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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 2:1-3

We have here, I. The settlement of the kingdom of nature, in God's resting from the work of creation, Gen. 2:1, 2. Here observe, 1. The creatures made both in heaven and earth are the hosts or armies of them, which denotes them to be numerous, but marshalled, disciplined, and under command. How great is the sum of them! And yet every one knows and keeps his place. God uses them as his hosts for the defence of his people and the destruction of his enemies; for he is the Lord of hosts, of all... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 2:4-7

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 (Exod. 6:3), so now we have... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 2:3

And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it ,.... A day in which he took delight and pleasure, having finished all his works, and resting from them, and looking over them as very good; and so he pronounced this day a good and happy day, and "sanctified" or appointed it in his mind to be a day separated from others, for holy service and worship; as it was with the Jews when they became a body of people, both civil and ecclesiastical: or this is all said by way of prolepsis or... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 2:4

These are the generations of the heavens and the earth, when they were created ,.... That is, the above account, delivered in the preceding chapter, is a history of the production of the heavens and earth, and of all things in them; the creation of them being a kind of generation, and the day of their creation a sort of birthday; see Genesis 5:1 . in the day that the Lord God made the earth, and the heavens ; meaning not any particular day, not the first day, in which the heavens and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 2:5

And every plant of the field, before it was in the earth ,.... That is, God made it, even he who made the heavens and the earth; for these words depend upon the preceding, and are in close connection with them; signifying that the plants of the field, which were made out of the earth on the third day, were made before any were planted in it, or any seed was sown therein from whence they could proceed, and therefore must be the immediate production of divine power: and every herb of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 2:6

But there went up a mist from the earth ,.... After the waters had been drained off from it, and it was warmed by the body of light and heat created on the first day, which caused a vapour, which went up as a mist, and descended: and watered the whole face of the ground ; or earth, and so supplied the place of rain, until that was given: though rather the words may be rendered disjunctively, "or there went up" F7 ואד יעלה "aut vapor ascendens", Junius & Tremellius. ; that... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 2:3

And God blessed the seventh day - The original word ברך barach , which is generally rendered to bless, has a very extensive meaning. It is frequently used in Scripture in the sense of speaking good of or to a person; and hence literally and properly rendered by the Septuagint ευλογησεν , from ευ , good or well, and λεγω , I speak. So God has spoken well of the Sabbath, and good to them who conscientiously observe it. Blessing is applied both to God and man: when God is said to... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 2:4

In the day that the Lord God made, etc. - The word יהוה Yehovah is for the first time mentioned here. What it signifies see the note on Exodus 34:5 , Exodus 34:6 . Wherever this word occurs in the sacred writings we translate it Lord, which word is, through respect and reverence, always printed in capitals. Though our English term Lord does not give the particular meaning of the original word, yet it conveys a strong and noble sense. Lord is a contraction of the Anglo-Saxon, Hlaford... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 2:5

Every plant of the field before it was in the earth - It appears that God created every thing, not only perfect as it respects its nature, but also in a state of maturity, so that every vegetable production appeared at once in full growth; and this was necessary that man, when he came into being, might find every thing ready for his use. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 2:6

There went up a mist - This passage appears to have greatly embarrassed many commentators. The plain meaning seems to be this, that the aqueous vapours, ascending from the earth, and becoming condensed in the colder regions of the atmosphere, fell back upon the earth in the form of dews, and by this means an equal portion of moisture was distributed to the roots of plants, etc. As Moses had said, Genesis 2:5 , that the Lord had not caused it to rain upon the earth, he probably designed to... read more

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