait of the first humans and their home. It introduces the personal covenant name the LORD God and shows a Creator who stoops to shape man with his hands and breathe life into him.

Set in the garden of Eden, it establishes work, the single prohibition, marriage, and the sabbath rest as good gifts before any wrong is done.

Main themes of Genesis 2

Genesis 2 (KJV)

1Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. 4These are the 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, 5And every 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 rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. 6But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. 7And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 8And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 10And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. 11The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. 13And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. 14And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. 15And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 18And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 19And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. 21And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23And 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. 24Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 25And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Verses to carry from Genesis 2

“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”Genesis 2:7

“And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”Genesis 2:18

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”Genesis 2:24

Reflection

God said it is not good for the man to be alone, showing that our need for others is written into us by design, not a flaw to overcome. Where do you feel the ache of isolation, and how might God be inviting you into the companionship, human and divine, that he intended from the beginning?

A prayer from Genesis 2