Yahweh
God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Genesis 2:7
Genesis 2 [1.] The heavens, the earth, and all their vast array were finished. On the seventh day God finished his work which he had done; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. God blessed the seventh day, and made it holy, because he rested in it from all his work of creation which he had done.
Genesis 2 [4.] This is the history of the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Yahweh God made the earth and the heavens.No plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for Yahweh God had not caused it to rain on the earth. There was not a man to till the ground, but a mist went up from the earth, and watered the whole surface of the ground. Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Yahweh God planted a garden eastward, in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground Yahweh God made every tree to grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it was parted, and became the source of four rivers. The name of the first is Pishon: it flows through the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; and the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and onyx stone are also there. The name of the second river is Gihon. It is the same river that flows through the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Hiddekel. This is the one which flows in front of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates. Yahweh God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it. Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”
Meaning:
Genesis 1 tells of the creation of the heavens and the earth in six days, ending with the creation of humankind: “God created man in his own image” (Genesis 1:27). Genesis 2 looks more closely at that sixth day. This verse describes both the humble origin and the high dignity of human life.
- “Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground”
The word “formed” pictures a potter shaping clay with his hands. Man is not an accident; he is carefully made by God. In Hebrew there is a play on words: the man (adam) is formed from the ground (adamah). Human beings are bound to the earth and share its frailty. Paul writes, “The first man is of the earth, made of dust” (1 Corinthians 15:47).
- “And breathed into his nostrils the breath of life”
The man God formed did not live until God breathed into him. This intimate picture, used of no other creature, points to the special relationship between God and the people made in his image. Paul told the Athenians that God “himself gives to all life and breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25).
- “And man became a living soul”
The phrase “living soul” means a living being, a whole person. Here it describes the whole person, made of dust and alive by God’s breath. Paul quotes it, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul”, and adds, “The last Adam became a life-giving spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45).
- A picture fulfilled in Christ
On the evening of his resurrection Jesus “breathed on them” and gave them the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). As God breathed life into the first man, the risen Lord breathes new life into his people: “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
The Significance of Genesis 2:7
- The dignity of every human life
Because every person is formed by God and given life by his breath, every human life has value. We are called to respect and care for others, whatever their abilities, age or background.
- Humility and dependence
We are made of dust and depend on God for every breath. This should keep us humble, thankful and trusting.
Cross-References:
Genesis 1:27: "God created man in his own image." Humanity made in God’s image.
1 Corinthians 15:45: "The last Adam became a life-giving spirit." Adam and Christ.
Acts 17:25: "he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things." God the giver of life.
John 20:22: "he breathed on them, and said to them," The risen Lord gives new life.
Conclusion: God formed the first man from the dust of the ground, breathed into him the breath of life, and he became a living being. The verse shows both our humble origin and our God-given dignity. It also points forward to Jesus, the last Adam, who breathed on his disciples and gives new life by the Holy Spirit.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible