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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Genesis 2:4–7. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
In these verses, I. Here is a name given to the Creator which we have not yet met with, and that is Jehovah - the LORD, in capital letters, which are constantly used in our English translation to intimate that in the original it is Jehovah. All along, in the first chapter, he was called Elohim - a God of power; but now Jehovah Elohim - a God of power and perfection, a finishing God. As we find him known by his name Jehovah when he appeared to perform what he had promised (Exo 6:3), so now we have him known by that name, when he had perfected what he had begun. Jehovah is that great and incommunicable name of God which denotes his having his being of himself, and his giving being to all things; fitly therefore is he called by that name now that heaven and earth are finished.
II.Further notice taken of the production of plants and herbs, because they were made and appointed to be food for man, Gen 2:5, Gen 2:6. Here observe,
1.The earth did not bring forth its fruits of itself, by any innate virtue of its own but purely by the almighty power of God, which formed every plant and every herb before it grew in the earth. Thus grace in the soul, that plant of renown, grows not of itself in nature's soil, but is the work of God's own hands.
2.Rain also is the gift of God; it came not till the Lord God caused it to rain. If rain be wanted, it is God that withholds it; if rain come plentifully in its season, it is God that sends it; if it come in a distinguishing way, it is God that causeth it to rain upon one city and not upon another, Amo 4:7.
3.Though God, ordinarily, works by means, yet he is not tied to them, but when he pleases he can do his own work without them. As the plants were produced before the sun was made, so they were before there was either rain to water the earth or man to till it. Therefore though we must not tempt God in the neglect of means, yet we must trust God in the want of means.
4.Some way or other God will take care to water the plants that are of his own planting. Though as yet there was no rain, God made a mist equivalent to a shower, and with it watered the whole face of the ground. Thus he chose to fulfil his purpose by the weakest means, that the excellency of the power might be of God. Divine grace descends like a mist, or silent dew, and waters the church without noise, Deu 32:2.
III.A more particular account of the creation of man, Gen 2:7.
Man is a little world, consisting of heaven and earth, soul and body. Now here we have an account of the origin of both and the putting of both together: let us seriously consider it, and say, to our Creator's praise, We are fearfully and wonderfully made, Psa 139:14. Elihu, in the patriarchal age, refers to this history when he says (Job 33:6), I also am formed out of the clay, and (Psa 139:4), The breath of the Almighty hath given me life, and (Job 32:8), There is a spirit in man. Observe then,
1.The mean origin, and yet the curious structure, of the body of man.
(1.)The matter was despicable. He was made of the dust of the ground, a very unlikely thing to make a man of; but the same infinite power that made the world of nothing made man, its master-piece, of next to nothing. He was made of the dust, the small dust, such as is upon the surface of the earth. Probably, not dry dust, but dust moistened with the mist that went up, Gen 2:6. He was not made of gold-dust, powder of pearl, or diamond dust, but common dust, dust of the ground. Hence he is said to be of the earth, choikos - dusty, Co1 15:47. And we also are of the earth, for we are his offspring, and of the same mould. So near an affinity is there between the earth and our earthly parents that our mother's womb, out of which we were born, is called the earth (Psa 139:15), and the earth, in which we must be buried, is called our mother's womb, Job 1:21. Our foundation is in the earth, Job 4:19. Our fabric is earthly, and the fashioning of it like that of an earthen vessel, Job 10:9. Our food is out of the earth, Job 28:5. Our familiarity is with the earth, Job 17:14. Our fathers are in the earth, and our own final tendency is to it; and what have we then to be proud of?
(2.)Yet the Maker was great, and the make fine. The Lord God, the great fountain of being and power, formed man. Of the other creatures it is said that they were created and made; but of man that he was formed, which denotes a gradual process in the work with great accuracy and exactness. To express the creation of this new thing, he takes a new word, a word (some think) borrowed from the potter's forming his vessel upon the wheel; for we are the clay, and God the potter, Isa 64:8. The body of man is curiously wrought, Psa 139:15, Psa 139:16. Materiam superabat opus - The workmanship exceeded the materials. Let us present our bodies to God as living sacrifices (Rom 12:1), as living temples (Co1 6:19), and then these vile bodies shall shortly be new-formed like Christ's glorious body, Phi 3:21.
2.The high origin and the admirable serviceableness of the soul of man.
(1.)It takes its rise from the breath of heaven, and is produced by it. It was not made of the earth, as the body was; it is a pity then that it should cleave to the earth, and mind earthly things. It came immediately from God; he gave it to be put into the body (Ecc 12:7), as afterwards he gave the tables of stone of his own writing to be put into the ark, and the urim of his own framing to be put into the breast-plate. Hence God is not only the former but the Father of spirits. Let the soul which God has breathed into us breathe after him; and let it be for him, since it is from him. Into his hands let us commit our spirits, for from his hands we had them.
(2.)It takes its lodging in a house of clay, and is the life and support of it. It is by it that man is a living soul, that is, a living man; for the soul is the man. The body would be a worthless, useless, loathsome carcase, if the soul did not animate it. To God that gave us these souls we must shortly give an account of them, how we have employed them, used them, proportioned them, and disposed of them; and if then it be found that we have lost them, though it were to gain the world, we shall be undone for ever. Since the extraction of the soul is so noble, and its nature and faculties are so excellent, let us not be of those fools that despise their own souls, by preferring their bodies before them, Pro 15:32. When our Lord Jesus anointed the blind man's eyes with clay perhaps he intimated that it was he who at first formed man out of the clay; and when he breathed on his disciples, saying, Receive you the Holy Ghost, he intimated that it was he who at first breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life. He that made the soul is alone able to new-make it.
Historical interpretation
Nine Centuries of Reception
8 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Christ is that spring of which the prophet says, “It irrigates and waters the whole earth.” But Christ irrigates the whole universe, both visible and invisible; with the spring of life he waters the substance of everything that exists. Yet insofar as he is life, he is Christ; insofar as he waters, he is the Holy Spirit; insofar as he is the power of vitality, he is Father and God; but the whole is one God.
Understand, O hearer, that although the days of creation were finished and God had blessed the sabbath day, which was sanctified, and he had completed his account, Moses still returned to tell the story of the beginning of creation even after the days of creation had been finished. “These are the generations of the heavens and the earth,” that is, this is the account of the fashioning of heaven and earth on the day when the Lord made heaven and earth, for as yet “no plant of the field was in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up.” Even if these things were not actually created on the first day—for they had been made on the third day—still Moses did not rashly introduce, on the first day, the report of those things that were created on the third day. For Moses said, “No plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.” Because everything that has been born and will be born from the earth will be through the conjunction of water and earth, Moses undertook to show that no plant or vegetation had been created along with the earth, because the rain had not yet come down. But after the great mist rose up from the great abyss and watered the whole face of earth and after the waters had been gathered together on the third day, then the earth brought forth all the vegetation.
For it says, "The trees were not in existence and the vegetation had not yet sprouted, seeing that the Lord had not caused rain to fall on the earth. A fountain went up from the earth to irrigate the surface of the earth." [ Gen2:5,2:6 ] Since everything was and is born through the interaction of water and earth, Scripture took care to indicate that trees and vegetation were not created at the same time as the earth, seeing that rain had not yet fallen. But after the great fountain of the great primordial deep had gone up and irrigated the entire surface of the earth, then, once the waters had been gathered together on the third day, the earth gave birth to all sorts of vegetation on the very same day.
The waters over which the darkness had been spread on the first day are the same as those which issued from this fountain, covering, in a twinkling of an eye, the entire earth. This is the fountain which was opened up in the days of Noah, covering over all mountains on the earth. Now this fountain did not come up from under the earth, but from the earth, for it explicitly says "the fountain was coming up"--not from beneath the earth, but " from the earth." That these waters in the earth do not precede the earth in time is testified by the fact that the earth carries them in its womb.
So "the fountain went up from the earth," as Scripture says, "and it irrigated the surface of the entire earth." [ Gen2:6 ] The earth then produced trees, vegetation and plants. It was not the case that God was unable to generate everything from the earth in any other way, but, because it was His will that the earth should give birth through the agency of water, He provided an initial beginning for this process, corresponding to the way in which it would be carried on until the end.
Having spoken about what had been omitted and left untold on the first day, Scripture reverts to the description of Adam's fashioning as follows: "And Adam was not there to work on the earth." [ Gen. 2:5 ] Indeed he was not in existence during all the days prior to the sixth, because it was on the sixth day that he was created. [Gen. 1:26-7, 31]
I mean, when it said heaven and earth, it included everything together in those words, both things on earth and things in heaven. So just as in its account of created things it doesn’t mention them all one by one but gives a summary of related items and makes no further attempt to describe them to us, so too it called the whole book the book about the origins of heaven and earth, even though it contains many other things, evidently leaving us to work out from the reference to these two that all visible things are of necessity contained in this book, both those in heaven and those on earth.
The earth in compliance with the Lord’s word and direction produced plants and was stirred into pangs of fertility without depending on the sun for assistance (how could it, after all, the sun not yet being created?), nor on the moisture from showers, nor on human labor (human beings, after all, not having been brought forth).
The gentle face of the earth, that is, the dignity of the earth, may be correctly viewed as the mother of the Lord, the Virgin Mary, who was watered by the Holy Spirit, who is signified in the Gospel by the term water.
For the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man to till the ground, but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. For who does not see that these things could not have been said about the first creation of the earth when it was still void and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the abyss? Was it necessary to narrate about the rain not descending upon the earth at that time, when neither it could yet receive the rain nor the air could give it, because the places of both were still completely filled with water? Nor could a mist go up from the earth to water it, so long as the whole was covered by the abyss; whence, if I am not mistaken, it remains to be understood that by the name of the day above, when it is said: On the day when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, etc., the time of those first six days is intimated, in which all the creation of the world was formed, where it rightly remembers that God had not rained upon the earth, and there was no man to till the ground, that we may understand how much the first sprouting of the earth differed from the modern. For now the earth spontaneously germinates by the irrigation of rains, and by the industry and cultivation of men many things grow in gardens and orchards and woods; but the first creation of herbs and trees was completed very differently, in which by the new command of the supreme maker, the earth, which appeared dry, was suddenly filled far and wide with various kinds of fruits without rain and without human labor; but a mist, it says, went up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. From this source and its ascent to the earth we will speak, let us first see that the initial sprouting of the earth, which the aforementioned sentence recalls, was made without any watering of the waters, by God's command. The irrigation of this source, however it was, came after the earth was clothed with herbs and trees, which is proved by the very syllables of the Scripture itself, which after it said in the past tense that the Lord God created heaven and earth and every shrub of the field and every herb of the region, it immediately appended with the pluperfect tense: for the Lord God had not rained upon the earth, and there was no man to till the ground, showing that before the creation of shrubs and herbs, God had not sent rain; but what was done afterward, it immediately appended with the imperfect tense saying: for a stream would rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground, signifying by the declension of the verb that this was not done once but often, since it did not say "rose" but "would rise"; while it is said that a stream would rise from the earth that would water its entire surface, it is rightfully inquired in what order it would rise; nor is there anything to prevent it from being believed that it thus ascended and returned by turns to water it, as even today the Nile annually ascends to water the plains of Egypt, just as once the Jordan watered the land of Pentapolis, about which Scripture says: "it was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord" (Genesis 13:10), and like Egypt before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah; as, according to Saint Augustine, it is said of some wonderful alternation of certain springs that they flood at fixed intervals of years so as to irrigate the entire region, which at other times provides sufficient drinking water from high wells. Why then should it be incredible, as he also says, if the whole earth was then watered from a single head of the abyss, alternating flowing and ebbing? For if, he says, the vastness of the abyss itself, excluding the part called the sea, surrounds the land with evident height and bitter waves in that only part which the land contains in concealed recesses, from where all fountains and waters distribute themselves in various tracts and veins, and burst forth in their respective places, Scripture wished to call it a fountain rather than fountains, due to the unity of nature, and through innumerable paths of caverns and crevices ascending from the earth, and everywhere watering the whole face of the earth with distributed locks, not in a continuous form like the sea or a lake, but as we see waters running through the channels of rivers and the bends of streams, and overflowing to cover nearby areas, who would not accept this unless he is troubled by a contentious spirit? Indeed, it can also be understood that the whole face of the earth was thus watered, just as it is said that a whole garment is colored with a face, even if not continuously but spotted; especially since then at the dawn of the earth many plains were likely to exist where widely bursting streams could be scattered and spread. Therefore, concerning the magnitude or multitude of this fountain, whether it had a single eruption from somewhere, or because of some unity in the hidden depths of the earth from which all waters upon the earth spring forth, it is called one fountain for all great and small fountains, rising from the earth through all its dispersions, and watering the whole face of the earth; or more likely, since it does not say a single fountain but says a fountain was rising from the earth, placing singular for the plural, that we thus understand many fountains throughout the entire earth, watering their own places or regions: just as a soldier is mentioned, and many are understood, just as the locust and the frog are mentioned in the plagues by which the Egyptians were struck, although there was an innumerable number of locusts and frogs, let us not labor further on this. When it was said that God created herbs and shrubs, without yet descending rain, nor man existing to till the ground, consequently, the creation of man is introduced and it is said: The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Here, therefore, the creation of man is described more broadly, who was indeed made on the sixth day; but there his creation was briefly mentioned, which is more fully expounded here, namely that he was made in the substance of body and soul, of which the body was formed from the dust of the ground, while the soul was created from nothing by God's inspiration; and also the woman was formed from his side while he was sleeping. In which statement, the poverty of the carnal sense is to be avoided, lest we perhaps think that God formed the body of man from the dust with corporeal hands, or breathed into the face of the formed with a mouth and lips so that he might live and have the breath of life. For even the Prophet when he says: Your hands have made me and fashioned me (Psalm 119:73), spoke this in a figurative rather than a literal sense, that is, according to the custom by which men are accustomed to work. For God is Spirit, nor is it believed by the uninstructed that His simple substance is composed of the lineaments of corporal members. Therefore, God formed man from the dust. Whom he commanded to be made from the dust by His word. He breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living being, creating in him the substance of soul and spirit in which he might live. For it is rightly understood that God breathed into the face of man the breath by which he would live, just as it is understood above: God called the light day, meaning that He made it to be called day by men. Well, indeed, it is said that God breathed into man's face to make him a living being, because surely the spirit infused into him contemplates external things, as it is located in the frontal part of the brain where all the senses are distributed. For even the sense of touch, which is spread throughout the whole body, is also shown to have its way from the same frontal part of the brain, which is led backwards through the top and neck to the spinal cord. Moreover, this agrees with what was said above about man.
The saying that man and animals have a like beginning in generation is true of the body; for all animals alike are made of earth. But it is not true of the soul. For the souls of brutes are produced by some power of the body; whereas the human soul is produced by God. To signify this it is written as to other animals: "Let the earth bring forth the living soul" (Genesis 1:24): while of man it is written (Genesis 2:7) that "He breathed into his face the breath of life." And so in Ecclesiastes 12:7 it is concluded: "(Before) the dust return into its earth from whence it was; and the spirit return to God Who gave it." Again the process of life is alike as to the body, concerning which it is written (Ecclesiastes 3:19): "All things breathe alike," and (Wisdom 2:2), "The breath in our nostrils is smoke." But the process is not alike of the soul; for man is intelligent, whereas animals are not. Hence it is false to say: "Man has nothing more than beasts." Thus death comes to both alike as to the body, by not as to the soul.
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Summary
Intricately describes God's unique and direct method of hydrating the earth before the advent of rain, illustrating a divinely orchestrated hydrological system. This verse reveals the Creator's meticulous care and sovereign provision, preparing the ground for the flourishing of life and demonstrating His immediate, personal involvement in sustaining His nascent creation through means distinct from conventional natural processes.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is a direct continuation of the narrative established in Genesis 2:5, which paints a picture of initial dryness and uncultivated land, noting that "the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth." This preceding verse sets the stage for the divine intervention described in Genesis 2:6, presenting God's solution to the arid conditions. Genesis 2 itself offers a more focused, anthropocentric account of creation, complementing the broader, chronological overview found in Genesis 1. The specific detail of the "mist" or "spring" in verse 6 is crucial, as it provides the necessary moisture for the subsequent growth of vegetation and the establishment of the Garden of Eden, which will become the dwelling place for humanity.
Historical & Cultural Context
In ancient Near Eastern cultures, water was synonymous with life and fertility, often attributed to the unpredictable forces of nature or the whims of various deities. The account in Genesis 2:6 stands in stark contrast to these pagan cosmologies by presenting a single, sovereign God who meticulously controls and provides water, not through chaotic forces, but through an orderly and purposeful system. The absence of rain and the presence of a "mist" or "subterranean spring" would have been understood as a distinct, divinely initiated process, highlighting God's direct and immanent involvement in the early earth's ecosystem, rather than relying on the familiar seasonal rains that later sustained agricultural societies. This unique provision underscores the special nature of the pre-fall creation.
Key Themes
Genesis 2:6 contributes significantly to several key themes within Genesis and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it emphasizes God's Sovereign Provision, showcasing His active and direct involvement in sustaining His creation even before the full establishment of natural laws as we know them. Secondly, it highlights Divine Order and Design, demonstrating that God's creation is not chaotic but meticulously prepared, with every necessary condition in place for life to flourish. The watering system is a testament to His purposeful design, leading up to the creation of humanity and the Garden of Eden as described in Genesis 2:7-8. Finally, the verse subtly introduces the theme of Life and Fertility, as the provision of water is foundational to the earth's ability to support vegetation and, subsequently, all living creatures, including humanity.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
A primitive root meaning "to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount)." This word signifies a rising or ascending movement. In the context of Genesis 2:6, it emphasizes that the mist or vapor did not descend as rain, but rather originated from below, rising from the earth itself, indicating a unique hydrological process distinct from atmospheric precipitation.
Related to a root meaning "enveloping"; a fog, mist, or vapor. While often translated as "mist," scholarly interpretations suggest a more substantial emanation than mere atmospheric fog. It likely refers to a welling-up of subterranean water, a spring, or an overflowing stream, providing a significant and abundant source of moisture to thoroughly irrigate the ground.
A primitive root meaning "to quaff, i.e. (causatively) to irrigate or furnish a potion to." This verb denotes a thorough and complete saturation, implying that the "mist" provided sufficient moisture to deeply penetrate and irrigate the entire surface of the ground, making it fertile and ready for vegetation. It speaks to the efficacy and completeness of God's provision.
Verse Breakdown
"But there went up a mist from the earth"
This initial clause serves as a direct contrast to the dryness described in Genesis 2:5. The phrase "went up" (from the Hebrew ʻâlâh) indicates an upward movement, signifying that the moisture originated from within the earth itself rather than descending from the sky as rain. The "mist" (ʼêd) is not merely a light fog but a substantial emanation of water, possibly from subterranean sources or springs, highlighting a unique, divinely appointed method of irrigation for the nascent earth. This emphasizes God's immediate and purposeful action in providing sustenance.
"and watered the whole face of the ground"
This second clause describes the comprehensive effect of the rising water. The verb "watered" (shâqâh) implies a thorough and complete irrigation, not just a superficial dampening. The phrase "the whole face of the ground" (pânîym H6440, ʼădâmâh H127) emphasizes the universal and all-encompassing nature of this divine provision. No part of the earth was left dry; God's provision was sufficient and meticulously applied to prepare the entire surface for the flourishing of vegetation and, ultimately, for the habitation of life, demonstrating His boundless care and attention to detail.
Literary Devices
Genesis 2:6 employs several literary devices to convey its profound theological truths. Personification is subtly present in the phrase "the whole face of the ground," attributing a human-like feature ("face") to the inanimate earth, suggesting a complete and visible covering of moisture. This also hints at the earth's readiness to "look up" and receive God's life-giving provision. Contrast is a dominant device, as this verse directly contrasts the barrenness and lack of rain described in Genesis 2:5 with the subsequent divine provision of water. This highlights God's immediate and effective solution to the earth's initial state. Furthermore, the "mist" itself functions as Symbolism, representing God's unique and immanent method of sustaining His creation. It symbolizes divine provision that operates beyond conventional natural processes, emphasizing God's omnipotence and His direct involvement in preparing the world for life.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Genesis 2:6 profoundly underscores God's active and meticulous involvement in His creation, demonstrating that His provision is not merely a passive allowance but a direct, purposeful act. This verse reveals a God who is intimately engaged with His world, ensuring that every necessary condition for life is met, even before the full establishment of the natural order as we understand it. The unique watering system highlights divine ingenuity and omnipotence, showcasing God's ability to sustain life through means that transcend conventional natural processes, perfectly tailoring His provision to the specific needs of His nascent creation. This divine forethought and comprehensive care establish a foundational truth: God is the ultimate provider, always sufficient and perfectly attuned to His purposes.
Reflection and Application
The ancient account of Genesis 2:6 invites us to pause and marvel at the boundless creativity and perfect foresight of God in sustaining His creation. Just as He meticulously prepared the early earth with a unique and sufficient watering system, even before rain, He likewise orchestrates and provides for every aspect of our lives. This passage encourages us to cultivate a deep trust in God's unwavering faithfulness and profound care, recognizing that His provision often transcends our human understanding and conventional expectations. We can find profound peace in the knowledge that His resources are limitless, and His methods are perfectly tailored to His purposes, ensuring that no need goes unmet. This truth calls us to live with gratitude and confidence, knowing that the same God who watered the dry ground of creation continues to nourish and sustain us, even in our own seasons of spiritual or physical barrenness.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the "mist" in Genesis 2:6?
The Hebrew word 'ed (אֵד), translated as "mist," suggests a more substantial emanation than mere atmospheric fog. Scholars propose it could refer to subterranean springs, a welling-up of water, or even an overflowing stream. Its significance lies in highlighting God's unique and direct method of hydrating the earth before rain, demonstrating His immediate and sovereign provision for His nascent creation. This distinct form of irrigation underscores the special, pre-fall conditions of the earth, where God's care was immanent and direct.
Why was there no rain yet according to Genesis 2:5-6?
Genesis 2:5 explicitly states that "the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth," and there was no man to till the ground. This sets the stage for the unique watering system described in Genesis 2:6, where a mist or subterranean water source irrigated the ground. This detail emphasizes God's direct and distinct method of sustaining early creation, differentiating it from later hydrological patterns and underscoring His active involvement in preparing the earth for life and humanity. It highlights that God's provision is not bound by conventional means but can manifest in diverse and miraculous ways.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Genesis 2:6 describes God's unique and direct provision of water to sustain life, preparing the earth for the flourishing of vegetation and the habitation of humanity. This physical provision profoundly foreshadows the ultimate spiritual provision found in Jesus Christ. Just as the mist rose from the earth to bring life to barren ground, so too does Christ, the "living water" (John 4:10; John 7:38), satisfy the deepest spiritual thirst and sustain eternal life for those who believe in Him. His ministry, like the mist, originates from God's direct and immanent presence, bringing forth spiritual life and fruitfulness where there was spiritual barrenness due to sin. He is the divine provision, perfectly tailored to meet humanity's most profound needs, cleansing, nourishing, and enabling growth. Through Christ, the dry ground of the human heart is watered, making it fertile for God's purposes and bringing ultimate fulfillment to God's creative and redemptive plan, culminating in the promise of a new heaven and new earth where the "river of the water of life" flows (Revelation 22:1).