Gen. 2 The sabbath insituted and blessed, Gen. 2:2–3. A rehearsal of the creation; and, (1.) Of vegetables, Gen. 2:4–5. The earth watered, Gen. 2:6. (2.) Of man, Gen. 2:7. His habitation, Gen. 2:8–9. Trees for his delight and food; as also the tree of life and knowledge, Gen. 2:9.

All the creatures in heaven and earth are called their hosts, for their multitude, variety, order, power, and subjection to the Lord of hosts. Particularly the host of heaven in Scripture (which is its own best interpreter) signifies both the stars, as Deut. 4:19, Deut. 17:3, Isa.

God ended his work, or rather had ended or finished, for so the Hebrew word may be rendered, as all the learned know, and so it must be rendered, else it doth not agree with the former chapter, which expressly saith that all these works were done within six days.

God blessed the seventh day, by conferring special honours and privileges upon it above all other days, that it should be a day of solemn rest and rejoicing and celebration of God and his works, and a day of God’s bestowing singular and the best blessings upon his servants and worshippers.

i.e. These things mentioned in Gen. 1:0 are a true and full relation of their generations, i.e. of their original or beginnings. In the day; not strictly so called, but largely taken for the time, as it is Gen. 2:17, Ruth 4:5, Luke 19:42, 2 Cor. 6:2.

Before it was in the earth, i.e. when as yet there were no plants, nor so much as seeds of them, there. Before it grew, to wit, out of the earth, as afterwards they did by God’s appointment. The two great means of the growth of plants and herbs, viz.

There went up, from time to time, by God’s appointment, a vapour, or cloud, which going up into the air, was turned into rain, and fell down again to the earth from whence it arose; whereby the earth was softened, and disposed both to the nourishment of those plants or trees that were created, and…

Into his nostrils, and by that door into the head and whole man. This is an emphatical phrase, sufficiently implying that the soul of man was of a quite differing nature and higher extraction and original than the souls of beasts, which together with their bodies are said to be brought forth by the…

He had planted, viz. on the third day, when he made the plants and trees to grow out of the ground, a place of the choicest plants and fruits, most beautiful and pleasant. Eastward, from the place where Moses writ, and the Israelites afterwards dwelt.

The tree of life; so called, either symbolically, and sacramentally, because it was a sign and seal of that life which man had received from God, and of his continual enjoyment of it upon condition of his obedience; or, effectively, because God had planted in it a singular virtue for the support of…

A river, or, rivers, by a common enallage. Eden, the country in which Paradise was; where those rivers either arose from one spring, or met together in one channel. From the garden, it was divided into four principal rivers, concerning which there are now many disputes.

Pison, an eminent branch of the river Tigris, probably that called by others Pasi-tigris, or Piso-tigris. That is it which compasseth, i.e. with many windings and turnings passed through; as this word is used, Josh. 15:3, Matt. 23:15.

Good, i.e. better than ordinary. Bdellium, which signifies either a precious gum, of which see Num. 11:7, or gems and pearls. Once for all observe, that many of the Hebrew words or names of stones, trees, birds, and beasts, are even to the Hebrew doctors and others, both ancient and modern…

Gihon; not that river in the land of Israel, so called, 1 Kings 1:33, 2 Chron. 32:30; but another of the same name, which in Hebrew signifies, the branch of a greater river: here it is a branch either of Euphrates, as most think, or of Tigris, as some late writers conceive.

Hiddekel, i.e. Tigris, or an eminent branch of it. See Dan. 10:4.

Put him, i.e. commanded and inclined him to go. To prune, dress, and order the trees and herbs of the garden, and to keep it from the annoyance of beasts, which being unreasonable creatures, and allowed the use of herbs, might easily spoil the beauty of it.

God commanded the woman too, (as appears both from the permission for eating herbs and fruits given to her, together with her husband, Gen. 1:28–29, and from Gen. 3:1–3, and from Eve’s punishment), and that either immediately, or by Adam, whom God enjoined to inform her thereof.

With a threefold death. 1. Spiritual, by the guilt and power of sin: at that instant thou shalt be dead in trespasses and sins, Eph. 2:1. 2. Temporal, or the death of the body, which shall then begin in thee, by decays, infirmities, terrors, dangers, and other harbingers of death. 3.

The Lord God said, or, had said, to wit, upon the sixth day, on which the woman was made, Gen. 1:27–28. Not good; not convenient either for my purpose of the increase of mankind, or for man’s personal comfort, or for the propagation of his kind.

Brought them unto Adam, either by winds, or angels, or by their own secret instinct, by which storks, and cranes, and swallows change their places with the season; partly to own their subjection to him; partly that man, being re-created with their prospect, might adore and praise the Maker of them,…

But though, in giving them names, he considered their several natures and perfections, it was evident to himself, as well as to the Lord, that none of them was an help meet for him.

1. God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, that he, who was without sin, might feel no pain in the taking away of his rib. And in this sleep some think Adam was in an ecstasy, wherein he saw what was done, together with the reason and mystery of it. 2.

From some place at a little distance, whither he first carried her, that for the decency of the action he might bring her thence; a bride to a bridegroom to be married to him: the great God being pleased to act the part of a father to give his daughter and workmanship to him, thereby both teaching…

And Adam said. Quest. How knew he this? Answ. Either, 1. By his own observation; for though it be said that he was asleep till the rib was taken out and restored, yet he might awake as soon as ever that was done, the reason of his sleep ceasing, and so might see the making of the woman. Or, 2.

These are the words of Moses by Divine instinct, or his inference from Adam’s words. Shall a man leave his father and his mother; in regard of habitation and society, but not as to natural duty and affection; and in conjugal relation and highest affection, even above what they owe to their parents,…

To wit, of their nakedness, as having no guilt, nor cause of shame, no filthy or evil inclinations in their bodies, no sinful concupiscence or impure motions in their souls, but spotless innocency and perfection, which must needs exclude shame.