A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Genesis · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
ANd all the hoſt of them.]
That is, all the creatures both in heaven and in earth: which are here called an hoſt or an army, becauſe there is of them an innumerable multitude, many ſeverall troops, and all placed and ranked in admirable order, even to the aſtoniſhment of thoſe that behold and conſider it, and are all under the command of God their Creatour, and as his ſervants, Pſal. 119. 91. ſtand alwayes ready as in battel-array to execute his will, to fight againſt and deſtroy his enemies if he ſpeaks but the word. Eſai. 45. 12. I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have ſtretched out the heavens, and all their hoſt have I commanded. Judg. 5. 20. They fought from heaven, the ſtarres in their courſes fought againſt Siſera: And hence God is ſo frequently called in the Scripture the Lord God of hosts, Pſal. 95. 5. and (where the Hebrew word is retained) the Lord of Sabbaoth, Rom. 9. 29.
Verſ. 2. He reſted on the ſeventh day from all the works which he had made.]
That is, he did not on the ſeventh day create any thing as he had done on the foregoing ſix dayes, becauſe all was already finiſhed which he had purpoſed to make. The Creatour of the ends of the earth fainteth not, neither is neary, Iſa. 40. 28. onelyonly it is ſaid that he reſted on the ſeventh day, becauſe he ceaſed from the work of creation: for as concerning the ſuſtaining and governing of the creatures, the Father worketh hitherto, and Chriſt worketh, John 5. 17.
Verſ. 3. And God bleſſed the ſeventh day, and ſanctified it.]
The ſecond word, ſanctified, is added by way of explaining the firſt word, bleſſed; and the meaning is, that God ſet apart the ſeventh day for the ſpeciall work of his ſervice, and bleſſed it, with this ſingular priviledge, that it ſhould be wholy conſecrate to him and his worſhip. Some Expoſitours indeed hold that there was not any law impoſed upon Adam and his poſterity for the keeping of the ſeventh day holy, till at mount Sinai it was commanded the Iſraelites; and ſo they take this here to be mentioned by Moſes by way of Prolepſis, to wit, that becauſe God reſted from his work of creation upon the ſeventh day, therefore he did afterwards ordain, that every ſeventh day of the week ſhould be kept holy by the Iſraelites as a Sabbath of reſt unto the Lord. But the words will not bear this expoſition; and there are many reaſons beſides that do evidently enough diſcover that God did from the firſt creation appoint that the ſeventh day ſhould be kept as a holy Sabbath: as 1. Becauſe it is expreſſely ſpoken of the very next day after the Lord had ended the worlds creation: Now if that were a Sabbath ſanctified and ſet apart for holy imployments, we cannot think that this ordinance beginning then was not afterward continued. 2. Becauſe it is no way probable that the Church had for ſo many ages before the giving of the Law no ſet day ſet apart for holy imployments. What though there be no mention made in the Scriptures of the Patriarchs keeping a Sabbath? Many things they did which are not mentioned: and how could the diſtinction of ſeverall weeks be kept till the Law? yea, how could they have known the weekly ſeventh day from the creation, if it had not been conſtantly kept from the Creation till that time? 3. Becauſe it is plain that the Jews did keep the Sabbath defore the Lavv vvas given: for before the Lavv vvas given, that vvas ſpoken by Moſes, Exod. 16. 23. To morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord. and 4. Becauſe the Apoſtle Heb. 4. 3. doth evidently enough imply that there vvas a reſt vvhichwhich Gods people did obſerve ſin…e the finiſhing of Gods vvork from the firſt foundation of the vvorld.
Verſ. 4. Theſe are the generations of the heavens and of the earth, &c.]
That is, in this order and manner, as hath been declared, vvere the heavens and the earth▪ at firſt created and made, and all the plants and herbs of the field, vvhen as yet there had been no ſuch thing grovving thereon according to the courſe of nature as novv they do.
Verſ. 5. For the Lord God had not cauſed it to rain upon the earth, &c.]
As if he ſhould ſay, it muſt needs be yielded that God did at firſt by his abſolute povver cauſe theſe things to grovv out of the earth, for there had been as yet none of thoſe ordinary means vvhereby the earth is novv made fruitfull, no rain to vvater it, no man to till it.
Verſ. 6. But there went up a miſt, &c.]
Junius reades this negatively, Nor went there up a miſt, &c. and takes it to be a further confirmation of that vvhichwhich before vvas ſaid, that the creating of things by the meer vvord of God cannot be denied▪ becauſe as yet there had not been ſo much as a miſt to vvater the ground. But if vve reade it, as in our Tranſlation, it muſt be underſtood (as I conceive) to be added by vvay of preventing an objection: for vvhereas it might be ſaid, Hovv then continued they to grovv after they vvere created, being there vvas neither rain to vvater the earth, nor man to till it? Moſes telleth us, There went up a miſt, &c.
Verſ. 7. And breathed into his noſtrils the breath of life.]
That is▪ by his almighty povver the Lord did create and infuſe into the yet liveleſſe body of Adam a living reaſonable ſoul, vvhichwhich being inſtantly united to the body in an incomprehenſible manner, his body vvas quickened and enlivened, vvhichwhich ſoon appeared by the breath in his noſtrils. Thus the ſoul vvas not, as the body, made of the earth, but created of nothing, and ſo joyned to the body.
Verſ. 8. The Lord God planted a garden Eaſtward in Eden.]
To vvit, on the third day of the Creation, vvhen the Lord commanded the earth to bring forth all herbs, trees, and plants vvherevvith it is novv adorned: for as he then made the earth all over to bring forth ſome kind of increaſe or other for the uſe of living creatures, and of Adams poſterity, as they ſhould increaſe; ſo for the preſent habitation of theſe our firſt Parents, he then alſo made in Eden, a countrey that lay Eaſtvvard from Canaan, mentioned often in the Scriptures, Iſa. 35. 12. Ezek. 27. 23. a moſt goodly pleaſant and fruitfull garden, abounding vvith all things that could be therein deſired, and ſo curiouſly ordered in every reſpect as if it had been planted by art, and hereinto Adam vvas put. This Garden is by the Greek Interpreters called Paradiſe, and is in the Scripture termed the garden of the Lord, Gen. 13. 10. and for the pleaſantneſſe of it made a figure of the heaven of heavens, vvhichwhich is therefore called Paradiſe, Luke 23. 43. To day ſhalt thou be with me in Paradiſe. 2. Cor. 12. 4. He was caught up into Paradiſe, &c.
Verſ. 9. The tree of life, &c.]
This tree was ſo called, 1. becauſe it was a memoriall or monitorie ſigne of that life which he had received from God; 2. becauſe it was a ſacramentall ſigne annexed to the covenant of works, aſſuring life and glory upon condition of perfect obedience; 3. as ſome conceive, becauſe of the power which God had given it to ſuſtain the body of man in perfect ſtrength without any decay untill they were tranſlated to heavenly glory; which they take to be the ground of that which is ſaid, Gen. 3. 22. Leſt he take alſo of the tree of life and eat and live for ever: therefore the Lord God ſent him forth from the garden of Eden.
Verſ. 10. And the tree of knowledge of good and evil.]
So called, not becauſe the fruit thereof had any ſuch quality or virtue, that being eaten it would work in man any increaſe of knowledge or quickneſſe of wit; but becauſe it was another ſacramentall ſigne annexed to the covenant of works, ſealing death and damnation to them in caſe of diſobedience, and ſo aſſuring them of the event that would follow if contrary to Gods command they ſhould eat of it, namely, that they ſhould to their coſt experimentally know the difference between good and evil.
Verſ. 16. The Lord God commanded the man ſaying, &c.]
Beſides the morall law, the law of Nature written in Adams heart, whereby he knew exactly all things wherein he was bound to obey his Creatour, the Lord gave him alſo this poſitive and particular commandment concerning a thing of it ſelf indifferent, but by Gods command made unlawfull, that the Lords abſolute Dominion over him might be hereby made known, and his diſobedience might become the more manifeſt.