Commentaries:
<< Genesis 2:7 Genesis 2:9 >>
Genesis 2:8
The word Eden in Hebrew means "delight" or "enjoyment"—it was a garden of delight or enjoyment. When the Septuagint Version was produced, its translators used the Greek word for "parkland" for Eden, from which came the word "paradise." In the Old Testament, Eden is often a symbol of great fertility, a place where things wold grow. In other words, its environment was not only beautiful but also useful for producing things. In this case, God had in mind not merely an environment for vegetation, but for a relationship through fellowship—between God and Adam and Eve, who represented all of mankind. Spiritually, Eden symbolizes a rich and fertile place of unbroken fellowship.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Holy Spirit and the Trinity (Part Six)Related Topics: Delight | Eden | Enjoyment | Fellowship | Fertility | Garden of Eden | Paradise | Parkland | VegetationOther Forerunner Commentary entries containing Genesis 2:8:
<< Genesis 2:7 Genesis 2:9 >>
Join 135,000+ readers
A Verse and a Thought, Every Morning
The Berean delivers one scripture and a short, insightful commentary to your inbox each day — a starting point for reflection and study.
What Does Genesis 2:8 Mean?
The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, a place of delight and enjoyment that symbolizes great fertility where things grow in beauty and usefulness. Its environment supports both vegetation and a relationship of fellowship between God and Adam and Eve, who represent mankind. Eden stands as a rich and fertile site of unbroken fellowship. God confers governing powers on mankind to maintain and preserve creation from decay, tending it by edifying and cultivating growth toward perfection of beauty, all for the good of the creation God reformed and shaped.