1. Eden
Genesis 2:4-14

2. toledot The first use of “This is the account of”
This is only one not speaking of people
Affirms creation beginning

3. Yahweh First time Lord (Yahweh) appears in the Bible
Occurs with God (Elohim)
Links 1:1-2:3 to 2:5-4:26
Elohim used in the former and Yahweh in latter
The combination of terms is used only in 2:4-3:24 and Exodus 9:30 in the Pentateuch
Combination is sued 20 times in chapters 2-3

4. Combination Elohim is used for God’s majesty and creation
Yahweh is associated with covenant relationship
Yahweh, Lord of His people, is all-wise creator of the universe
When Yahweh is left out of 3:1-5 it shows that the covenant is under assault

5. 2:5-6
No plants or shrubs because God had not sent rain yet and no one to work the ground
Water below the surface but evidently not enough
This sets the stage for man being created in verse 7 whose job is agriculture

6. 2:5-6 Some say these verses refer to 1:2 where the earth was formless
Some say its overall vegetation on day 3
To be harmonious with chapter 1 verses 5-6 fall in creation of dry land in 1:9-10
Some disagreements over whether it refers to whole earth or a portion

7. 2:5-6
The terms field, earth/land, and ground are interchangeable in OT
Field can refer to open field in a desert (2:19-20), pasture land (29:2), or cultivated ground (37:7).
Ground has to do with soil which man and beast were both made
Verse 5 says that ground (adama) needs man (adam) to produce a good harvest

8. 2:5-7
This allows the reader to see what the garden was like before sin
Genesis 3:18, 23 show what happen after sin

9. 2:7
Formed-yasar-a potter’s activity, making of wooden images, God forming Israel
Dust-Penalty for man’s sin is to return to dust
Man (adam) is related to ground (adama) making him suitable for working it
Due to sin, man’s origin became his destiny
But, thanks to Christ our bodies don’t stay there

10. 2:7
Man and animal are different from plants in that they are described as possessing the breath of life
Man is described as having received divine breath when God breathed into his nostrils
Closely parallels Ezekiel and the dry bones

11. Divine breathe
Many Greeks thought soul was separated from the body but this was not the primary thought among Hebrew tradition.
Nepes-related to the idea of breathe or breath
In this passage man does not possess a nepes but is a nepes (breath, soul)
Breath of God is energized in man’s body

12. Divine Breath
Hebrew thought does not envision life apart from the body
Breath of God assures life and death without it
Will have resurrection of body and soul

13. 2:8 Garden in Eden-garden was a part of Eden
Type of paradise but not absent from work
Eden- a place of abundant waters-4 rivers

14. 2:9 God is not stingy even though Satan fools them
All kinds of trees for them to enjoy
Adam and Eve cannot say they were deprived as a reason to eat the fruit

15. Trees Tree of life-indicates life in the garden
But, God is the one who gives life and not fruit
Tree of life only mentioned in proverbs and Revelation
Tree of knowledge-Commonly called “the tree”
Knowledge-represents knowledge of good and evil

16. 2:10-14 Tigris and Euphrates suggest Eden was in Armenia
Commentators have problems locating the other 2
Point is the beauty of the garden
But, scene quickly shifts back to man
Garden is indicative of the presence of God