New International Version
Genesis 2:7
7Then 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.
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.
- 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
5Now 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, 6but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 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. 8Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the 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
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 100:3Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
- Psalms 139:14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
- Isaiah 64:8Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
- Genesis 3:19By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
- Job 4:19how much more those who live in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who are crushed more readily than a moth!
- Job 33:6I am the same as you in God’s sight; I too am a piece of clay.
- Psalms 103:14for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
- Ecclesiastes 3:7a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
- Ecclesiastes 12:7and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
- Romans 9:20But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ ”
- 1 Corinthians 15:47The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven.
- 2 Corinthians 4:7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
- 2 Corinthians 5:1For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
- Job 27:3as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils,
- Job 33:4The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
- John 20:22And with that 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
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