New English Translation
Genesis 2:7
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.
Genesis 2:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- 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.
Context of Genesis 2:7
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. 6Springs would well up from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground. The 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. 8The Lord God planted an orchard in the east, in Eden; and there he placed the man he had formed. 9The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow from the soil, every tree that was pleasing to look at and good for food. (Now the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were in the middle of the orchard.)
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
Words taken from the KJV.
- 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 100:3Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us and we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
- Psalms 139:14I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing. You knew me thoroughly;
- Isaiah 64:8Yet, Lord, you are our father. We are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the product of your labor.
- Genesis 3:19By the sweat of your brow you will eat food until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you will return.”
- Job 4:19how much more to those who live in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like a moth?
- Job 33:6Look, I am just like you in relation to God; I too have been molded from clay.
- Psalms 103:14For he knows what we are made of; he realizes we are made of clay.
- Ecclesiastes 3:7A time to rip, and a time to sew; a time to keep silent, and a time to speak.
- Ecclesiastes 12:7and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the life’s breath returns to God who gave it.
- Romans 9:20But who indeed are you – a mere human being – to talk back to God? Does what is molded say to the molder, “Why have you made me like this?”
- 1 Corinthians 15:47The first man is from the earth, made of dust; the second man is from heaven.
- 2 Corinthians 4:7But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.
- 2 Corinthians 5:1For we know that if our earthly house, the tent we live in, is dismantled, we have a building from God, a house not built by human hands, that is eternal in the heavens.
- Job 27:3for while my spirit is still in me, and the breath from God is in my nostrils,
- Job 33:4The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
- John 20:22And after he said this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
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
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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries