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Daniel 10:4
And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, whichis Hiddekel;

The Tigris.

Genesis 10:11,22
Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, …

Genesis 25:18
And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, thatis before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria:and he died in the presence of all his brethren.

Euphrates.

Genesis 15:18
In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

Deuteronomy 1:7
Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto allthe places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.

Deuteronomy 11:24
Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.

it runs along the east side of Assyria.
Assyria was a powerful ancient empire known for its military prowess and significant influence in the Near East. The mention of Assyria provides a historical anchor, as Assyria became a dominant force in the region during the first millennium BC. The Tigris River's location relative to Assyria underscores the river's importance in trade, agriculture, and communication, contributing to the prosperity and expansion of the Assyrian Empire. This geographical detail also helps readers understand the broader context of the ancient Near East.

And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
The Euphrates River, alongside the Tigris, forms the backbone of Mesopotamia, often referred to as the "land between the rivers." The Euphrates is frequently mentioned in the Bible, symbolizing boundaries and significant locations. InRevelation 9:14, the Euphrates is mentioned in a prophetic context, indicating its continued symbolic importance. The river's mention in Genesis connects the creation narrative to a real-world geography, grounding the story in a tangible setting. The Euphrates' role in ancient history as a life-giving source and a boundary marker reflects its enduring significance in biblical and historical narratives.

Berean Standard Bible: “The name of the third river is the Tigris…”

• This phrase continues the literal description of Eden’s well-watered geography first outlined inGenesis 2:10–13. The text treats these rivers as real landmarks, underscoring that Eden was an actual place, not a myth.

• Scripture elsewhere confirms the Tigris as a recognizable river. Daniel “was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris” (Daniel 10:4). The continuity between Genesis and Daniel testifies to the river’s enduring reality across centuries.

• By naming the river, God anchors the creation narrative to the physical world, reminding readers that His works are both spiritual and tangible (Psalm 19:1).

• Because the Tigris is known today, modern readers can trace God’s faithfulness from the beginning until now, reinforcing trust in the reliability of His Word (Isaiah 40:8).

BSB: “…it runs along the east side of Assyria.”

• “Assyria” later emerges as a dominant empire that interacts heavily with Israel (2 Kings 17:6;Jonah 1:2). Mentioning it here shows God’s foreknowledge of nations long before they rise and fall (Isaiah 46:10).

• The geographic note—east of Assyria—helps locate Eden in the northern Mesopotamian region. That fits the broader biblical pattern of real places shaping redemptive history (Genesis 11:31;Acts 7:2–4).

• Assyria’s future hostility toward Israel makes this detail poignant: even lands that would oppose God’s people originated within the blessing of Eden’s watershed. This highlights both human rebellion and God’s overarching sovereignty (Nahum 1:3).

• Practical takeaway: knowing that God places His resources even where future enemies will dwell encourages believers to trust His providence in every circumstance (Romans 8:28).

BSB: “And the fourth river is the Euphrates.”

• The Euphrates is the most frequently mentioned river in Scripture. It forms the eastern boundary of the land promised to Abram (Genesis 15:18) and later frames Israel’s ideal borders (Deuteronomy 1:7).

• Prophets link the Euphrates to both judgment and restoration: Jeremiah warns of Babylon rising “from the Euphrates” (Jeremiah 46:2), while Revelation pictures end-time events unfolding there (Revelation 9:14; 16:12).

• By naming it in Eden, God shows that what begins in paradise weaves through the entire biblical drama—from creation to covenant to consummation.

• Key observations:

– Continuity: the same riverbookends history, testifying to Scripture’s unified storyline.

– Boundary: the Euphrates marks limits God Himself sets, reminding believers to respect His appointed borders in life and faith (Proverbs 22:28).

– Hope: even when waters become scenes of judgment, God’s plan flows toward ultimate restoration (Revelation 22:1).

Genesis 2:14 grounds the Garden of Eden in real, enduring geography. By naming the Tigris and Euphrates and situating the Tigris east of Assyria, God ties the creation account to locations that reappear throughout Scripture. These rivers testify to His ongoing sovereignty over nations, boundaries, and history. From Eden to the prophets to Revelation, the same waterways illustrate that the Creator’s purposes run unbroken across time, inviting believers to trust His Word as accurate, literal, and eternally reliable.

Euphrates.--No description is given of this as being the largest and best known of Asiatic rivers. Hence, probably, the Pison and Gihon were but small streams.Euphratesis the Greek manner of pronouncing the HebrewPhrath,the first syllable being simply a help in sounding the double consonant. In Accadian it is calledPurrat,and means "the curving water," being so named from its shape.

(1) that which places Eden near the head of the Persian Gulf, and

(2) that which looks for it in Armenia. The latter is favored by the close proximity to that region of the sources of both the Euphrates and the Tigris; but, on the other hand, it is hampered by the difficulty of discovering other two rivers that will correspond with the Gihon and the Pison, and the almost certainty that Cush and Havilah are to be sought for in the vicinity of the Persian Gulf. The former (Calvin, Kalisch, T. Lewis) is supported by this last consideration, that Cush and Havilah are not remote from the locality, though it too has its encumbrances. It seems to reverse the idea ofלֺיּעֵא, which according to Le Clerc indicates the direction of the stream. Then its advocates, no more than the supporters of the alternate theory, are agreed upon the Gihon and the Pison: Calvin finding them in the two principal mouths of the Euphrates and the Tigris, which Sir Charles Lyell declares to be of comparatively recent formation; Kalisch identifying them with the Indus and the Nile; and Taylor Lewis regarding them as the two sides of the Persian Gulf. Sir H. Rawlinson, from a study of the Assyrian texts, has pointed out the coincidence of the Babylonian region of Karduniyas or Garduniyas with the Eden of the Bible; and the late George Smith finds in its four rivers, Euphrates, Tigris, Surappi, and Ukui, its known fertility, and its name, Gandunu, so similar to Ganeden (the garden of Eden), "considerations all tending towards the view that it is the paradise of Genesis" ('Chald. Genesis,' pp. 3-305).

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