The Trees · stop 3 of 11
The way closed
Genesis 3:22–24
Cherubim and a flaming sword guard 'the way of the tree of life' — access is closed eastward. The tabernacle's cherubim will face an eastward entrance.
22And Jehovah God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever— 23therefore Jehovah God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden the Cherubim, and the flame of a sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
A voice from the tradition
Witness
The tree of life... was a symbol of Christ... not because it could confer that life which is in the power of God alone, but because it was a testimony of life divinely given.
John Calvin· Commentary on Genesis 2:9Reformed
The workbench
Words in this verse
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר׀vai.Yo.mer — and he saidH559
- יְהוָ֣הYah.weh — YahwehH3068
- אֱלֹהִ֗ים'E.lo.Him — GodH430
- הֵ֤ןhen — here!H2005
- הָֽאָדָם֙ha.'a.Dam — the manH120
- הָיָה֙ha.Yah — he has becomeH1961
- כְּאַחַ֣דke.'a.Chad — like oneH259
- מִמֶּ֔נּוּmi.Me.nu — of usH4480
- לָדַ֖עַתla.Da.'at — by knowingH3045
- ט֣וֹבTov — goodH2896
- וָרָ֑עva.Ra' — and evilH7451
- וְעַתָּ֣ה׀ve.'a.Tah — and thereforeH6258
- פֶּן־pen- — lestH6435
- יִשְׁלַ֣חyish.Lach — he should stretch outH7971
- יָד֗וֹya.Do — hand hisH3027
- וְלָקַח֙ve.la.Kach — and he will takeH3947
- גַּ֚םgam — alsoH1571
- מֵעֵ֣ץme.'Etz — from [the] tree ofH6086
- הַֽחַיִּ֔יםha.chai.Yim — <the> lifeH2416
- וְאָכַ֖לve.'a.Khal — and he will eatH398
- וָחַ֥יva.Chai — and he will liveH2421
- לְעֹלָֽם׃le.'o.Lam — for everH5769
The floor
Cross-references
Revelation 2:7Revelation 22:14Proverbs 3:18Revelation 22:2Genesis 11:6–7John 6:48–58Genesis 2:9Genesis 3:5
OpenBible.info (CC-BY), from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.