New English Translation
Genesis 3:24
24When he drove the man out, he placed on the eastern side of the orchard in Eden angelic sentries who used the flame of a whirling sword to guard the way to the tree of life.
Genesis 3:24 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
- New International Version (NIV)After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
- English Standard Version (ESV)He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
Context of Genesis 3:24
22And the Lord God said, “Now that the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not be allowed to stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23So the Lord God expelled him from the orchard in Eden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken. When he drove the man out, he placed on the eastern side of the orchard in Eden angelic sentries who used the flame of a whirling sword to guard the way to the tree of life.
Read all of Genesis 3Genesis 3:24 word by word
וַיְגָ֖רֶשׁ אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיַּשְׁכֵּן֩ מִקֶּ֨דֶם לְגַן־עֵ֜דֶן אֶת־הַכְּרֻבִ֗ים וְאֵ֨ת לַ֤הַט הַחֶ֙רֶב֙ הַמִּתְהַפֶּ֔כֶת לִשְׁמֹ֕ר אֶת־דֶּ֖רֶךְ עֵ֥ץ הַֽחַיִּֽים׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- So he drove outגָּרַשׁgârash · to drive out: drive outH1644
- the manאָדָם'âdâm · the man (Adam)H120
- and he placedשָׁכַןshâkan · to dwellH7931
- at the eastקֶ֫דֶםqedem qêdmâh · front: eastH6924
- of the gardenגַּןgan · gardenH1588
- of Edenעֵ֫דֶן‛êden · EdenH5731
- Cherubimsכְּרוּבkerûb · cherubH3742
- and a flamingלַ֫הַטlahaţ · flameH3858
- swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
- which turned every wayהָפַךְhâphak · to overturnH2015
- to keepשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: guardH8104
- the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: roadH1870
- of the treeעֵץ‛êts · treeH6086
- of lifeחַיִּיםchay · lifeH2416
Cross-references for Genesis 3:24
- Genesis 2:8The Lord God planted an orchard in the east, in Eden; and there he placed the man he had formed.
- Exodus 25:2“Tell the Israelites to take an offering for me; from every person motivated by a willing heart you are to receive my offering.
- 1 Samuel 4:4So the army sent to Shiloh, and they took from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts who sits between the cherubim. Now the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
- 1 Kings 6:25The second cherub also had a wingspan of 15 feet; it was identical to the first in measurements and shape.
- Psalms 80:1O shepherd of Israel, pay attention, you who lead Joseph like a flock of sheep! You who sit enthroned above the winged angels, reveal your splendor!
- Psalms 99:1The Lord reigns! The nations tremble. He sits enthroned above the winged angels; the earth shakes.
- Psalms 104:4He makes the winds his messengers, and the flaming fire his attendant.
- Ezekiel 10:2The Lord said to the man dressed in linen, “Go between the wheelwork underneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” He went as I watched.
- Hebrews 1:7And he says of the angels, “He makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire,”
- Numbers 22:23And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, so the donkey turned aside from the road and went into the field. But Balaam beat the donkey, to make her turn back to the road.
- Joshua 5:13When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him holding a drawn sword. Joshua approached him and asked him, “Are you on our side or allied with our enemies?”
- 1 Chronicles 21:16David looked up and saw the Lord’s messenger standing between the earth and sky with his sword drawn and in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem. David and the leaders, covered with sackcloth, threw themselves down with their faces to the ground.
- John 14:6Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
- Hebrews 10:18Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
Commentaries on Genesis 3:24
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 24So he drove out the man - Three things are noted here: God's displeasure against sinful man, evidenced by his expelling him from this place of blessedness; Man's unfitness for the place, of which he had rendered himself unworthy by his ingratitude and transgression; and, His reluctance to leave this place of happiness. He was, as we may naturally conclude, unwilling to depart, and God drove him out. He placed at the east - מכדם mikkedem , or before the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22-24Verses 22-24 - XVII. The Execution 24. כרוּב kerûb ברך in Aramaic: “carve, plow”; Persian: “grip, grasp.” This word occurs about eighty-seven times in the Hebrew scriptures; in sixty of which it refers to carved or embroidered figures; in twenty-two to the living being in the vision of Ezekiel Ezekiel 28:14, Ezekiel 28:16; in two to a being on which the Lord is poetically described as riding 2 Samuel 22:11; Psalm 18:11; and in the present passage…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-24Verses 22-24 God bid man go out; told him he should no longer occupy and enjoy that garden: but man liked the place, and was unwilling to leave it, therefore God made him go out. This signified the shutting out of him, and all his guilty race, from that communion with God, which was the bliss and glory of paradise. But man was only sent to till the ground out of which he was taken. He was sent to a place of toil, not to a place of torment. Our first…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 24Cherubim are a type of angel that guard access to God's presence (Exodus 26:31; Ezekiel 28:14). east … of Eden: In Genesis, moving east often means leaving God's presence or blessing. This can happen because of: judgment (Genesis 4:16), human pride or independence (Genesis 11:2; Genesis 13:11), or separation from the family (Genesis 25:6).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2424. placed ... cherbim--The passage should be rendered thus: "And he dwelt between the cherubim at the East of the Garden of Eden and a fierce fire, or Shekinah, unfolding itself to preserve the way of the tree of life." This was the mode of worship now established to show God's anger at sin and teach the mediation of a promised Saviour as the way of life, as well as of access to God. They were the same figures as were afterwards in the tabernacle and…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 3:24
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 3
- 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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