Genesis 2 provides an account of creation from a second perspective, focusing specifically on the creation of humans and the Garden of Eden.
The chapter begins by describing how God rested on the seventh day after completing the work of creation, blessing and sanctifying it as a holy day of rest. It then provides a more detailed account of how God formed man (Adam) from the dust of the ground and breathed life into him.
God planted a garden in Eden as a perfect home for the man and placed him there to work it and care for it. The garden had all kinds of beautiful trees that provided food, including two special trees in the center: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God commanded Adam that he may eat from any tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, warning that, if he ate from it, he would "surely die."
Four rivers flowed out from Eden, which are described with their geographic contexts.
God observed that it was not good for the man to be alone and made a suitable helper for him. God brought all the animals to Adam to name, but none were a suitable companion. Then God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep, took one of his ribs, and from it created a woman. When Adam saw her, he joyfully recognized her as "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh" and called her "woman" because she was taken out of man.
The chapter concludes with the statement that this is why a man leaves his parents and is united with his wife, becoming one flesh. It notes that the man and woman were both naked and felt no shame.
