New English Translation
Genesis 2:5
5Now no shrub of the field had yet grown on the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground.
Genesis 2:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground,
- English Standard Version (ESV)When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground,
- New King James Version (NKJV)before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground;
Context of Genesis 2:5
3God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it he ceased all the work that he had been doing in creation. 4This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created – when the Lord God made the earth and heavens. Now no shrub of the field had yet grown on the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. 6Springs would well up from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground. 7The Lord God formed the man from the soil of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Read all of Genesis 2Genesis 2:5 word by word
וְכֹ֣ל׀ שִׂ֣יחַ הַשָּׂדֶ֗ה טֶ֚רֶם יִֽהְיֶ֣ה בָאָ֔רֶץ וְכָל־עֵ֥שֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה טֶ֣רֶם יִצְמָ֑ח כִּי֩ לֹ֨א הִמְטִ֜יר יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהִים֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְאָדָ֣ם אַ֔יִן לַֽעֲבֹ֖ד אֶת־הָֽאֲדָמָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And every plantשִׂיחַώîyach · bushH7880
- of the fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
- beforeטֶ֫רֶםţerem · beforeH2962
- it was in the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- and every herbעֵ֫שֶׂב‛eώeb · vegetationH6212
- it grewצָמַחtsâmach · to springH6779
- forכִּיkîy · forH3588
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- had notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- caused it to rainמָטַרmâţar · to rainH4305
- notאַ֫יִן'ayin · nothingH369
- a manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- to tillעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: labourH5647
- the groundאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
Cross-references for Genesis 2:5
- Genesis 1:12The land produced vegetation – plants yielding seeds according to their kinds, and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. God saw that it was good.
- Psalms 104:14He provides grass for the cattle, and crops for people to cultivate, so they can produce food from the ground,
- Job 5:10he gives rain on the earth, and sends water on the fields;
- Job 38:26to cause it to rain on an uninhabited land, a desert where there are no human beings,
- Psalms 65:9You visit the earth and give it rain; you make it rich and fertile with overflowing streams full of water. You provide grain for them, for you prepare the earth to yield its crops.
- Psalms 135:7He causes the clouds to arise from the end of the earth, makes lightning bolts accompany the rain, and brings the wind out of his storehouses.
- Jeremiah 14:22Do any of the worthless idols of the nations cause rain to fall? Do the skies themselves send showers? Is it not you, O Lord our God, who does this? So we put our hopes in you because you alone do all this.”
- Matthew 5:45so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
- Hebrews 6:7For the ground that has soaked up the rain that frequently falls on it and yields useful vegetation for those who tend it receives a blessing from God.
- Genesis 3:23So the Lord God expelled him from the orchard in Eden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken.
- Genesis 4:2Then she gave birth to his brother Abel. Abel took care of the flocks, while Cain cultivated the ground.
Commentaries on Genesis 2:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Every plant of the field before it was in the earth - It appears that God created every thing, not only perfect as it respects its nature, but also in a state of maturity, so that every vegetable production appeared at once in full growth; and this was necessary that man, when he came into being, might find every thing ready for his use.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. 5Work does not result from sin. It was part of creation's original design. It has a close link to human identity and purpose (1:28; 2:15).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5-65-6. rain, mist--(See on Ge 1:11).Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 2:5
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
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