Genesis 2:4-24

Genesis 2:4-24

[4] These  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,  [5] And 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.  [6] But there went up  a mist  from  the earth,  and watered  the whole face  of the ground.  [7] 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.  [8] And the LORD  God  planted  a garden  eastward  in Eden;  and there  he put  the man  whom  he had formed.  [9] And out  of the ground  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.  [10] And a river  went out  of Eden  to water  the garden;  and from thence it was parted,  and became into four  heads.  [11] The name  of the first  is Pison:  that  is it which compasseth  the whole land  of Havilah,  where  there is gold;  [12] And the gold  of that  land  is good:  there is bdellium  and the onyx  stone.  [13] And the name  of the second  river  is Gihon:  the same is it that compasseth  the whole land  of Ethiopia.  [14] And the name  of the third  river  is Hiddekel:  that is it which goeth toward  the east  of Assyria.  And the fourth  river  is Euphrates.  [15] And the LORD  God  took  the man,  and put him  into the garden  of Eden  to dress  it and to keep  [16] And the LORD  God  commanded  the man,  saying,  Of every tree  of the garden  thou mayest freely  [17] But 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  [18] And the LORD  God  said,  It is not good  that the man  should be  alone; I will make  him an help meet  for him.  [19] And 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.  [20] And 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  [21] And the LORD  God  a deep sleep  to fall  and he slept:  and he took  one  of his ribs,  and closed up  the flesh  [22] And the rib,  which the LORD  God  had taken  from man,  made  he a woman,  and brought  her unto the man.  [23] And Adam  said,  This  is now  bone  and flesh  she  shall be called  Woman,  because she  was taken  out of Man.  [24] Therefore  shall a man  leave  his father  and his mother,  and shall cleave  unto his wife:  and they shall be one  flesh. 

What does Genesis 2:4-24 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

This story has seven scenes that a change in actors, situations or activities identifies. [1] Moses constructed this section of Genesis in a chiastic (palistrophic, crossing) structure to focus attention on the central scene: the Fall. The preceding scenes lead up to the Fall, and the following scenes describe its consequences. [2]
AScene1 (narrative): God is the sole actor, and man is passive ( Genesis 2:4-17).BScene2 (narrative): God is the main actor, man plays a minor role, the woman and the animals are passive ( Genesis 2:18-25).CScene3 (dialogue): The snake and the woman converse ( Genesis 3:1-5).DScene4 (narrative): The man and the woman are primary ( Genesis 3:6-8).C"Scene5 (dialogue): God converses with the man and the woman ( Genesis 3:9-13).B"Scene6 (narrative): God is the main actor, man plays a minor role, the woman and the serpent are passive ( Genesis 3:14-21).A"Scene7 (narrative): God is the sole actor, and man is passive ( Genesis 3:22-24).
The story of the Garden of Eden begins with a second, more detailed account of the creation of humankind that Moses gave as an introduction to the Fall and its consequences.
"More light is shed on the relationship between Genesis 1and Genesis 2by a consideration of a literary structure that occurs throughout the entire book of Genesis: First, less important things are dealt with rapidly, and then the things more important to the central theme of the Bible are returned to and developed more fully." [3]
Note the following contrasts between the accounts of man"s creation.
Genesis 1:1-2:3 Genesis 2:4-25Name of GodElohim (Strong One)Yahweh (Covenant-keeping One)PurposeFacts of CreationGod"s relationship with human creaturesEmphasisThe world generallyHumankind specifically
Moses identified Yahweh, the God who called Abraham ( Genesis 12:1) and the God who delivered Israel from Egypt ( Exodus 3:15), with Elohim, the God who created the cosmos. [4] The name "Jehovah" comes from combining the vowels of the Hebrew adonay ("lord") with the consonants of the Hebrew Yahweh (i.e, YHWH).
"In Genesis 1 "elohim (God) refers to God"s transcendence over the world, while in Genesis 2-3 yhwh (LORD) speaks of God"s immanence with his elect. When the narrator combines the two names, he makes a bold assertion that the Creation God is the Lord of Israel"s history. Just as God ordered creation, he orders history. All is under God"s sovereign control, guaranteeing that Israel"s history will end in triumph, not in tragedy." [5]