Genesis 2: Man and Woman in the Garden

This passage speaks of the garden of Eden.


Although God created seed-bearing plants and fruit trees that bore seed, verse 4 says that none of them had sprouted for God had not made it rain on the land yet. But, there was no need, for the waters God created would be able to rise from the ground and water the plants. He then created man from dust and breathed life into him. In the east, God created the garden of Eden. Here, all the most beautiful trees that bore good fruit was planted. Also in this garden was the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. There was a river made to water this garden, and this river separating into four small rivers: the Pishon, the Gihon, the Tigris, and the Euphrates. We also learn that there is gold, bdellium, and onyx on one of the lands.


In verse 15, God took the man he created and set him in the garden of Eden so that he may "work it and watch over it." In verse 16-17 man is told that he may eat from any tree in the garden except for the tree of knowledge of good and evil, "for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die." In verse 20, man gave names to all the creatures of earth, then God put man under a deep sleep. In verse 21-23, God makes a woman using one of the ribs of man. 


God was able to take something from man, but nothing something critical. For example, if I were to have a surgery this very moment and removed my heart, I would die unless I had something to replace it with. With ribs, it's different. You may remove a rib or two without causing any damage, which can be seen through the example of some models today who have removed their lower ribs to appear slimmer. But God being God, he could have removed man's head and man would still be able to live. Instead, he choses something reasonable, a single rib.

²⁴ This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh. ²⁵ Both the man and his wife were naked, yet felt no shame.

The rib symbolizes the woman. When the rib was removed from man, this is like when man and woman are seperated, and with their own parents. But, when "man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife", man and the rib is being reunited, therefore "they become on flesh." Verse 25 shows their innocence, and foreshadows the loss of innocence to come.