God’s Word Translation
Genesis 2:16
16The Lord God commanded the man. He said, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden.
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 Tigris. This is the one that flows east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates. 15Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to farm the land and to take care of it. The Lord God commanded the man. He said, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden. 17But you must never eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because when you eat from it, you will certainly die.” 18Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is right for him.”
Read all of Genesis 2Genesis 2:16 word by word
וַיְצַו֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֔ים עַל־הָֽאָדָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר מִכֹּ֥ל עֵֽץ־הַגָּ֖ן אָכֹ֥ל תֹּאכֵֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Genesis 2:16
- 1 Samuel 15:22Then Samuel said, “Is the Lord as delighted with burnt offerings and sacrifices as he would be with your obedience? To follow instructions is better than to sacrifice. To obey is better than sacrificing the fat of rams.
- Genesis 2:9The Lord God made all the trees grow out of the ground. These trees were nice to look at, and their fruit was good to eat. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil grew in the middle of the garden.
- Genesis 3:1The snake was more clever than all the wild animals the Lord God had made. He asked the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must never eat the fruit of any tree in the garden’?”
- 1 Timothy 4:4Everything God created is good. Nothing should be rejected if it is received with prayers of thanks.
- 1 Timothy 6:17Tell those who have the riches of this world not to be arrogant and not to place their confidence in anything as uncertain as riches. Instead, they should place their confidence in God who richly provides us with everything 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
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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