Bible Commentaries
Genesis 2

Verses 1-3

A Day of Rest

A Bible school teacher once told the story of creation. One of her four year old students then said, "On the seventh day God went to jail." When asked to explain, he said, "You said that on the seventh day God got arrested." Actually, God made a special day for rest (2:1-3). Later, he made it a law that the Jews would rest on that day ( Exo_20:8-22 ). Here we see the principle that man needs to rest one day out of seven to recover his physical strength. He also needs time for worship, fellowship with God and spiritual development.

Conclusion

Creation was a six day display of the power of our almighty God. Man was the only being God created which had a soul. Woman was the crowning glory of creation, being specially suited to man's needs. God rested on the seventh day, thus showing man the need to pause at the end of a week's work.

Verses 1-17

Man Is Different

Until man's creation, everything was spoken into existence. Man was different ( Gen_1:26 ; Gen_2:7 ). God took of the dust of the earth and made man in his own image. Man's likeness to God cannot be physical since God is a spirit ( Joh_4:24 ). Instead, man is a being comprised of body and spirit ( Jam_2:26 ; 2Co_4:16 ).

God commanded man to be fruitful and multiply. He also instructed him to subdue the earth and have dominion over all the other living things ( Gen_1:27-28 ). Man was placed in the garden to dress and keep it, or care for the things it contained (2:15). He could eat of every tree except the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (2:16-17). Here we find man's first job and restriction.

Verses 18-25

A Help Suited to Man

Everything had been good until man was created. Then God observed, "It is not good that man should be alone" (2:18). God planned to make a helper (aid) "corresponding to him" or "suited to him." No animal was right for this role. Man saw that after God had formed every animal and bird to him to see what he would call them (2:19-20).

Woman was made from a rib out of man's side (2:21-22). Someone noted this was under his arm and close to his heart where he should always keep this special creation. Man and woman are of the same nature or being. God intended one man to be joined to one woman in marriage for life (2:23-25; Mat_19:3-9 ).