Genesis 2:2-4

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 2:2

And on the seventh day God ended his work, which he had made ,.... Not that God wrought anything on the seventh day, or finished any part of his work on that day, because he could not then be said to rest from all his work, as be is afterwards twice said to do; and because of this seeming difficulty the Septuagint, Samaritan, and Syriac versions, read, "on the sixth day". The two latter versions following the former, which so translated for the sake of Ptolemy king of Egypt, as the Jews say ... 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

Adam Clarke

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

On the Seventh day God ended, etc. - It is the general voice of Scripture that God finished the whole of the creation in six days, and rested the seventh! giving us an example that we might labor six days, and rest the seventh from all manual exercises. It is worthy of notice that the Septuagint, the Syriac, and the Samaritan, read the sixth day instead of the seventh; and this should be considered the genuine reading, which appears from these versions to have been originally that of the... 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

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 2:2

Verse 2 2.And he rested on the seventh day The question may not improperly be put, what kind of rest this was. For it is certain that inasmuch as God sustains the world by his power, governs it by his providence, cherishes and even propagates all creatures, he is constantly at work. Therefore that saying of Christ is true, that the Father and he himself had worked from the beginning hitherto, (102) because, if God should but withdraw his hand a little, all things would immediately perish and... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 2:3

Verse 3 3.And God blessed the seventh day It appears that God is here said to bless according to the manner of men, because they bless him whom they highly extol. Nevertheless, even in this sense, it would not be unsuitable to the character of God; because his blessing sometimes means the favor which he bestows upon his people, as the Hebrews call that man the blessed of God, who, by a certain special favor, has power with God. (See Genesis 24:31.) Enter thou blessed of God. Thus we may be... read more

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