_Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them._ Ver. 1. _All the host of them._] His upper and nether forces, his horse and foot, as it were, all creatures in heaven, earth, or under earth; called God's host, for their (1) number, (2) order, (3) obedience. These the Rabbin... [ Continue Reading ]
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. Ver. 2. _He rested,_] that is, he ceased to create; which work he had done, without either labour or lassitude Isa 40:28 He made all, by command not by works. _nutu, no... [ Continue Reading ]
And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. Ver. 3. _God blessed the seventh day,_] i.e., made it an effectual means of blessing to him that sanctifieth it, as a rest from bodily labour and spiritual idleness, as... [ Continue Reading ]
_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,_ Ver. 4. _Jehovah God._] Moses first calls God JEHOVAH here, when the universal creation had its absolute being. This is the proper name of God. The Jews... [ Continue Reading ]
And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and [there was] not a man to till the ground. Ver. 5. _The Lord hath caused it to rain._] And none but he can give rain, Jer 14:22 the mean... [ Continue Reading ]
But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. Ver. 6. _But there went up a mist._] The matter of rain: and hereby God tempered the mortar whereof he would make man, as he did the clay with spittle, wherewith he cured the blind. Joh 9:6... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Ver. 7. _Formed man of the dust._] Not of the rocks of the earth, but dust, that is soon dispersed, to note our frailty, vility, and impurity. _Lutum enim conspu... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed._ Ver. 8. _And the Lord God planted._] Had planted (to wit, on the third day, when he made trees) for man's pleasure, a garden or paradise in Eden, whence ηδονη, in the upper part of Chaldea, whereabout... [ Continue Reading ]
And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Ver. 9. _Every tree, &c._] The Hebrews think that the world was created in September, because th... [ Continue Reading ]
And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. Ver. 10. _And a river went out._] Pliny writeth, _a_ that in the province of Babylon there is burning and smothering a certain lake or bog, about the size of an acre. And who knows, whether... [ Continue Reading ]
The name of the first [is] Pison: that [is] it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where [there is] gold; Ver. 11. _Where there is gold._] Which, though never so much admired and studiously acquired, is but the guts and garbage of the earth. Gold is that which the basest element yields, the... [ Continue Reading ]
And the gold of that land [is] good: there [is] bdellium and the onyx stone. Ver. 12. _And the gold of that land is good._] But pale, because it feareth, saith one, wittily, those many that lie in wait for it. _Sed melius est pallens aurum, quam fulgens aurichalcum._ _a_ The common cry is, "Who wil... [ Continue Reading ]
And the name of the second river [is] Gihon: the same [is] it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. Ver. 13. _The name of the second river is Gihon._] This is the same, say some, which the Egyptians call Nile. Others make it to be a channel of the river Euphrates, called by those that dwell n... [ Continue Reading ]
And the name of the third river [is] Hiddekel: that [is] it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river [is] Euphrates. Ver. 14. _Hiddekel._] Or Tigris, which hath its name from the swiftness of the stream: Tigris in the Median tongue signifieth _an arrow_, saith Curtius, which fli... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Ver. 15. _To dress it, and to keep it._] This he did as without necessity, so without pains, without weariness. It was rather his recreation than his occupation. He laboured now by an ordinance; it was af... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: Ver. 16. _Commanded the man, saying._] God hath given man dominion over all the sublunary creatures; and lest he should forget that he had a Lord whom to serve and obey, he gave him this command to keep.... [ Continue Reading ]
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Ver. 17. _But of the tree, &c._] An exploratory prohibition. God knew well where we are weakest, and worst able to withstand; viz., about moderating the pleasu... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD God said, [It is] not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Ver. 18. _And the Lord God said._] Had said; to wit, on the sixth day when he made man, and there was not a meet help found for him. Then God said, "It is not good," &c., and so created the w... [ Continue Reading ]
And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought [them] unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that [was] the name thereof. Ver. 19. _To see what he would call them._] If he had been permi... [ Continue Reading ]
And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. Ver. 20. _Adam gave names._] A sign of his sovereignty; Numbers 32:38 _; _ Num 32:41 an argument also of his wisdom, in giving them names according... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; Ver. 21. _And the Lord God caused a deep sleep._] It may be thought that Adam, observing that among all the creatures there was no meet match found for him, pr... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man._ Ver. 22. _And the rib which the Lord God had taken._] Matter, in the beginning of time, was taken from man to make a woman. And matter, in the fulness of time, was taken from a woman to make a man,... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Adam said, This [is] now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man._ Ver. 23. _This is now bone of my bone._] This sentence, saith Tertullian, and, after him, Beda, is the first prophecy that was ever uttered in the world. And it is ut... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Ver. 24. _Therefore shall a man leave, &c._] Whether these are the words of God, Adam, or Moses, it is uncertain, and not much material. _a_ The husband is bound more to love his wife... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed._ Ver. 25. _They were both naked, and not ashamed._] Neither needed they. Sin and shame, as Papists say, hops and heresy, came in together. Clothes are the ensigns of our sin, and covers of our shame; to be proud of them is as gr... [ Continue Reading ]