Commentary Upon Genesis 1-3, Commentary on Genesis · Chapter 2 · Verse 19
VERSE 19.
ANd out of the ground the Lord God formed] Or rather, Had formed, as we have ſeen already. It was ſaid before, ver. 7. that man was made out of the Ground: and verſe 9. that God made the Trees of Paradiſe to grow out of the Ground: So that there may be perhaps ſome Emphaſis in this Word, the rather becauſe it hath [He] prefixed, which is many times Emphatical. As if the Holy Ghoſt pointing at the common Originall both of men and beaſts, would imply, that though the ſame hand formed them both, and that, of the ſame matter: yet man and the Beaſts were ſo unſuitable in Nature, that amongſt all the Beaſts, there could not be found one that was fit to be mans companion. But howſoever this repetition, may be taken in for a ſupply, unto the 20th verſe of the former Chapter, and diſcovers unto us, that the Fowls alſo were made out of the Earth, a Circumſtance altogether omitted in that pace.
And brought them to Adan] How, it is not expreſſed; the phraſe implies no more but this, that they all preſented themſelves before Adam, as their Lord; and that by Gods ſpeciall appointment (as it were) to do him Homage. And this was done queſtionleſſe before Eves Creation, as well that ſhe might acknowledge that the Soveraignty, over the Creatures was in the Man, ſeeing he onelyonly gave them their names; as that the man, by the ſurvey of the Creatures, might take notice of their unfitneſſe to be his Companions, and conſequently the neceſſity of Creating the Woman, before God undertook the work, might appear to Adam himſelf.
To ſee what he would call them] By that means, in a ſort, to take poſſeſſion of his Lordſhip over them, for impoſition of names, implies a kind of Soveraignty. Thus Pharaoh when he admitted Joſeph into his ſervice, gave him a name; and when Pharaoh-Necho ſet up a new King in Jeruſalem, he gave him a new Name, 2 Chron. 36.4. to manifeſt that he was to acknowledge him to be his Lord; And names amongſt the Hebrewes were uſually given by the Father, who was the Maſter of the Family: and howſoever the Mother was permitted to do it ſometimes; yet, that the power belonged of right to the Father, appears by Jacobs changing of the name Ben-oni (which his Mother had given) into Benjamin, Gen. 35.18. And by the appeal of friends to Zachary the Father, in the controverſie about John Baptiſt's Name, Luke. 1.62. Withal, God gave Adam thereby occaſion to make tryall of that wiſdom, which he had given him, in finding out fit Names agreeable to the Creatures Natures, which required a great meaſure of wiſdom.
And whatſoever Adam called them, &c.] This clauſe, we may probably conceive to be added, to manifeſt both the Power, and Wiſdom of Adam, in giving the Creatures their names, when that which he did was ratified as unalterable, as being given by him that had power to do it; and had done it with ſuch wiſdom, that there was no cauſe to alter any name that he had given any of them. Certainly the fitting of all the Creatures with names ſuitable to their natures, & that upon the firſt view of them, evidently diſcovered the fulneſſe and perfection of Adams Wiſdom, in underſtanding all that it concerned him to know. As for the language which Adam uſed, whether it were Hebrew or ſome other tongue more perfect then it, which is now loſt; it cannot be certainly concluded though it be moſt probably guoſſed, that it was Hebrew, which is the moſt Ancient, and moſt Significant of all Languages now in uſe.
God (as we have heard already) had conſidered mans preſent condition, and found in his Wiſdom, that Adam wanted and needed a fit companion, to make his life every way comfortable to him; and that to do this, there was a neceſſity of making a new Creature. This God knew and ſaw, in his infinite Wiſdom; but this was not yet ſo manifeſt to Adam. Wherefore, that the neceſſity of Creating the Woman, might appear to the man alſo, as it was manifeſt unto God, He cauſeth him to take a view of all the Creatures, that when amongſt them he ſhould find no fit companion for Himſelf, he might both diſcern the neceſſity of creating the woman, and withal, the goodneſſe of God in Creating ſo meet an help in her, as all the world beſides could not afford him. Withall, this Circumſtance ſeems to be of ſpecial uſe, to clear God, of thruſting in the woman upon Adam, unneceſſarily, as a ſnare to entrap him; when it appeared ſo evidently, that it was meer Neceſſity that moved God to create, and, in compaſſion unto man, to provide him ſuch an help and companion for him as he could neither be without, nor find amongſt all the Creatures.
In that God, before he Created the Woman, would firſt ſhew Adam the neceſſity of ſuch an help, that when he enjoyed her, he might take notice of, and be the more ſenſible of Gods goodneſſe, and mercy towards him in providing ſo fit an help for him: Thence,
1. Obſerve, Gods Mercies Are, or Should be, precious unto us when we can neither be without them, nor have them from any other but from Himſelf.
Obſerv. 1 THus he ſets out his mercy to his Church, that he helped it in a time of Extremity, when none elſe either Would or Could, Iſa. 63.5. Ezek. 16.4, 5. Thus he ſpecially magnifies his mercies in Chriſt; That when we were without ſtrength, Chriſt dyed for the ungodly, Rom. 5.6. and did for us that which the Law could not do through the weakneſſe of the fleſh, Rom. 8.3. Offering himſelf to pacifie his Fathers wrath when Sacrifices and burnt-offerings could do no good, Pſal. 40.6, 7. For this cauſe he brings men ſometimes into Extremities, and lets them prove the Unprofitableneſſe of other means, that they may by Experience know that they find help of him only in a time of need. Thus he brought his people low by the Ammonites, ſo that they had no power to reſiſt them, nor protection againſt them from their Idols before he ſuccours them, Judg. 10.9, 13. See Dout. 32.36, 37. and makes his Children, Hunger and Thirſt (that is, feel the want of) righteouſneſſe before he ſatisfie them, Matth. 5.6. Which he doth not only in reſpect to his own honour which is much advanced, when our help is found in him alone; but beſides, in relation to us, that we may be ſtirred up to ſeek more ſeriouſly after, and to cleave more firmly unto him, who alone is both Able and Ready to help us in a time of need.
That the neceſſity of Creating a woman to be Adam's helper might be the more clearly diſcovered unto him, he brings before him the Creatures, that out of his own judgment himſelf might conclude how unfit any of them were to be his companions or helpers. Whence,
2. Obſerve, We muſt know the unſerviceableneſſe of other things, that we may know and approve the profitableneſſe of that which is truly Good.
Obſerv. 2 FOr this cauſe God many times leaves men to themſelves to walk in their own Sinful courſes, as he did Solomon, that when they have found by their own experience, that which he found…, that All things are Vanity and vexation of ſpirit; that all that remains unto us, after we have wearied our ſelves in the wayes of ſin, when we have caſt up our accounts, is nothing elſe but ſhame, Rom. 6.21. they may cry out in the bitterneſſe of their ſoules, I have perverted Righteouſneſſe, and it hath not profited me, Job 33.17. and having followed the pleaſures, and honours of the world, and finding in them nothing to ſtay the heart upon, may make their hearts deſpair of all their labours, that are taken under the Sun, with Solomon, Eccl. 2.20. and may cry out with the Prophet, Pſal. 73.25. Whom have I in heaven but thee? We are indeed allowed to prove all things, that we may lay hold on that which is good, 1 Theſſ. 5.21.
It is ſaid, that God brought all the Creatures, (by what means it is not expreſſed) but by his appointment they preſented themſelves before Adam, that he might adviſedly view and conſider them. Whence,
3. Obſerve, God can Order and Diſpoſe of the Creatares to do what, and to be where he appoints them.
Obſerv. 3 THus He not only diſpoſeth of men, either by expreſſe command, as he commanded Philip to go towards the South, in the way from Jeruſalem to Gaza, Act. 8.26. and Aaron to meet Moſes, Exod. 4.27. or by a ſecret work upon their hearts, as he brought Siſera and his Army, to Kiſhon, Judg. 4.7. Or by inviting them, by Occaſions, as Abigails meeting with David, is acknowledged to be the Work of God, 1 Sam. 25.32. as Saul is moved to come to Samuel by his ſervants adviſe, to enquire after his Fathers Aſſes, at the very time appointed by God, 1 Sam. 9.15.16. But directs even the unreaſonable Creatures: As the Quailes to fall round about the children of Iſraels Camp; The Ravens to feed Eliſah: Two ſhe-bears to deſtroy two and fourty of the ſcoſſing Children: And the Lion to meet the Prophet that tranſgreſſed Gods Commandement, in his way homewards, and to ſlay him. Yea, the very Sparrowes lighting upon the ground is directed by his Will. Neither can it be otherwiſe, ſeeing in him all things move and have their being, Act. 17.28. and conſequently muſt of neceſſity have the rule of all their motions by his Will.
Let us then take notice of the Divine Providence, in the motion of every Creature, which may diſcover unto us ſometimes Gods Mercy, ſometimes his Judgments, and may ſometimes direct us what to do. And muſt needs alwayes keep our hearts poſſeſſed with his fear, and move us to walk more boldly in all our wayes, upon aſſurance, that ſince the Creatures cannot move without Gods direction, they ſhall not move to do us hurt according to Gods promiſe, Iſa. 65.25.
All thoſe beaſts God brings before Adam, that he might give them names; and God having put that power into his hand, he might lawfully do it, as we ſee he did. Whence,
4. Obſerve, Man may lawfully uſe that Power over the Creatures which God Himſelf hath put into his hand.
Obſerv. 4 IF Joſeph might uſe the power which Pharaoh gave him over his Subjects, Gen. 41.45. much more may men make uſe of that power which God hath given them, ſeeing he hath in his hand power over all his own works; which therefore he may beſtow where he pleaſeth, and is pleaſed to beſtow on men for the farther magnifying of his goodneſſe and favour towards them. Only ſeeing it is a Power which we have, not by our own right, but by deputation from him, in whom it is founded originally, our care muſt be to uſe it within the bounds limited by Him who gave it, not vainly for oſtentation, but Soberly and Moderately, and to the ends for which it is given, which muſt not be ſo much for the advancing of our ſelves, as for the good of the Creature.
But why did not God give the Creatures their names himſelf, ſeeing that power was Originally founded in him, and ſeeing He beſt underſtood the Nature of every Creature, and conſequently could beſt fit them with names ſuitable thereunto? The Reaſon we have partly ſeen: And may hence,
5. Obſerve, God is pleaſed to honour men ſo far, as to employ them in many things which of right belong unto, and might be done by Himſelf alone.
Obſerv. 5 THus whereas it is his Spirit by which the face of the earth is renewed, Pſal. 104.30. that is, by which all Creatures are propagated in their kinds, yet he is pleaſed to make uſe both of men and beaſts, as his Inſtruments, in their propagation. And whereas he only governs the World in Righteouſneſſe, yet he makes uſe of men in the Government thereof, whom he ſets upon his Throne, Graces with his Titles, and arms with his Scepter: as although it is he alone that is the Shepherd of Iſrael, Pſal. 80.1. yet he ſets up David his ſervant to feed Iſrael his Inheritance, Pſal. 78.71. yea, in things ſpiritual, although all are taught of God, Iſa. 54.13. yet he committed the diſpenſation of his Word to the Tribe of Levi, and his Miniſters that ſucceed them, to teach Jacob his Judgments, and Iſrael his Law, Deut. 33.10. Inſomuch that he gives them the title of Fathers; unto ſuch as are begotten anew by the Goſpel, 1 Cor. 4.15. although the work of Regeneration be the Effect only of his own Spirit. And this he doth, 1. To encourage men to his ſervice in honouring them ſo far as to make them his follow-workers. 2. To unite men the more in love, one to another. 3. To encreaſe their reward hereafter, by the faithful employment of their Talents, for the advantage of their Maſter from whom they received them, Matth. 25.21, 23.