The seventh day – creation complete
[Now the seventh day is separated from the other days as a special day. The text in verses 1-3 is well structured in Hebrew. A total of 35 (7 x 5) words are used in five lines. Centrally, there are three lines with seven words each, where the seventh day (Hebr. jom ha-shevii) appears in each line. The entire story ends brilliantly with three central words: create (Hebr. bara), God (Hebr. Elohim), and make (Hebr. asah; which includes divide, separate, and complete). This is what God has done throughout the creation story, and now everything is complete.]1Now the heavens and the earth were completed (finished) with all their host [with everything that the universe contains].
[The word host (Hebr. tsava) describes a large quantity. The word can be used for stars (Deuteronomy 4:19), angels (1 Kings 22:19), and soldiers in an army (Judg. 4:2). Since no angels are mentioned in creation (they are implied to already be created, see Job 38:6-7), the word here refers to everything created that fills the universe, from the smallest elementary particles to the largest galaxies.]
2Yes, God (Elohim) finished on the seventh daythe work that he had done (worked on; completed – Hebr. asah).
Yes, he ceased (refrained – Hebr. shavat) on the seventh dayfrom all the work he had done (Hebr. asah).
[[The Sabbath
The first day of the Jewish calendar is Sunday. It is called jom rishon (day one). The week then continues with jom sheni (day two), jom shlishi (day three), jom revii (day four), jom chamishi (day five), and jom shishi (day six). The seventh day (Saturday) breaks the pattern and is not called jom shevii (day seven); instead, only the word shabbat is used. It is a day when man's work “shall cease.” The Sabbath is not instituted here, but when it is mentioned among the commandments, reference is made to the six days of creation and that work then ceased on the seventh day, see Ex. 20:9-11. The Sabbath, and what counts as work or not, was something that was often discussed in Jesus' time, see Mark 2:27; Matt. 12:10-12, and even today among rabbis.]]
The continuing story of heaven and earth (2:4-4:26)
[Here begins the second overall literary unit with the first use of the toledot formula, see Gen. 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12, 19; 36:1, 9; 37:2 and the introduction to the book. This new unit is literarily strongly linked to the creation story in several ways:- The three main words that conclude the creation story – create (Hebr. bara), God (Elohim) and complete (Hebr. asah) – reappear immediately in the first sentence, but in a different order (cf. Gen. 2:3 and Gen. 2:4).
- The opening sentence of both accounts has seven words (cf. Gen. 1:1 and Gen. 2:4).
- As in the first sentence of the creation account, “heavens and earth” appear, but now in a different order and without the definite article.
- Both stories begin with the same alliteration (two words beginning with the same letter, in this case b): bereshit bara and behibaram bejom, respectively.
- The word day is a central concept in the creation story, it also appears in the first sentence as bejom, which literally means “that day”. In this context, bejom has the meaning “when” in English.
- The only word that does not appear in the creation story is God's personal name JHVH. Here in the Eden story, it is specified that the God referred to is indeed JHVH and no other.
This first toledot unit consists of two main parts that have the same theme: the story of Eden (chapters 2-3) and the story of Cain and Abel (chapter 4). Here we are given the background to how the world might look today if God is both almighty and good. Humans chose not to follow God's good instructions but instead chose the path of disobedience with the consequences that sin always brings: damaged or destroyed relationships with God, other people, and nature. But in all this, God's undeserved grace shines through, and the promise of a savior shines brightly in the darkness. The story of Eden is not a second creation story, even though the creation of man is now described in much more detail than in the overall creation story. The author's return in time to something that precedes what has already been described also occurs in the continued story of Noah's sons (Gen. 10:1-11:9), which first describes how humanity spread across the earth, after which Gen. 11 states that all people still lived in the same area. The story of the Tower of Babel in chapter 11 gives the reason for the situation described in chapter 10.]
The Story of Eden
Introduction
4This is the continuation of the story (the narrative – Hebr. toledot) of[The first Hebrew word ed is only used here and in Job 36:27 where it means mist/cloud. The Greek translation Septuagint translates it as spring/flow. There is no mention of rain on earth until Gen. 7:12. The climate was therefore different from today's climate on earth, which may explain why people lived longer and why large animals such as dinosaurs existed. Perhaps it can be likened to a large greenhouse. The closest climate zone that has some of these characteristics in our time is the Redwood Forest in northern California. The thousand-year-old trees there are over 100 meters tall. The reason for the favorable climate is the persistent fog from the Pacific Ocean, which cools the trees during the summer and reduces evaporation.]
Man is created
7The Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) formed (designed, sculpted – Hebr. yatsar) man (Hebr. adam) from the dust (material) of the earth (Hebr. adamah) and breathed life into his nostrils, and man became a living being (soul – Hebr. nefesh).[The Hebrew word for man, adam, is similar to the word for the soil of the earth, adamah. Man's body was formed from already created material and also receives God's breath of life. The Hebrew word nefesh, translated here as "living being," describes the whole with an emphasis on inner life and the human soul. The same Hebrew word is also used for animals, see Gen. 1:20, 21, 24, 30. The Hebrew meaning of soul differs from the Greek philosophical idea of an immortal soul separate from the body, as described in the ancient writings of Plato and Aristotle.
God's creative hand is visible in creation and in man. The earth's surface consists of 70% salt water. The same proportions are found in man. A newborn baby consists of 80% water and an adult human 60%, and it is also salt.
The word for life is chajim. It is plural but is inflected as singular, just like the words for water, sky, and face. Exactly why these words are written this way is not clear. One theory is that it is a way in Hebrew to show that everything contained in the word cannot be contained in the singular. Water can be calm or stormy, every sunset is unique, and the face is not static with only one form. It is the same with life; it has different phases and events.]
8The Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) planted a garden (orchard) in Eden [meaning pleasant, delightful], to the east, and there he placed the man he had formed (designed, sculpted).The Garden of Eden
9The Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) caused all kinds of trees, lovely (appealing) to look at and good (perfectly suited) for food, to grow out of the ground, including the tree of life [Rev 2:7; 22:2, 14, 19] in the middle (center) of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.[Among all the trees, two trees are mentioned specifically, the tree of knowledge and the tree of life. The word for knowledge comes from the verb to know, to feel, and to have intimate knowledge (Hebr. jada). The meaning of the noun is therefore to know or be able to do various things. It is used, for example, to express that Esau was a skilled hunter: He "knew" how to hunt (Gen. 25:27). It is also unlikely that it refers to knowledge being used for both good and bad things. Good and evil can be understood as a merism, two extremes that express a whole. In that case, the tree of knowledge – good and evil – can be understood to mean that one should be able to do, accomplish, anything – everything. It can also be understood as a tree that represents a choice. When the tree of knowledge—good and evil—is mentioned, it is the first time the word "evil" appears. Man is faced with a choice: should he choose good or evil? The tree of knowledge is only mentioned here and in verse 17, where its primary function seems to be to give Adam and Eve a way to show their obedience to God.
The tree of life, on the other hand, is mentioned here and Gen. 3:22, 24. In Proverbs, it is used figuratively for something that gives life (Prov 3:18; 11:30; 13:12; 15:4), while the references in Revelation refer to a newly created Eden (Rev 2:7; 22:2, 14, 19). In the middle does not necessarily mean the exact "middle" in a physical sense, but can also mean something "central" in creation.]
11The first is called Pishon [meaning: growth],12and the gold of the land is good (beautiful, of high quality). There is also bdellium resin [probably a kind of whitish pearl] and onyx stone [gemstone].it is the one that flows around (meanders, winds around – Hebr. savav) the whole land of Havilah (Hebr. Chavila), where there is gold,
[Gold is the first metal mentioned in the Bible. Here it is also mentioned together with the word for good (Hebr. tóv). Since creation, gold is the first thing to be called good, see Gen. 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31. Throughout history, gold has been considered the most valuable metal. In Num. 11:7, the color of manna, which was probably whitish, is compared to bdellium resin.]
The fourth river is the Euphrates [meaning: fruitful, overflowing, giving in abundance].
"Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat [infinitive absolutus – eat with certainty],17but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you must not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die [infinitive absolutus – death die, with certainty die]."
[In verse 16, there is the positive commandment to eat from all the other trees – which is a prerequisite for "living life to the full." In verse 17 there is the exception. God does not force anyone into fellowship with him, therefore the tree of knowledge (verse 9) must be there so that man can make an active choice for or against life, see also Deut. 30:15, 19. In Hebrew, the verbs eat and die are doubled. Literally, it says "you eat" and "you die." The construction reinforces that man is truly free to eat. It is also possible to see the dual need for both spiritual and physical food, cf. Matt. 6:11; John 4:32. Death has a spiritual and a physical aspect. Paul writes how creation is subject to decay, see Rom. 8:20. When Adam eats from the tree of knowledge, he dies a spiritual death, which also has consequences for his physical body, which becomes mortal.]
The man is alone
[Until now, everything has been good or very good. For the first time, something is now "not good," and that is Adam's lack of a companion.]18The Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) said: "It is not good [appropriate, optimal, as it should be] for man to be alone; I will make (Hebr. asah) a helper (Hebr. ezer) suitable for him."
[The last phrase (Hebr. ezer kenegdo) describes a helper by his side. Hebr. ezer means to come to someone's aid and to assist. It does not necessarily describe a hierarchy; God himself is called Israel's helper in Hos. 13:9, see also Deut. 33:7. Here, a partnership between a man and a woman is described. The same phrase recurs in verse 20.]
19From the earth, the Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) formed (sculpted, designed – Hebr. yatsar) all the animals of the field and all the birds of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would name them. [Hebr. Col, translated as "all," can also mean a multitude or many.] Whatever name the man gave each living creature became its name.20And the man gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the [wild] animals of the field. But for the man, no helper suitable for him was found.
The woman is created
21Then the Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept. And He took a part from his side (Hebr. echad tsela) and closed up the flesh after it.[The word tsela means side and is used for the side of a building or structure (Ex. 26:20; 27:7; 38:7; Ezek. 41:5, 6). Often it is something with planks that is hollow. According to the Greek philosopher Plato (428-348 BC), and also later Jewish tradition, man was created androgynous and then divided into male and female. But that is not what this verse teaches. This is also clear in Gen. 1:27, which states: "Male and female he created them." The word "side" here refers to an unspecified part on the man's side. Based on verse 23, where the man says "bone of my bones" and "flesh of my flesh," it is not so far-fetched to think that it is a rib, but not just the bone, but also the flesh around it.]22And the Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) built up (skillfully modeled – Hebr. banah) the side that he had taken from the man into a woman, and he brought her to the man.
[Four different Hebr. words are used in connection with the creation of man: asah (Gen. 1:26), bara (Gen. 1:27), yatsar (Gen. 2:7, 19) and banah here. Both man and woman are made in God's image, see Gen. 1:27.]23Then the man (Hebr. ha-Adam) said:
"At last (the next step, now finally) [someone suited for me, see verse 20],[For the first time, the Bible describes what a human being says, and it is an exclamation of joy over the union between a man and a woman! The Hebrew word for man/husband, with its masculine form, describes an individual of the male gender, while ishah describes an individual of the female gender, and can also refer to a wife. The word ish itself refers to an individual.]she (this one) is bone of my bones and flesh (body) of my flesh (my body).
She (this one) will be called woman (Hebr. ishah),for from man (Hebr. ish) she (this one) was taken.”
24Therefore, a man will leave his father and mother ["dissolve" his emotional (and also financial) dependence on them] and cleave to (join, be united with) his wife (woman), and they will be one flesh (Hebr. basar echad) [a united body—a new family unit].
[Jesus quotes this verse when he speaks of God's plan for marriage, see Matt. 19:4-5. Marriage is intended by God for one man and one woman—from two different families—for life. The text describes something that is dissolved, united, and publicly recognized. To leave (Hebr. azab) and to cleave (Hebr. dabaq) are terms often used in covenants, see Deut. 28:20; Hos. 4:10. Marriage is not just a private matter but an institution that also involves the surrounding community. Ceremonies, rings, and vows before witnesses are important components of a wedding.
In this culture, as in most others throughout history, it was the woman who left her family and physically moved to the man's house (often in connection with his family and relatives). This Bible text shows God's view of responsibility. The man, who historically has often had advantages and privileges in society, is therefore urged here to leave what has been behind – his wife is to become his closest relative and they are to form a whole new family.]