Genesis 2
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Genesis chapter 2 is given here in full, verse by verse, in Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), with the Greek text of the Septuagint set beneath each verse. The text follows the Septuagint tradition received throughout the Orthodox Church.
7 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from 2 Fathers — Saint Methodius of Olympus and Saint Gregory of Nyssa. The translator's notes for this chapter (17) follow the text.
Genesis 2
1And the heavens and the earth were finished, and the whole * world of them.Καὶ συνετελέσθησαν ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ, καὶ πᾶς ὁ κόσμος αὐτῶν.
2✡ And God finished on the sixth day his works which he made, and he ceased on the seventh day from all his works which he made.Καὶ συνετέλεσεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἕκτῃ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ, ἃ ἐποίησε· καὶ κατέπαυσε τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ, ὧν ἐποίησε.
3And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it he ceased from all his works which God † began to do.Καὶ εὐλόγησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὴν ἡμέραν τὴν ἑβδόμην, καὶ ἡγίασεν αὐτήν, ὅτι ἐν αὐτῇ κατέπαυσεν ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ, ὧν ἤρξατο ὁ Θεὸς ποιῆσαι.
4This is the book of the generation of heaven and earth, when ‡ they were made, in the day in which the Lord God made the heaven and the earth,Αὕτη ἡ βίβλος γενέσεως οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς, ὅτε ἐγένετο, ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ ἐποίησε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν,
5and every herb of the field before it was on the earth, and all the grass of the field before it sprang up, for God had not rained on the earth, and there was not a man to cultivate it.καὶ πᾶν χλωρὸν ἀγροῦ πρὸ τοῦ γενέσθαι ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ πάντα χόρτον ἀγροῦ πρὸ τοῦ ἀνατεῖλαι· οὐ γὰρ ἔβρεξεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἄνθρωπος οὐκ ἦν ἐργάζεσθαι αὐτήν.
6But there rose a fountain out of the earth, and watered the whole face of the earth.Πηγὴ δὲ ἀνέβαινεν ἐκ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐπότιζε πᾶν τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς.
7And God formed the man of dust of the earth, and breathed upon his face the breath of life, ✡ and the man became a living soul.Καὶ ἔπλασεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον, χοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς· καὶ ἐνεφύσησεν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ πνοὴν ζωῆς, καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν.
8And God planted a garden eastward in Edem, and placed there the man whom he had formed.Καὶ ἐφύτευσεν ὁ Θεὸς παράδεισον ἐν Ἐδὲμ κατὰ ἀνατολάς· καὶ ἔθετο ἐκεῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ὃν ἔπλασε.
9And God made to spring up also out of the earth every tree beautiful § to the eye and good for food, and the tree of life in the midst of the garden, and the tree of learning ** the knowledge of good and evil.Καὶ ἐξανέτειλεν ὁ Θεὸς ἔτι ἐκ τῆς γῆς πᾶν ξύλον ὡραῖον εἰς ὅρασιν, καὶ καλὸν εἰς βρῶσιν, καὶ τὸ ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ παραδείσου, καὶ τὸ ξύλον τοῦ εἰδέναι γνωστὸν καλοῦ καὶ πονηροῦ.
10And a river proceeds out of Edem to water the garden, thence it divides itself into four heads.Ποταμὸς δὲ ἐκπορεύεται ἐξ Ἐδὲμ ποτίζειν τὸν παράδεισον· ἐκεῖθεν ἀφορίζεται εἰς τέσσαρας ἀρχάς.
11The name of the one, Phisom, this it is which encircles the whole land of Evilat, where there is gold.Ὄνομα τῷ ἑνὶ, Φισῶν· οὗτος ὁ κυκλῶν πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν Εὐιλάτ· ἐκεῖ οὗ ἐστι τὸ χρυσίον.
12And the gold of that land is good, there also is carbuncle and emerald.Τὸ δὲ χρυσίον τῆς γῆς ἐκείνης καλόν· καὶ ἐκεῖ ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθραξ, καὶ ὁ λίθος ὁ πράσινος.
13And the name of the second river is Geon, this it is which encircles the whole land of Ethiopia.Καὶ ὄνομα τῷ ποταμῷ τῷ δευτέρῳ, Γεῶν· οὗτος ὁ κυκλῶν πᾶσαν τὴν γὴν Αἰθιοπίας.
14And the third river is Tigris, this is that which flows forth over against the Assyrians. And the fourth river is Euphrates.Καὶ ὁ ποταμὸς ὁ τρίτος, Τίγρις· οὗτος ὁ προπορευόμενος κατέναντι Ἀσσυρίων· ὁ δὲ ποταμὸς ὁ τέταρτος, Εὐφράτης.
15And the Lord God took the man whom he had formed, and placed him in the garden of Delight, to cultivate and keep it.Καὶ ἔλαβε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ὃν ἔπλασε, καὶ ἔθετο αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ τῆς τρυφῆς, ἐργάζεσθαι αὐτὸν καὶ φυλάσσειν.
16And the Lord God gave a charge to Adam, saying, Of every tree which is in the garden you †† may freely eat,Καὶ ἐνετείλατο Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Ἀδὰμ, λέγων, ἀπὸ παντὸς ξύλου τοῦ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ βρώσει φαγῇ.
17but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil—of it you shall not eat, but in whatever day you eat of it, you shall ‡‡ surely die.Ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ξύλου τοῦ γινώσκειν καλὸν καὶ πονηρὸν, οὐ φάγεσθε ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ· ᾗ δʼ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγητε ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ, θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖσθε.
18And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone, let us make for him a help §§ suitable to him.Καὶ εἶπε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς, οὐ καλὸν εἶναι τὸν ἄνθρωπον μόνον· ποιήσωμεν αὐτῷ βοηθὸν κατʼ αὐτόν.
19And God formed yet farther out of the earth all the wild beasts of the field, and all the birds of the sky, and he brought them to Adam, to see what he would call them, and whatever Adam called any living creature, *** that was the name of it.Καὶ ἔπλασεν ὁ Θεὸς ἔτι ἐκ τῆς γῆς πάντα τὰ θηρία τοῦ ἀγροῦ, καὶ πάντα τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ· καὶ ἤγαγεν αὐτὰ πρὸς τὸν Ἀδὰμ, ἰδεῖν τί καλέσει αὐτά· καὶ πᾶν ὃ ἐὰν ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸ Ἀδὰμ ψυχὴν ζῶσαν, τοῦτο ὄνομα αὐτῷ.
20And Adam ††† gave names to all the cattle and to all the birds of the sky, and to all the wild beasts of the field, but for Adam there was not found a help like to himself.Καὶ ἐκάλεσεν Ἀδὰμ ὀνόματα πᾶσι τοῖς κτήνεσι, καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς πετεινοῖς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς θηρίοις τοῦ ἀγροῦ· τῷ δὲ Ἀδὰμ οὐχ εὑρέθη βοηθὸς ὅμοιος αὐτῷ.
21And God brought a trance upon Adam, and he slept, and he took one of his ribs, and filled up the flesh instead thereof.Καὶ ἐπέβαλεν ὁ Θεὸς ἔκστασιν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀδὰμ, καὶ ὕπνωσε· καὶ ἔλαβε μίαν τῶν πλευρῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνεπλήρωσε σάρκα ἀντʼ αὐτῆς.
22And God ‡‡‡ formed the rib which he took from Adam into a woman, and brought her to Adam.Καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὴν πλευρὰν, ἣν ἔλαβεν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ εἰς γυναῖκα· καὶ ἤγαγεν αὐτὴν πρὸς τὸν Ἀδάμ.
23And Adam said, This now is bone §§§ of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called * woman, because she was taken out † of her husband.Καὶ εἶπεν Ἀδάμ· τοῦτο νῦν ὀστοῦν ἐκ τῶν ὀστέων μου, καὶ σὰρξ ἐκ τῆς σαρκός μου· αὕτη κληθήσεται γυνὴ, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς ἐλήφθη.
24Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall ‡ cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.Ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα, καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν.
25Καὶ ἦσαν οἱ δύο γυμνοὶ, ὅ, τε Ἀδὰμ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχύνοντο.
Translator's Notes
These notes come from the printed edition of Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), and record where the Greek differs from the English rendering or admits more than one reading.
- v. 1*Or, order. See John 1:10.
- v. 2✡Heb 4:4
- v. 3†Or, made in the beginning. See Acts 1:1.
- v. 4‡Or, it took place.
- v. 7✡1 Cor 15:45
- v. 9§Gr. for sight.
- v. 9**Or, that which is to be known. Comp. Rom 1:19.
- v. 16††Or, eat for food.
- v. 17‡‡Or, die by death.
- v. 18§§Gr. according to him.
- v. 19***Gr. soul.
- v. 20†††Gr. called.
- v. 22‡‡‡Gr. built.
- v. 23§§§Or, out of. See the force of ἐκ in Eph 5:30.
- v. 23*Or, wife.
- v. 23†In the Heb. the reason of the name appears. She shall be called Issha because she was taken out of Ish.
- v. 24‡Gr. be cemented. Mat 19:5.
The Fathers on Genesis 2
Saint Methodius of Olympus and Saint Gregory of Nyssa comment on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On Genesis 2Saint Methodius of OlympusGeneration Something Akin to the First Formation of Eve from the Side and Nature of Adam; God the Creator of Men in Ordinary Generation. Chapter II.—Generation Something Akin to the First Formation of Eve from the Side and Nature of Adam; God the Creator of Men in Ordinary Generation. And this perhaps is what was shadowed forth by the sleep and trance of…
Read The Banquet of the Ten Virgins →
On Genesis 2Saint Methodius of OlympusComparison Instituted Between the First and Second Adam. Chapter III.—Comparison Instituted Between the First and Second Adam. And, first, we must inquire if Adam can be likened to the Son of God, when he was found in the transgression of the Fall, and heard the sentence, “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” For how shall he be considered “the…
Read The Banquet of the Ten Virgins →
On Genesis 2Saint Methodius of OlympusConcerning Free-Will. Orthodoxus. The old man of Ithaca, according to the legend of the Greeks, when he wished to hear the song of the Sirens, on account of the charm of their voluptuous voice, sailed to Sicily in bonds, and stopped up the ears of his companions; not that he grudged them the hearing, or desired to load himself with bonds, but because the…
Read Concerning Free Will →
On Genesis 2Saint Methodius of OlympusPart I. From the Discourse on the Resurrection. Part I. I. God did not make evil, nor is He at all in any way the author of evil; but whatever failed to keep the law, which He in all justice ordained, after being made by Him with the faculty of free-will, for the purpose of guarding and keeping it, is called evil. Now it is the gravest fault to disobey God,…
Read Discourse on the Resurrection →
On Genesis 2:8, 16Saint Gregory of NyssaXVII. What we must answer to those who raise the question—“If procreation is after sin, how would souls have come into being if the first of mankind had remained sinless?” 1. It is better for us however, perhaps, rather to inquire, before investigating this p…
Read On the Making of Man →
On Genesis 2:8, 16Saint Gregory of NyssaXIX. To those who say that the enjoyment of the good things we look for will again consist in meat and drink, because it is written that by these means man at first lived in Paradise. 1. But some one perhaps will say that man will not be returning to the same…
Read On the Making of Man →
On Genesis 2:8, 16Open Genesis 2 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint Gregory of NyssaXX. What was the life in Paradise, and what was the forbidden tree? 1. What then is that which includes the knowledge of good and evil blended together, and is decked with the pleasures of sense? I think I am not aiming wide of the mark in employing, as a sta…
Read On the Making of Man →