The Trees · stop 1 of 11
Two trees, center-garden
The noun is עֵץ (ʿēṣ, H6086) — the ordinary Hebrew word for tree AND for cut wood. Every later stop on this thread uses the same word or its Greek mirror ξύλον (xylon, G3586).
9And out of the ground made Jehovah God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The narrative
This stop on the thread
Everything the Bible will say about life and death is planted here as two trees. Henry reads the tree of life as a seal of the covenant of works — life held out on condition of obedience; Calvin reads it as a testimony pointing beyond itself. Either way, the way to life runs through a tree from the very first page.
Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (public domain); John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis (public domain)Reformed
A voice from the tradition
Witness
The tree of life was a seal to him of the assurance of life, upon condition of his obedience.
Matthew Henry· Commentary on Genesis 2Puritan
The workbench
Words in this verse
- וַיַּצְמַ֞חvai.yatz.Mach — and he made sproutH6779
- יְהוָ֤הYah.weh — YahwehH3068
- אֱלֹהִים֙'E.lo.Him — GodH430
- מִן־min- — fromH4480
- הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔הha.'a.da.Mah — the groundH127
- כָּל־kol- — everyH3605
- עֵ֛ץ'etz — treeH6086
- נֶחְמָ֥דnech.Mad — desirableH2530
- לְמַרְאֶ֖הle.mar.'Eh — to appearanceH4758
- וְט֣וֹבve.Tov — and goodH2896
- לְמַאֲכָ֑לle.ma.'a.Khal — for foodH3978
- וְעֵ֤ץve.'Etz — and [the] tree ofH6086
- הַֽחַיִּים֙ha.chai.Yim — <the> lifeH2416
- בְּת֣וֹךְbe.Tokh — [was] in [the] middle ofH8432
- הַגָּ֔ןha.Gan — the gardenH1588
- וְעֵ֕ץve.'Etz — and [the] tree ofH6086
- הַדַּ֖עַתha.Da.'at — the knowledgeH1847
- ט֥וֹבTov — goodH2896
- וָרָֽע׃va.Ra' — and evilH7451
The floor
Cross-references
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