Overview of Genesis 2
We should be aware the chapter and verse numbering in the Bible is a later addition; it’s not part of the original texts. The numbering of the Bible is a convenient indexing system that lets us reference portions of scripture for reading, studying, and teaching; however, the numbering system was added by later scholars and translators.
The beginning of Genesis chapter 2 is an example where the numbering system seems a bit off. Genesis chapter 1 outlines the first six days of creation. Genesis 2:1-3 outlines the seventh day of creation. In my opinion, the first three verses of chapter 2 belong at the end of chapter 1; then, chapter 1 would be a complete outline of all seven days of creation. As you study chapter 2, keep in mind the first three verses are actually the conclusion of chapter 1.
Starting at verse 4, we back up to the sixth day of creation and gain additional detail of the creation of mankind. This is not the only portion of scripture that does this. For example: The book of Judges begins by recapping events from Joshua before continuing forward in its second chapter. Sometimes it isn’t immediately clear that a book of the Bible is laid out this way, which can be confusing at first glance. But, if we read the Bible in its entirety we should be able to recognize repeated information and context clues that point us to a correct understanding of the layout.
Genesis 2 is outlined as such:
Verses 1-3: An overview of the seventh day of creation
Verses 4-25: A detailed look at the sixth day of creation.
Genesis 2 Study
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
Everything in the physical universe was created in the first six days of creation (seen in Genesis 1). On the seventh day, God ceased His work of creating. The word translated “rested” in verse 2 is from the root word שָׁבַת (Shabath), which means to cease, to stop, or to bring to an end. We get the idea of Shabath meaning “rest” from the application that work has ceased so it’s a time of no work. God didn’t rest in the sense that he was tired and needed a break. God rested in the sense that His work of creating was finished and came to an end; there was nothing more to create.
Here we have the foundation of the Sabbath. God gave all of creation a day of rest, a day of ceasing our regular work, just as He ceased His work on the seventh day of the week. In mainstream Christianity, people observe “The Lord’s Day” on Sunday (the first day of the week). There is no Biblical evidence that Sunday was ever anointed by God as His holy day. No, God blessed the seventh day and made it holy. All of scripture confirms the seventh day Sabbath is YHWH’s weekly holy day.
We hear people reason the seventh day Sabbath was given to “the Jews”. This is absolutely false. God blessed the seventh day on the literal seventh day of creation. This was long before Abraham lived; it was long before Israel; and, it was long before Judah. The commandment Moses received from God (thousands of years after God blessed the seventh day) is to remember His appointed Sabbath and to keep it holy. And God’s weekly Sabbath was always the seventh day.
4 These are the generations
of the heavens and the earth when they were created,
in the day that YHWH God made the earth and the heavens.5 When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for YHWH God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, 6 and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— 7 then YHWH God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. 8 And YHWH God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground YHWH God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Here we have detail on how God created mankind. The first thing we see is God formed man from the dust of the ground. The Hebrew word for “formed” in verse 7 is יָצַר (yatsar), which means to mold into shape like a potter sculpts clay. God took a more personal role in making man than He did with the rest of creation. Everything else was spoken into existence, but God personally formed man with His own hand.
Now, verse 7 says man was formed from the dust of the ground. It’s interesting to note that modern chemistry observes the human body is composed of the same elements found in soil. According to modern science, the human body is primarily made up of oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen. And our bodies retain a high volume of water. So, on an elemental level, the human body is virtually identical to a lump of clay–dirt infused with a high volume of water. The Bible tells us we were formed of the dust of the ground, and our observation confirms it is so.
10 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. 14 And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
The Garden of Eden was the centerpiece of the physical world. Eden was designed to be a lush, fertile, and productive land. Eden was the source of four rivers; two are unknown today, but the remaining two (the Tigris and Euphrates) still exist.
Some people teach that the Tigris and Euphrates mentioned in verses 10 through 14 are not the same rivers we know of today. But, I think the context clues of scripture tell us otherwise. According to verse 14, the Tigris river was positioned east of where Assyria would later be located. We know where the ancient city of Assur (Assyria) was located, and the Tigris river we know of today was located east of Assur. As the Assyrian empire expanded, the Tigris still remained in its eastern region (though cities were added to the eastern bank of the river).
An interesting point to note is the area of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers is historically referred to as the “Fertile Crescent”. The Genesis record tells us this was an area of great fertility, and it remained one of the greatest farming sites in the world to modern day.
15 YHWH God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And YHWH God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
It was always God’s intent that we work. From the beginning, we were expected to work the garden of Eden and guard it. We were given both authority and responsibility over creation. Although we and the world around us are now fallen and corrupted by sin, we still ought to approach God’s creation with reverence and a sense of responsibility to care for it.
Here also, we see the original commandment given to mankind not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From the start, we were children of commandment. We were always expected to obey God as a vital component to our relationship with Him.
God’s intent for humanity:
We were given authority over creation
We were given responsibility to manage and maintain creation
We were given responsibility to guard and protect creation
We were given responsibility to obey God
18 Then YHWH God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 19 Now out of the ground YHWH God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So YHWH God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that YHWH God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.
Humanity was not created to be solitary; it’s not good for us to be alone. We see that Adam couldn’t find the necessary companionship among animals; he needed someone equal to himself to relate with.
Men and women are the only suitable companions for one another. A man is not a suitable companion for a man. A woman is not a suitable companion for a woman. And, an animal is not a suitable companion for a human.
The Hebrew words translated as “suitable helper” (or, “helper fit for him” in the ESV translation) are:
עֵ֫זֶר (Ezer) — aid, help, or helper (when applied to a person)
נֶ֫גֶד (Neged) — before, in front of, opposite, counterpart, or mate
The idea we receive in Genesis is that women were created to be the only correct and suitable counterpart, or mate, for men. While men can have emotional connections and deep friendships with other men, or cats, only a woman is suitable to be our equal and acceptable counterpart. And, of course, the same is true of women; only a man is the fit and suitable counterpart for a woman.
23 Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.”24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
When God created woman, He intended her to be man’s equal counterpart. In verses 21 to 23, we see woman was made from man, of the same substance, of the same flesh. Woman was not created to be lower than man; both are on the same level as each other. Man and woman share the same relationship with God, the same position over creation, and the same work and responsibility to care for creation. Woman is the suitable helper, not the subservient maid.
The natural order of God’s creation is that when a boy grows up he will leave his parents and marry a woman. The married man and woman are to cling to one another in loyalty and affection, becoming as if they were one unified person.