The Meaning of Genesis 2:2 Explained

Genesis 2:2

KJV: And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

YLT: and God completeth by the seventh day His work which He hath made, and ceaseth by the seventh day from all His work which He hath made.

Darby: And God had finished on the seventh day his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

ASV: And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And on the seventh  day  God  ended  his work  which he had made;  and he rested  on the seventh  day  from all his work  which he had made. 

What does Genesis 2:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

"Seventh" comes from a Hebrew root meaning "to be full, completed, entirely made up." [1] "Rested" means ceased from activity (cf. Exodus 40:33). There is no implication that God felt fatigued by His creative activity and needed to rest. He simply stopped creating.

Context Summary

Genesis 2:1-17 - Man In Eden, Innocence
The first paragraph belongs to the previous chapter, as is clear from the use of the same term for God-Elohim. God's Rest was not from weariness, or exhaustion, but because His work of Creation was finished. He is ever at work, remember John 5:17. We enter into His rest, when we cease to worry, and trust Him in all and for all. In Genesis 2:4, Moses incorporates another of those wonderful God-given narratives, which had been handed down from the lips of the patriarchs. It is marked by the use of another term for God-Jehovah Elohim. Every man is entrusted with a garden, that he may keep it. God's goodness is no excuse for idleness. Whether your heart and life shall produce weeds, or flowers and fruits, depends on yourself. Ponder Proverbs 4:23; Proverbs 24:30-31. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 2

1  The first Sabbath
4  Further details concerning the manner of creation
8  The planting of the garden of Eden, and its situation;
15  man is placed in it; and the tree of knowledge forbidden
18  The animals are named by Adam
21  The making of woman, and the institution of marriage

What do the individual words in Genesis 2:2 mean?

And ended God on the day seventh His work which He had done and He rested from all He had done
וַיְכַ֤ל אֱלֹהִים֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י מְלַאכְתּ֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה וַיִּשְׁבֹּת֙ מִכָּל־ עָשָֽׂה

וַיְכַ֤ל  And  ended 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּלָה  
Sense: to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent.
אֱלֹהִים֙  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
בַּיּ֣וֹם  on  the  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י  seventh 
Parse: Article, Number, ordinal masculine singular
Root: שְׁבִיעִי  
Sense: seventh.
מְלַאכְתּ֖וֹ  His  work 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מְלָאכָה  
Sense: occupation, work, business.
עָשָׂ֑ה  He  had  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
וַיִּשְׁבֹּת֙  and  He  rested 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁבַת 
Sense: to cease, desist, rest.
מִכָּל־  from  all 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עָשָֽׂה  He  had  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.