New Living Translation
Genesis 2:5
5neither wild plants nor grains were growing on the earth. For the Lord God had not yet sent rain to water the earth, and there were no people to cultivate the soil.
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
3And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation. 4This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth. When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, neither wild plants nor grains were growing on the earth. For the Lord God had not yet sent rain to water the earth, and there were no people to cultivate the soil. 6Instead, springs came up from the ground and watered all the land. 7Then 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.
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—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.
- Psalms 104:14You cause grass to grow for the livestock and plants for people to use. You allow them to produce food from the earth—
- Job 5:10He gives rain for the earth and water for the fields.
- Job 38:26Who makes the rain fall on barren land, in a desert where no one lives?
- Psalms 65:9You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so.
- Psalms 135:7He causes the clouds to rise over the whole earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses.
- Jeremiah 14:22Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain? Does it fall from the sky by itself? No, you are the one, O Lord our God! Only you can do such things. So we will wait for you to help us.
- Matthew 5:45In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.
- Hebrews 6:7When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing.
- Genesis 3:23So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made.
- Genesis 4:2Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel. When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, 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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