Genesis 2:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.

NIV: This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.

NASB: This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven.

CSB: These are the records of the heavens and the earth, concerning their creation. At the time that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,

NLT: This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth. When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,

KJV: 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,

NKJV: This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,

Chapter 1 described God's process of creation in six separate days. The first few verses of chapter 2 complete that sequence with a seventh day, where God takes a deliberate rest from His work. Having concluded the account of the creation week, Genesis now turns back to provide more detail about the creation of human beings, where they lived, and God's instructions to them.

This verse serves as an introduction to the story of Adam and Eve and those who would follow. It is written in the poetic structure of a "chiasm." This is a word-pyramid in which phrases parallel each other on the way "up" and "down." Another way to think of this is as a mirror, centered on some specific point. The idea-pattern in a chiasm is structured as A-B-C-B-A, but can include many more points around the central theme. This form of writing is common throughout Genesis.

So this verse begins with "This is the account ['these are the generations'] of the heavens and the earth when they were created." And then it reverses direction: "'When the Lord made the earth and the heavens.' "

This pattern can be found in Genesis in single verses, in multi-verse sections, and even over the course of multiple chapters.

Genesis 2:4–9 begins to describe additional details about the creation of human beings, starting with the creation of the first man. Man is ''formed'' out of existing matter—the dust or debris of the earth—into which God breathes life. God plants the garden in Eden, and places the newly-created man there. Among the many trees in the garden are two of special significance: the Tree of Life, and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Genesis 2 begins with a description of the seventh day of creation, in which God rested from His work. Then it returns to the sixth day and describes in more detail the creation of man, the garden God placed him into, and the work God gave him to do. God recognizes that it is not good for man to be alone and makes a helper for him out of his own rib. This woman becomes Adam's companion and wife, setting the original example of God's design for marriage. The two exist in pure innocence, naked yet unashamed before sin enters into the world.

Genesis 2 concludes the description of God's week of creation and then zooms in on the creation of man, his work, his perfect environment, and the creation of woman as his helper and wife. It is our last glimpse of the world before it is ravaged by human sin and death with the disobedience of Adam and Eve in chapter 3. Where chapter 1 gave a full overview of creation, this chapter focuses more on a few specific events. These are crucial to understanding the fall of man.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.