King James Version
Genesis 2:7
7And 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.1
Genesis 2:7 in other versions
- New International Version (NIV)Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
- English Standard Version (ESV)then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
- New King James Version (NKJV)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 being.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.
Context of Genesis 2:7
5And 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. 6But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. 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. 8And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9And 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.
Read all of Genesis 2Genesis 2:7 word by word
וַיִּיצֶר֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֗ם עָפָר֙ מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה וַיִּפַּ֥ח בְּאַפָּ֖יו נִשְׁמַ֣ת חַיִּ֑ים וַֽיְהִ֥י הָֽאָדָ֖ם לְנֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּֽה׃Read the interlinear
- And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- formedיָצַרyâtsar · to form: formedH3335
- manאָדָם'âdâm · the man (Adam)H120
- the dustעָפָר‛âphâr · dustH6083
- ofמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
- the groundאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
- and breathedנָפַחnâphach · to breatheH5301
- into his nostrilsאַף'aph · face: noseH639
- the breathנְשָׁמָהneshâmâh · breathH5397
- of lifeחַיִּיםchay · lifeH2416
- became a livingחַיchay · aliveH2416
- soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: animalH5315
Cross-references for Genesis 2:7
- Psalms 100:3Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
- Psalms 139:14I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
- Isaiah 64:8But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
- Genesis 3:19In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
- Job 4:19How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?
- Job 33:6Behold, I am according to thy wish in God’s stead: I also am formed out of the clay.
- Psalms 103:14For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
- Ecclesiastes 3:7A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
- Ecclesiastes 12:7Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
- Romans 9:20Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
- 1 Corinthians 15:47The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
- 2 Corinthians 4:7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
- 2 Corinthians 5:1For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
- Job 27:3All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
- Job 33:4The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
- John 20:22And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
Commentaries on Genesis 2:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7God formed man of the dust - In the most distinct manner God shows us that man is a compound being, having a body and soul distinctly, and separately created; the body out of the dust of the earth, the soul immediately breathed from God himself. Does not this strongly mark that the soul and body are not the same thing? The body derives its origin from the earth, or as עפר aphar implies, the dust; hence because it is earthly it is decomposable and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4-7Verses 4-7 - Part II. The development - Section II - The Man - X. The Field 4. תולדות tôledôt “generations, products, developments.” That which comes from any source, as the child from the parent, the record of which is history. יהוה yehovâh This word occurs about six thousand times in Scripture. It is obvious from its use that it is, so to speak, the proper name of God. It never has the article. It is never changed for construction with another noun…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-7Verses 4-7 Here is a name given to the Creator, "Jehovah." Where the word "LORD" is printed in capital letters in our English Bibles, in the original it is "Jehovah." Jehovah is that name of God, which denotes that he alone has his being of himself, and that he gives being to all creatures and things. Further notice is taken of plants and herbs, because they were made and appointed to be food for man. The earth did not bring forth its fruits of itself…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7In 1:1–2:3, creation happens by God's command ("Let there be ... And it was so"). This story describes a more personal process of creation (see also 2:8–9, 21–22). from the dust of the ground: In Hebrew, 'adamah means "ground." This forms a wordplay on 'adam, which means "man." The earth is a key reference point for humans, who become dust again at death (3:17–19; 4:11; Job 4:19; 10:8–9; Isaiah 29:16). breathed the breath of life into his nostrils: God…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. Here the sacred writer supplies a few more particulars about the first pair. formed--had FORMED MAN OUT OF THE DUST OF THE GROUND. Science has proved that the substance of his flesh, sinews, and bones, consists of the very same elements as the soil which forms the crust of the earth and the limestone that lies embedded in its bowels. But from that mean material what an admirable structure has been reared in the human body (Psa 139:14). the breath of…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 2:7
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. Genesis 2:7 of the dust…: Heb. dust of the ground ↩
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
King James Version — Public Domain except in the United Kingdom (Crown rights)
Commentaries