Genesis 2:7

“And YHWH Elohim formed the man from dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.”
Genesis 2:7 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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God forms the man from the dust of the ground and breathes into him the breath of lifeCreation God forms the man from dust and breathes life into himPurpose

With the Hebrew beneath

AndוַYHWHיְהוָהElohimאֱלֹהִיםformedיִּיצֶרthe manאֶת הָאָדָםfromdustעָפָרfrom the groundמִן הָאֲדָמָהandוַbreathedיִּפַּחinto his nostrilsבְּאַפָּיוthe breathנִשְׁמַתof life;חַיִּיםandוַthe manהָאָדָםbecameיְהִיa livingחַיָּהbeing.לְנֶפֶשׁ

Quotation · 1 Corinthians 15:45

Go to 1 Corinthians 15:45

Paul quotes the end of Genesis 2:7 and adds “first” and “Adam”; the second half, about “the last Adam,” is his own.

Formula: οὕτως καὶ γέγραπται “so also it is written” (1 Corinthians 15:45)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: οὕτως καὶ γέγραπται Ἐγένετο ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος Ἀδὰμ εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν ὁ ἔσχατος Ἀδὰμ εἰς πνεῦμα ζῳοποιοῦν

Hebrew (Masoretic text): וַיִּיצֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן הָאֲדָמָה וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים וַיְהִי הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה

This passage could not be located with certainty in the transcription of the Septuagint we use, so it is not compared.

Allusion · 1 Timothy 2:13

Go to 1 Timothy 2:13

Both texts use “form” for the creation of the man, Adam. Genesis tells it in 2:7, and the forming of the woman in 2:21-22.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

אָדָםadamH120ἈδὰμAdamG76“human being, man; Adam”
יִּיצֶרyitserH3335ἐπλάσθηeplasthēG4111“form, mold”

Genesis 2:7, word by word

YHWHיְהוָהyehva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yehva” appears

Elohimאֱלֹהִיםelohim

Elohim

The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.

Where else “elohim” appears

formedיִּיצֶרyitser

mold

To mold, as God molded man from dust.

Where else “yitser” appears

the manאָדָםadam

Adam

Adam, the first man.

Where else “adam” appears

dustעָפָרafar

dust

Dry, loose earth, fine as dust; God formed man from it.

Where else “afar” appears

from the groundאֲדָמָהadama

soil

Farmland, or dust.

Where else “adama” appears

breathedיִּפַּחyipach

blow

To puff air, as God gave life to man.

Where else “yipach” appears

into his nostrilsאַפָּיapay

nose

The nose, the part of the face we breathe through.

Where else “apay” appears

the breathנִשְׁמַתnishmat

breath

The puff of life God gave; "every living thing that draws air".

Where else “nishmat” appears

of lifeחַיִּיםchayim

life

The span and strength of being alive, which come from God.

Where else “chayim” appears

becameיְהִיyehi

become

To turn into something new, or fall upon someone.

Where else “yehi” appears

beingנֶפֶשׁnefesh

living being

Something alive that breathes, person or animal.

Where else “nefesh” appears

Translation note

In Hebrew “man” (human being) is adam and “ground” is adama: the man comes from the ground.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · 1 Corinthians 15:45

Paul quotes the end of Genesis 2:7 and adds “first” and “Adam”; the second half, about “the last Adam,” is his own.

See them side by side

Genesis 2:7

⁷And YHWH Elohim formed the man from dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.

1 Corinthians 15:45

⁴⁵So also it is written: The first man, Adam, became a living soul; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

The context

6but a mist would go up from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground.

7 · This verse (above)

8And YHWH Elohim planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.

Read all of Genesis 2

To study Genesis 2 in a group

1. What it says
How did YHWH Elohim form the man, and what did he give him so that he became a living being (v. 7)?
2. What it means
Why does YHWH Elohim say it is not good for the man to be alone (v. 18)?
3. How I live it
What friendship or relationship can you care for this week so you do not walk alone?

How to use it