Genesis 2 - The Garden and the Woman

The startling difference between the MT and LXX is clearly revealed in the genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11. Here is a direct side-by-side comparison of the Masoretic Text with the LXX. I have concluded that the LXX is much to be preferred over the Masoretic Text, a position from which the Eastern Orthodox Church never deviated. Perhaps, if you take the time to read my comparisons and other articles, you will arrive at the same conclusion.

The Septuagint version I am using is the Lexham English Septuagint 2nd Edition, which is available in print or as part of Logos Bible Software. Occasionally I also use the Brenton translation of the LXX for insight into difficult passages.

If you want to know more, click on the following links.

Masoretic Text	Septuagint	Significance
7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 (NKJV)	7 And God formed the human with dust from the earth and blew the breath of life into his face, and the human came into being as a living soul. Genesis 2:7 (LES2)	I covered Genesis Chapter One in great detail in my biblical cosmology series. In general, the MT and LXX agree in Genesis 2:7, but the LXX adds some interesting insights. The MT says Adam was formed from the dust of the ground, but the LXX says from the dust from the earth [Greek – ge], the same word that describes the world in which we live, not just the dirt under our feet. The MT and LXX agree that God blew or breathed the breath of life into Adam. The MT says it was into his nostrils, but the LXX says into his face, which of course includes the nose. The result was that Adam became a living soul or being. From this passage we learn that humans are composed of a spirit, a soul, and a body (1 Thessalonians 5:23, Hebrews 4:12), the soul being the result of the combination of spirit to the body. When the spirit leaves, the soul departs, leaving the body as a lifeless shell awaiting the resurrection.
8 The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:8–9 (NKJV)	8 The Lord God planted a paradise in Eden toward the east and there he placed the human that he formed. 9 And God further brought up from the earth every tree beautiful to the sight and good for food, and the tree of life in the midst of the paradise, and the tree for knowing what is known of good and of evil. Genesis 2:8–9 (LES2)	The MT says that God planted an enclosed garden, but the LXX calls it a garden paradise. The MT and LXX otherwise agree in this passage until the very end of verse 9. The MT calls the latter tree the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” but the LXX interestingly says it is “the tree for knowing what is known of good and evil.” The Greek word gnostos is translated “what is known.” It is the root of the English word “gnostic.” Gnosticism, the belief that we are saved through the acquisition of knowledge, is a heresy which began in the garden, plagued the early church, and continues to this day. The pursuit of hidden or forbidden knowledge is the root evil behind satanism and the occult. As I wrote elsewhere, modern astrophysics is just another tentacle of this great evil.
10 Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. 11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which goes around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it is the one which goes toward the east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates. Genesis 2:10–14 (NKJV)	10 But a river goes out from Eden to water the paradise; from that place it separates into four sources. 11 The name of the one is Pishon; this is the one encircling all the land of Havilah, there where the gold is. 12 But the gold of that land is beautiful; and the carbuncle and the green stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; this is the one encircling all the land of Cush. 14 The third river is the Tigris; this is the one going opposite the Assyrians. And the fourth river, this is the Euphrates. Genesis 2:10–14 (LES2)	Here we have an example of the difference in verb tenses. The MT says a river “went” out, but the LXX says it “goes” out, suggesting that at the time Genesis was written, this river still existed and perhaps exists yet. What the MT calls bdellium the LXX uses the Greek word anthrax, which literally means “coal of fire,” and probably references a ruby. The onyx of the MT is the “green stone” of the LXX, which may have been an emerald.
15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:15–17 (NKJV)	15 The Lord God took the human that he formed, and he placed him in the paradise to work and to keep it. 16 The Lord God commanded Adam, saying, “From every tree that is in the paradise you may eat for food, 17 but from the tree for knowing good and evil, you will not eat from it. And on whichever day you eat from it, you will surely die.” Genesis 2:15–17 (LES2)	The MT and LXX essentially agree in this passage. The MT, however, says that Adam was permitted to “freely” eat of all the trees except one. The LXX leaves out the word “freely” and adds the purpose – “for food.” This is not a huge difference, since it is obvious they were free to eat from the permitted trees. However, it is never wise to add to God’s words, subtract from them, or change them, something the MT does regularly. You may wish to read my article showing my reasons for making the above statement. Just click on the link above. God’s words indicate he knew they would eat from the forbidden tree.
18 And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 19 Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. Genesis 2:18–20 (NKJV)	18 The Lord God said, “It is not good that the human is alone; let us make for him a helper like him.” 19 And God further formed from the earth all the wild animals of the field and all the birds of the heavens. And he led them to Adam to see what he would name them, and anything, whatever Adam named it as a living soul, this was its name. 20 Adam gave names to all the livestock and to all the birds of the heavens and to all the wild animals of the field, yet for Adam, no helper resembling him was found. Genesis 2:18–20 (LES2)	The MT says the woman would be fashioned as a helper comparable to Adam. The LXX says she will be a helper, Greek boethos kata him, which means a helper or protector “according to, with respect to, or against” him. The Greek word boethos is used frequently to describe a protector and guard, such as in Psalm 120. 2 My help [Greek – boetheia] is from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth. Psalm 120:2 (LES2) So this helper was to be like God in how she assisted Adam. The Holy Spirit is also called the Helper.
21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. 23 And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2:21–24 (NKJV)	21 So God laid a trance upon Adam and put him to sleep; and he took one of his ribs and filled up the flesh in the place of it. 22 The Lord God built the rib that he took from Adam into a woman, and he led her to Adam. 23 And Adam said, “Now this is bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh; she will be named ‘Woman’ because she was taken from her man.” 24 For this reason a man will leave behind his father and his mother and will cleave to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. Genesis 2:21–24 (LES2)	The LXX adds that God “laid a trance” [Greek – ekstasis] upon Adam, which is an alternate state of mind. We derive our English word “ecstasy” from it. This word is used elsewhere when God is revealing something special, as in Genesis 15:12 and Acts 10:10. Both agree that Adam was “put to sleep” for an “operation” through which God took one of Adam’s ribs and fashioned or “built” it into Eve. So she was literally made from Adam’s bones and flesh. The LXX says she was “taken from her man.” This foreshadows how God created his church, Christ’s bride, by extracting her from the pierced side of our Lord while he “slept” in the tomb. The church was taken from “her man.” Jesus will cleave to his bride. As our Lord said, no one can snatch her from his hand. (John 10:28)