Genesis 2:16

Genesis 2:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
• New International Version (NIV)And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;

Context of Genesis 2:16

14The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15Then the LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it. And the LORD God commanded him, “You may eat freely from every tree of the garden, 17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.” 18The LORD God also said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a suitable helper.”

Genesis 2:16 word by word

וַיְצַו֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֔ים עַל־הָֽאָדָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר מִכֹּ֥ל עֵֽץ־הַגָּ֖ן אָכֹ֥ל תֹּאכֵֽל׃Read the interlinear

• And the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• Godעַל‛al · uponH5921
• commandedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
• ·אָדָם'âdâm · the man (Adam)H120
• ·אָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• You may eat freelyאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• from everyכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• treeעֵץ‛êts · treeH6086
• of the gardenגַּןgan · gardenH1588

Cross-references for Genesis 2:16

• 1 Samuel 15:22But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.
• Genesis 2:9Out of the ground the LORD God gave growth to every tree that is pleasing to the eye and good for food. And in the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
• Genesis 3:1Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’”
• 1 Timothy 4:4For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected,
• 1 Timothy 6:17Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy.

Commentaries on Genesis 2:16

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15-17Verses 15-17 - XII. The Command 15. נוּח nûach “rest, dwell.” עבד ‛ābad “work, till, serve.” שׁמר shāmar “keep, guard.” We have here the education of man summed up in a single sentence. Let us endeavor to unfold the great lessons that are here taught. Genesis 2:15 The Lord God took the man. - The same omnipotent hand that made him still held him. “And put him into the garden.” The original word is “caused him to rest,” or dwell in the garden as an abode…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-17Verses 16-17 Let us never set up our own will against the holy will of God. There was not only liberty allowed to man, in taking the fruits of paradise, but everlasting life made sure to him upon his obedience. There was a trial appointed of his obedience. By transgression he would forfeit his Maker's favour, and deserve his displeasure, with all its awful effects; so that he would become liable to pain, disease, and death. Worse than that, he would lose…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-25This story (see study note on 2:4) of the heavens and the earth is not a second creation story. Instead, it expands on 1:1–2:3 with more theological and historical details. The focus shifts to what the universe (kosmos) produced rather than on its creation. Special attention is given to the first man and woman. As the story continues, it is shaped by contrasts such as good and evil, knowledge and ignorance, life and death, and harmony and conflict.Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 2:16

• Adam
• Contingencies
• Covenant
• Eden
• Fall of Man
• God
• Probation

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Adam
• Alone
• Bdellium
• Bless
• Breathe
• Cleave
• Close
• Covenant

Commentaries on Genesis 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings