Exegesis Gen 2:4-9
This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.
5 Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Then the LORD God formed a manw from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Gen 2:4; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12, 19; 36:1, 9; 37:2)
(tholedoth) formula (Gen 2:4; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12, 19; 36:1, 9; 37:2). The word תוֹלְדוֹת (tholedoth) most closely means “descendants” and is related to the word ילד (yld), “to give birth to.”
The repeated use of this term is widely recognized as a structural feature of Genesis. It serves to introduce narratives that provide literary expansion on the specific generation introduced in the תוֹלְדוֹת (tholedoth) formula, thus giving the entire book the form of a literary genealogy.
There may be a connection to the serpent’s curse in Gen 3:15 underlying this genealogical structure to the entire book, and in particular the primeval history. The anticipated enmity between the serpent’s descendants and the woman’s offspring appears to be played out in Gen 4:7, which probably refers to a crouching demon waiting to ambush the woman’s seed, Cain, while clearly referring back to Gen 3 through lexical and syntactical parallelism with Gen 3:16. The genealogical focus draws attention to the arrival of each successive generation of the woman’s seed and reminds the reader of the ongoing conflict with the seed of the serpent as well as the anticipation of the arrival of one who might crush his head.
Some serve to demonstrate the legitimacy of an individual in his office or to demonstrate an individual’s lineage in order to justify his position. This has special importance for the priesthood, as the law required that priests be descendants of Levi. It is also the primary purpose of the genealogical information for Jesus included in the Gospels: they demonstrate that Jesus possesses the characteristics of the promised Messiah.
They serve an apologetic purpose by showing the way in which history is managed by a divine plan—a theological rather than historical record. Nonetheless, this does not mean that the historical details of any particular genealogy are necessarily inaccurate or unimportant (Rendsburg, “Internal Consistency”).
These are the generations of The formulaic Hebrew phrase used here, elleh toledoth, is used throughout Genesis to mark the beginning of major sections (5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12, 19; 36:1, 9; 37:2).
Yahweh God The first occurrence of the personal divine name Yahweh. Here it is combined with elohim, the Hebrew word that identifies God in ch. 1.
2:5 there was no human being to cultivate the ground The description of the land in this verse suggests no vegetation has yet grown, and the land is open and barren. This fits the likely state of the land in 1:9–10 just before God commands the earth to bring forth vegetation (1:11).
2:7 formed The Hebrew verb used here is yatsar, whereas different verbs appear in the declaration and action of 1:26–27 (asah and bara respectively). See note on 1:27.
man of The Hebrew word used here is adam, which is also used in the Bible as the proper name for the first man, Adam (e.g., 3:17; 1 Cor 15:45).
the breath of life The Hebrew phrase used here, nishmath chayyim, occurs only this one time in the OT. Genesis 6:17 uses the Hebrew phrase ruach chayyim, which is regularly translated “breath of life.” Genesis 7:22 has a close parallel that combines both: nishmath ruach chayyim, which is also often translated “breath of life.” The phrases refer broadly to animate life, which was naturally shown by breathing.
2:8 in Eden Eden was distinguished from the entirety of creation and had specific geographical boundaries. The narrative does not say what the rest of the creation was like, only that Eden was the unique dwelling place of God. Thus, it is not certain if all of creation was like Eden—ideal and without death.
2:9 the tree of life The wider garden imagery in the ancient Near East helps in understanding the tree of life. The tree of life refers to two concepts: one earthly and the other symbolic of divine life and cosmological wellness. The tree is described as being located in Eden, which is a garden with abundant water and lush vegetation, paradise for those living in agrarian or pastoral settings.