Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
Genesis
Book: Genesis
Chapter: 2
Overview:
The first
Sabbath.
(1-3) Particulars about the
Creation.
(4-7)
The planting of the garden of
Eden.
(8-14) Man is placed in it.
(15) God's command.
(16,17) The animals named, The making of
Woman, The Divine institution of
Marriage.
(18-25)
1-3 After six days,
God ceased from all
Works of
Creation. In
miracles, he has overruled nature, but never changed its settled
course, or added to it.
God did not
Rest as one weary, but as
one
Well pleased. Notice the beginning of the kingdom of
Grace,
in the
Sanctification, or keeping holy, of the
Sabbath Day. The
solemn observing of one
Day in
Seven as a
Day of holy
Rest and
holy work, to
God's honour, is the duty of all to whom
God has
made known his holy sabbaths. At this time none of the human
race were in being but our first parents. For them the
Sabbath
was appointed; and clearly for all succeeding generations also.
The
Christian Sabbath, which we observe, is a seventh
Day, and
in it we celebrate the
Rest of
God the Son, and the finishing
the work of our
Redemption.
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: this was done
By Almighty power. Thus
Grace in the soul
grows not of itself in nature's soil, but is the work of
God.
Rain also is the
Gift of
God; it came not till the
Lord God
caused it. Though
God Works By means, yet when he pleases he can
do his own work without them; and though we must not tempt
God
in the neglect of means, we must trust
God, both in the use and
in the want of means. Some way or other,
God will water the
plants of his own planting. Divine
Grace comes down like the
Dew, and waters the
Church without noise.
Man was made of the
small
Dust, such as is
On the surface of the
Earth. The soul was
not made of the
Earth, as the body: pity then that it should
cleave to the
Earth, and mind earthly things. To
God we must
shortly give an account, how we have employed these souls; and
if it be found that we have lost them, though it were to gain
the world, we are undone for ever! Fools despise their own
souls,
By caring for their bodies before their souls.
8-14 The place fixed upon for
Adam to
Dwell in, was not a
Palace, but a garden. The better we take up with
Plain things,
and the less we seek things to gratify pride and luxury, the
nearer we approach to innocency. Nature is content with a
little, and that which is most natural;
Grace with less; but
Lust craves every thing, and is content with nothing.
No
delights can be satisfying to the soul, but those which
God
himself has provided and appointed for it.
Eden signifies
delight and pleasure. Wherever it was, it had all desirable
conveniences, without any inconvenience, though
No other
House
or garden
On Earth ever was
So. It was adorned with every tree
pleasant to the sight, and enriched with every tree that yielded
Fruit grateful to the taste and good for
Food.
God, as a tender
Father, desired not only
Adam's profit, but his pleasure; for
there is pleasure with innocency, nay there is true pleasure
only in innocency. When
Providence puts us in a place of plenty
and pleasure, we ought to serve
God with gladness of
Heart in
the good things he gives us.
Eden had two trees
Peculiar to
itself. 1. There was the
Tree of Life in the midst of the
garden. Of this
Man might eat and live.
Christ is now to us the
Tree of Life, Re 2:7; 22:2; and the
Bread of
Life, Joh
6:48,51. 2. There was the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil,
So called because there was a positive
Revelation of the
will of
God about this tree,
So that
By it
Man might know moral
good and evil. What is good? It is good not to eat of this tree.
What is evil? It is evil to eat of this tree. In these two trees
God set before
Adam good and evil, the blessing and the
Curse.
15 After
God had formed
Adam, he
Put him in the garden. All
boasting was thereby shut out. Only he that made us can make us
happy; he that is the Former of our bodies, and the
Father of
our spirits, and none but he, can fully provide for the
happiness of both. Even in
Paradise itself
Man had to work. None
of us were sent into the world to be idle. He that made our
souls and bodies, has given us something to work with; and he
that gave us this
Earth for our
Habitation, has made us
something to work upon. The sons and heirs of
Heaven, while in
this world, have something to do about this
Earth, which must
have its share of their time and thoughts; and if they do it
with an
Eye to
God, they as truly serve him in it, as when they
are upon their knees. Observe that the
Husbandman's
Calling is
an ancient and honourable
Calling; it was needful even in
Paradise. Also, there is true pleasure in the business
God calls
us to, and employs us in.
Adam could not have been happy if he
had been idle: it is still
God's
Law, He that will not work has
No right to eat, 2Th 3:10.
16,17 Let us never set up our own will against the holy will of
God. There was not only liberty allowed to
Man, in taking the
fruits of
Paradise, but
Everlasting Life made sure to him upon
his obedience. There was a trial appointed of his obedience.
By
transgression he would forfeit his Maker's favour, and deserve
his displeasure, with all its awful effects;
So that he would
become liable to pain, disease, and
Death. Worse than that, he
would lose the holy image of
God, and all the comfort of his
favour; and feel the
Torment of sinful passions, and the terror
of his Maker's vengeance, which must endure for ever with his
never dying soul. The forbidding to eat of the
Fruit of a
particular tree was wisely suited to the state of our first
parents. In their state of innocence, and separated from any
others, what opportunity or what
Temptation had they to break
any of
The Ten Commandments? The event proves that the whole
human race were concerned in the trial and fall of our first
parents. To argue against these things is to strive against
stubborn facts, as
Well as Divine
Revelation; for
Man is sinful,
and shows
By his first actions, and his conduct ever afterwards,
that he is ready to do evil. He is under the Divine displeasure,
exposed to sufferings and
Death. The Scriptures always speak of
Man as of this sinful character, and in this miserable state;
and these things are true of men in all ages, and of all
nations.
18-25 Power over the creatures was given to
Man, and as a proof
of this he named them all. It also shows his insight into the
Works of
God. But though he was
Lord of the creatures, yet
nothing in this world was a help meet for
Man. From
God are all
our helpers. If we
Rest in
God, he will work all for good.
God
caused
Deep sleep to fall
On Adam; while he knows
No Sin,
God
will take care that he shall feel
No pain.
God, as her
Father,
brought the
Woman to the
Man, as his second self, and a help
meet for him. That
Wife, who is of
God's making
By special
Grace, and of
God's bringing
By special
Providence, is likely to
prove a help meet for a
Man. See what need there is, both of
prudence and
Prayer in the choice of this relation, which is
So
near and
So lasting. That had need to be
Well done, which is to
be done for
Life. Our first parents needed
No clothes for
covering against cold or heat, for neither could hurt them: they
needed none for ornament. Thus easy, thus happy, was
Man in his
state of innocency. How good was
God to him! How many favours
did he load him with! How easy were the laws given to him! Yet
Man, being in honour, understood not his own interest, but soon
became as the beasts that perish.