Out of the ground the LORD God gave growth to every tree that is pleasing to the eye and good for food.This phrase highlights God's creative power and provision. The emphasis on "out of the ground" connects to
Genesis 2:7, where God forms man from the dust, underscoring the theme of life emerging from the earth. The trees being "pleasing to the eye" suggests God's intention for beauty and aesthetic enjoyment in creation, reflecting His nature as a God of order and beauty. "Good for food" indicates God's provision for sustenance, aligning with His role as a provider. This provision is echoed in
Genesis 1:29, where God gives plants for food. The abundance and variety of trees also symbolize the richness of God's creation, a theme that recurs throughout Scripture, such as in
Psalm 104:14-15, which speaks of God providing for all living things.
And in the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The placement of these trees "in the middle of the garden" signifies their central importance. The "tree of life" represents eternal life and is a recurring symbol in Scripture, appearing again inRevelation 22:2 as part of the new creation, indicating its role in God's redemptive plan. The "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" introduces the concept of moral choice and free will, setting the stage for the fall inGenesis 3. This tree symbolizes the boundary set by God, highlighting the theme of obedience and the consequences of disobedience. The dual presence of these trees reflects the tension between life and death, blessing and curse, a theme that runs throughout the Bible, culminating in the choice between life and death presented inDeuteronomy 30:19. Theologically, these trees foreshadow the cross of Christ, where the ultimate choice between life and death is made manifest.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
The LORD GodThe Creator, who is actively involved in the formation and sustenance of the world, including the Garden of Eden.
2.
The Garden of EdenA paradise created by God, where He placed the first humans, Adam and Eve. It is a place of beauty and abundance.
3.
The Tree of LifeA tree in the middle of the garden symbolizing eternal life and God's provision.
4.
The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and EvilAnother central tree, representing the choice and moral responsibility given to humanity.
5.
The GroundThe source from which God caused every tree to grow, emphasizing His power and the goodness of creation.
Teaching Points
God's Provision and BeautyGod provides abundantly for our needs, both physically and spiritually. We should recognize and appreciate the beauty and provision in our lives as gifts from God.
Choice and ResponsibilityThe presence of the two trees highlights the importance of choice and moral responsibility. We are called to make decisions that align with God's will and wisdom.
The Centrality of Life and KnowledgeThe placement of the trees in the middle of the garden signifies the central role of life and knowledge in God's creation. We should seek life through Christ and wisdom through His Word.
The Consequences of DisobedienceThe Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil serves as a reminder of the consequences of disobedience. We must be vigilant in our obedience to God to avoid spiritual death.
Eternal Life through ChristThe Tree of Life points to the eternal life offered through Jesus Christ. Believers are encouraged to live with an eternal perspective, focusing on the life to come.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Genesis 2:9?
2.How does Genesis 2:9 illustrate God's provision for humanity's needs and desires?
3.What is the significance of the "tree of life" in Genesis 2:9?
4.How does Genesis 2:9 connect to Revelation's depiction of the "tree of life"?
5.How can we apply the concept of choice from Genesis 2:9 today?
6.What does Genesis 2:9 teach about God's intentions for human free will?
7.What is the significance of the tree of life in Genesis 2:9?
8.How does Genesis 2:9 relate to the concept of free will?
9.Why did God place the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Genesis 2?
11.How does Genesis 2:9 account for the existence of the “Tree of Life” or “Tree of Knowledge” beyond mythological imagery?
12.What events unfold in the Apocalypse of Moses?
13.What is the meaning of the Fall of Man?
14.What was the purpose of Eden's two trees?What Does Genesis 2:9 Mean
Out of the ground the LORD God gave growthGenesis 2:9 begins by spotlighting the divine Gardener. The soil did not spontaneously sprout; “the LORD God gave growth.”
•Genesis 1:11-12 affirms the same pattern—God commands, vegetation appears—showing that His word is both creative and sustaining.
•Psalm 104:14 celebrates how He “makes the grass grow,” underlining His ongoing care, not a one-time push.
•1 Corinthians 3:6 echoes the truth that, even in later cultivation, “God made it grow”.
The phrase “out of the ground” also ties humanity to creation (Genesis 2:7), underscoring dependence on the Lord who animates both man and garden. Nothing in Eden owes its existence to chance; every sprout is a testimony to God’s personal involvement.
Every tree that is pleasing to the eye and good for foodTwo qualities stand out: beauty and nourishment. God designed trees to delight sight and sustain life.
•Genesis 1:29 shows Him freely giving plants “for food,” revealing provision.
•Psalm 34:8 invites us to “taste and see” His goodness, pairing sensory pleasure with spiritual reality.
•James 1:17 reminds us that “every good and perfect gift is from above,” echoing Eden’s bounty.
Practical takeaways:
– God cares about the aesthetic dimension of life; He values beauty.
– He meets physical needs generously, setting the pattern for daily trust (Matthew 6:30).
– Creation’s appeal is meant to draw hearts back to the Giver.
In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evilPlacement “in the middle” makes these trees unavoidable, central to Eden’s design and to humanity’s destiny.
Tree of Life
•Proverbs 3:18 likens wisdom to a “tree of life,” suggesting ongoing vitality.
•Revelation 2:7 and 22:2 reintroduce this tree in the New Jerusalem, promising eternal healing—God’s intent never changed.
Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
•Genesis 2:17 sets the boundary: eating brings death. The command created a moral crossroads, not a trap.
•Genesis 3:5 shows the serpent twisting the issue, yet the responsibility to obey remained with Adam and Eve.
•Deuteronomy 30:15 later frames covenant life similarly: “life and good, death and evil.” The Eden pattern persists—true freedom is found in trusting God’s definition of good.
Together these trees emphasize:
– God offers life, not mere existence.
– Love requires choice; obedience is the avenue to ongoing fellowship.
– Sin is not a design flaw in creation but a misuse of God-given freedom.
summaryGenesis 2:9 paints Eden as a God-crafted home where every tree springs from His hand, radiates beauty, and supplies food. At its center stand two trees—one embodying unending life, the other embodying the necessity of trustful obedience. The verse reassures us of the Creator’s generosity, love of beauty, and desire for relationship, while reminding us that real life flows from choosing His way.
(9)
Every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food.--It has often been noticed that while the ancients do not seem to have had much taste for the beauty of the landscape, they greatly admired large and umbrageous trees. This feeling seems like a reminiscence of the joy of our first parents when they found themselves in a happy garden, surrounded by trees, the beauty of which is even more commended than the fact placed second, that they supplied wholesome and nutritious food. Two trees in the centre of the garden had marvellous qualities; for "the tree of life" ad the power of so renewing man's physical energies that his body, though formed of the dust of the ground, and therefore naturally mortal, would, by its continual use, live on for ever. The other, "the tree of knowledge of good and evil," must have acquired this name after the fall. As long as Adam and Eve were in their original innocence they had no knowledge of evil, nor could any mere mental development bestow it upon them. They must either feel it in themselves, or see it in others, before they could know it. We conclude, then, that this was the tree to which God's command, that they should not eat of it (comp.
Genesis 3:3), was attached; and only by the breach of that command would man attain to this higher knowledge, with all the solemn responsibilities attached to it. Besides this each tree had a symbolic meaning, and especially the tree of life (
Revelation 2:7;
Revelation 22:2). The Chaldean legends have preserved the memory of this latter tree, and depict it as the
Asclepias acida,whence the
somajuice is prepared.
Verse 9. -
And out of the ground made the Lord God (Jehovah Elohim)
to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight - literally, lovely to see;
i.e. beautiful in form and color -
and good for food. In the preparation of man's pristine abode respect was had to ornamentation as well as utility. Every species of vegetation that could minister to his corporeal necessities was provided. Flowers, trees, and shrubs regaled his senses with their fragrance, pleased his eye with their exquisite forms and enchanting colors, and gratified his palate with their luscious fruits. Hence the garden of the Lord became the highest ideal of earthly excellence (
Isaiah 51:3). In particular it was distinguished by the presence of two trees, which occupied a central position among its multifarious productions.
The tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. That these were not two separate trees, but only one tree distinguished by different names, has been maintained, though with no weightier reason than the statement of Eve in
Genesis 3:3. The opinion of Witsius, Luther, Kennicott, and Hengstenberg, that classes of trees, and not individual trees, are meant by the phrases "tree of life" and "tree of knowledge," is precluded by the language of Jehovah Elohim in
Genesis 2:17 and
Genesis 3:24. As regards their significance, consistency requires that they should both be explained on the same principle. This, accordingly, disposes of the idea that the tree of life (literally, the tree of the lives: cf.
ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς,
Revelation 2:7; 20:19) is simply a Hebraism for
a living tree, as by no sort of ingenuity can the tree of knowledge be transformed into
a knowing tree. It likewise militates against the notion that the two trees were styled from the peculiar effects of their fruits, the one conferring physical immortality on Adam's body (Scotus, Aquinas, Fairbairn, Kalisch, Luther), and the other imparting moral and intellectual intuitions to his soul (Josephus, Kalisch). But even if the life-giving properties of the one tree could be demonstrated from
Genesis 3:24, proof would still be required with regard to the other, that the mere physical processes of manducation and digestion could be followed by results so immaterial as those of "rousing the slumbering intellect, teaching reason to reflect, and enabling the judgment to distinguish between moral good and moral evil" (Kalisch). Besides, if this was the immediate effect of eating the forbidden fruit, it is difficult to perceive either why it should have been prohibited to our first parents at all, it being "for their good to have their wits sharpened" (Willet); or in what respect they suffered loss through listening to the tempter, and did not rather gain (Rabbi Moses); or wherein, being destitute of both intellectual and moral discernment, they could be regarded as either guilty of transgression or responsible for obedience. Incapacity to know good and evil may be a characteristic of unconscious childhood and unreflecting youth (
Deuteronomy 1:39;
Isaiah 7:15;
Jonah 4:11), or of debilitated age (
2 Samuel 19:36), but is not conceivable in the case of one who was created in God's image, invested with world-dominion, and himself constituted the subject of moral government. Unless, therefore, with ancient Gnostics and modern Hegelians, we view the entire story of the probation as an allegorical representation of the necessary intellectual and ethical development of human nature, we must believe that Adam was acquainted with the idea of moral distinctions from the first. Hence the conclusion seems to force itself upon our minds that the first man was possessed of both immortality and knowledge irrespective altogether of the trees, and that the tree character which belonged to these trees was symbolical or sacramental, suggestive of the conditions under which he was placed in Eden. "Arbori autem vitae nomen indidit, non quod vitam homini conferrer, qua jam ante praeditus erat; sod ut symbolum ac memoriale esset vitae divinitus acceptae" (Calvin). For a further exposition of the exact significance of these trees see below on vers. 16,17.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Outמִן־(min-)Preposition
Strong's 4480:A part of, from, out ofof the groundהָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה(hā·’ă·ḏā·māh)Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 127:Ground, landthe LORDיְהוָ֤ה(Yah·weh)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068:LORD -- the proper name of the God of IsraelGodאֱלֹהִים֙(’ĕ·lō·hîm)Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430:gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlativegave growthוַיַּצְמַ֞ח(way·yaṣ·maḥ)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6779:To sprout, spring upto everyכָּל־(kāl-)Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605:The whole, all, any, everytreeעֵ֛ץ(‘êṣ)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6086:Tree, trees, woodthat is pleasingנֶחְמָ֥ד(neḥ·māḏ)Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2530:To desire, take pleasure into the eyeלְמַרְאֶ֖ה(lə·mar·’eh)Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4758:Sight, appearance, visionand goodוְט֣וֹב(wə·ṭō·wḇ)Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2896:Pleasant, agreeable, goodfor food.לְמַאֲכָ֑ל(lə·ma·’ă·ḵāl)Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3978:An eatableAnd in the middleבְּת֣וֹךְ(bə·ṯō·wḵ)Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8432:A bisection, the centreof the gardenהַגָּ֔ן(hag·gān)Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 1588:An enclosure, garden[were] the treeוְעֵ֤ץ(wə·‘êṣ)Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6086:Tree, trees, woodof lifeהַֽחַיִּים֙(ha·ḥay·yîm)Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2416:Alive, raw, fresh, strong, lifeand the treeוְעֵ֕ץ(wə·‘êṣ)Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6086:Tree, trees, woodof the knowledgeהַדַּ֖עַת(had·da·‘aṯ)Article | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1847:Knowledgeof goodט֥וֹב(ṭō·wḇ)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2896:Pleasant, agreeable, goodand evil.וָרָֽע׃(wā·rā‘)Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451:Bad, evil
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OT Law: Genesis 2:9 Out of the ground Yahweh God made (Gen. Ge Gn) 
