NET Bible Text
2:4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created ”“ when the Lord God made the earth and heavens.
2:5 Now no shrub of the field had yet grown on the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground.
2:6 Springs would well up from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground.
2:7 The Lord God formed the man from the soil of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
2:8 The Lord God planted an orchard in the east, in Eden; and there he placed the man he had formed.
2:9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow from the soil, every tree that was pleasing to look at and good for food. (Now the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were in the middle of the orchard.)
2:10 Now a river flows from Eden to water the orchard, and from there it divides into four headstreams.
2:11 The name of the first is Pishon; it runs through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.
2:12 (The gold of that land is pure; pearls and lapis lazuli are also there).
2:13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it runs through the entire land of Cush.
2:14 The name of the third river is Tigris; it runs along the east side of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.
2:15 The Lord God took the man and placed him in the orchard in Eden to care for it and to maintain it.
2:16 Then the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard,
2:17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will surely die.”
2:18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion for him who corresponds to him.”
2:19 The Lord God formed out of the ground every living animal of the field and every bird of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them, and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.
2:20 So the man named all the animals, the birds of the air, and the living creatures of the field, but for Adam no companion who corresponded to him was found.
2:21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he was asleep, he took part of the man’s side and closed up the place with flesh.
2:22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the part he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
2:23 Then the man said, “This one at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”
2:24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and unites with his wife, and they become a new family.
2:25 The man and his wife were both naked, but they were not ashamed.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Simple Summary
God creates the first man, places him in Eden, and gives him work and a clear command. He then makes the woman as a fitting partner, and marriage is described as one flesh. The passage ends with peace, innocence, and no shame.
What This Passage Means
Genesis 2:4-25 gives a closer look at God’s good creation of humanity. The LORD God forms the man from the dust, gives him life, and places him in the garden to care for it. He gives the man freedom to eat from every tree except one, and he warns that disobedience will bring death. God then says it is not good for the man to be alone, so he makes the woman from the man and brings her to him. The man recognizes her as truly like himself. The passage explains marriage as a new family bond, in which a man leaves his father and mother and joins his wife. Before sin enters the story, the man and his wife are naked and not ashamed.
Important Truths
- God is the Creator who gives life and places people where they are to serve him.
- Human work is good and meaningful. The man is put in the garden to care for it.
- God’s generosity and God’s command belong together. There is real freedom, but also real obedience.
- The tree of the knowledge of good and evil marks a boundary set by God, and disobedience brings death.
- It is not good for the man to be alone. Companionship is part of God’s design.
- The woman is made by God as a fitting partner, equal in humanity and suited to the man.
- Marriage is described as leaving and cleaving, forming a new family unit.
- Before the fall, nakedness brought no shame, showing innocence and harmony.
Warnings, Promises, or Commands
- Warning: eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil will surely bring death.
- Command: the man may freely eat from every tree except one.
- Promise/permission: God provides abundant food and a good place to live and work.
- Warning: do not use this passage to claim male superiority or to turn creation details into speculative allegory.
How This Fits in God's Plan
This passage comes before the fall and before the later covenant story, but it lays the foundation for it. It shows humanity’s responsibility before God, marriage as a created gift, work as stewardship, and death as the result of disobedience. The rest of Scripture answers the loss that comes when this command is broken.
Simple Application
Receive human life and work as gifts from God. Obey his word with trust, and honor marriage as his good design. Remember that shame and brokenness are results of sin, not the original pattern of creation.