_THUS THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH WERE FINISHED, AND ALL THE HOST OF THEM._ Thus the heavens and the earth were finished. This sentence does not refer to the arrangements which have just been described as made on the six days. It is merely a recapitulation of the opening statement, that God was the C... [ 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._ And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made. Some commentators render it 'and God had ended,' as if the verb were in the pluperfect tense. But the... [ 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._ Blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it. On the creation of the various orders of aquatic and terrestrial animals God "blessed" them (Genesis 1:22; Genesis 1:28),... [ 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, These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth. The Hebrew х_ TOWLªDOWT_ (H8435)] means generations, descents, lineage; and hence, as the earl... [ 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._ Every plant of the field before it was in the earth ... It is difficult to discover what is t... [ Continue Reading ]
_BUT THERE WENT UP A MIST FROM THE EARTH, AND WATERED THE WHOLE FACE OF THE GROUND._ There went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground - Hebrew х_ 'EED_ (H108)], 'vapour, mist, rising from the earth and forming clouds, so called because it surrounds the earth like a vail... [ 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._ The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground. The Hebrew verb х_ WAYIYTSER_ (H3335)], to form, is used of a workman who carves statues in wood and metal, or... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE LORD GOD PLANTED A GARDEN EASTWARD IN EDEN; AND THERE HE PUT THE MAN WHOM HE HAD FORMED._ And the Lord God planted a garden. It is the dictate of nature for parents to provide for their offspring; and in like manner He who implanted this natural feeling in the human breast gave an example... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND OUT OF THE GROUND MADE THE LORD GOD TO GROW EVERY TREE THAT IS PLEASANT TO THE SIGHT AND GOOD FOR_ _ 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 A... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND A RIVER WENT OUT OF EDEN TO WATER THE GARDEN; AND FROM THENCE IT WAS PARTED, AND BECAME INTO FOUR HEADS._ A river went out of Eden to water the garden. The Hebrew word х_ YOTSEE'_ (H3318)] rendered "went out" often signifies, when applied to streams, 'rising' or 'springing' from the earth (cf.... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE NAME OF THE FIRST IS PISON: THAT IS IT WHICH COMPASSETH THE WHOLE LAND OF HAVILAH, WHERE THERE IS GOLD;_ The Pison (overflowing). The name seems to denote a large, mighty river. COMPASSETH THE WHOLE LAND OF HAVILAH, [Septuagint, Euila]. It might naturally be expected that this designation, as... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE GOLD OF THAT LAND IS GOOD: THERE IS BDELLIUM AND THE ONYX STONE._ Bdellium, [Hebrew, _ HABªDOLACH_ (H916)]. What substance is meant by this word has been a subject of much discussion. The Sepuagint renders it here and Numbers 11:7 by _ ANTHRAX_ (G440) the ruby or the topaz. Bochart, after... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE NAME OF THE SECOND RIVER IS GIHON: THE SAME IS IT THAT COMPASSETH THE WHOLE LAND OF ETHIOPIA._ Gihon (bursting forth). The name denotes a rapid river issuing impetuously from its fountains. COMPASSETH THE WHOLE LAND OF ETHIOPIA, [Hebrew, the land of Cush]. There is more than one country i... [ 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._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ 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._ The tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat. The inspired historian (Genesis 2:15) resumes the thread of his narrative, which was broken b... [ 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._ It is not good that the man should be alone, [Hebrew, _ LªBADOW_ (H905), in his separation or singleness - i.e., alone]. On a survey of each successive department of nature that rose into bei... [ 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._ Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field ...... [ 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._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ 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;_ And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, [Hebrew, _ TARDEEMAAH_ (H8639), a state of sleep more profound than usual, amounting, as is probable,... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE RIB, WHICH THE LORD GOD HAD TAKEN FROM MAN, MADE HE A WOMAN, AND BROUGHT HER UNTO THE MAN._ And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman. The Hebrew word rendered "made" is 'built' - i:e., implying extraordinary skill, care, and taste in the plan and proportions of t... [ 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._ This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. х_ HAPA`AM_ (H6471)], this time, is emphatic (cf. Genesis 30:30; Genesis 46:30). It signifies 'now indeed,' 'now at... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEREFORE SHALL A MAN LEAVE HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER, AND SHALL CLEAVE UNTO HIS WIFE: AND THEY SHALL BE ONE FLESH._ Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife. These words are considered by some as uttered proleptically or prophetically by Adam; but they... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THEY WERE BOTH NAKED, THE MAN AND HIS WIFE, AND WERE NOT ASHAMED._ THEY WERE BOTH NAKED ... AND WERE NOT ASHAMED. While the mind retained its normal superiority to the body, and was governed by a regard to the divine will, the first pair were in a state of sinless innocence, and could feel no s... [ Continue Reading ]