Genesis 2:11 kjv
The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;
Genesis 2:11 nkjv
The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.
Genesis 2:11 niv
The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.
Genesis 2:11 esv
The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.
Genesis 2:11 nlt
The first branch, called the Pishon, flowed around the entire land of Havilah, where gold is found.
Genesis 2 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 2:10 | "A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden... it separated into four heads." | Eden's source river for the four major rivers. |
| Gen 2:12 | "And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there." | Reinforces the purity and value of Havilah's resources. |
| Gen 2:13 | "The name of the second river is Gihon... encompasses the land of Cush." | Another river flowing from Eden with geographical details. |
| Gen 2:14 | "The third river is Tigris... The fourth river is Euphrates." | Two identifiable rivers completing the fourfold division. |
| Gen 10:7 | "The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah..." | Havilah as a descendant of Ham, pointing to its tribal connection. |
| Gen 10:29 | "Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan." | Havilah as a descendant of Shem, indicating multiple possible locations or associations. |
| Gen 25:18 | "They settled from Havilah to Shur..." | Geographic markers for Ishmaelites, associating Havilah with desert lands. |
| 1 Sam 15:7 | "And Saul struck the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur..." | Military campaign boundary, confirming Havilah as a known locale. |
| Exod 3:8 | "I have come down to deliver them... to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey." | God's provision of a bountiful land for His people. |
| Deut 8:7-9 | "For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land... a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity..." | Description of God's lavish provision in the Promised Land. |
| Exod 25:11 | "You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out..." | Gold used for God's holy dwelling, symbolizing purity and divine presence. |
| Exod 37:1-9 | "They made the ark of acacia wood... overlaid it with pure gold." | Gold used extensively in the Tabernacle's sacred elements. |
| 1 Kgs 6:21-22 | "Solomon overlaid the house inside with pure gold... the whole house was overlaid with gold." | Temple construction using gold to reflect God's glory. |
| Ps 19:10 | "More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold..." | God's decrees valued more than precious material wealth. |
| Prov 8:10-11 | "Receive my instruction, and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold..." | Wisdom is superior to any material wealth like gold. |
| Prov 16:16 | "How much better to get wisdom than gold! To choose understanding rather than silver!" | Reaffirms spiritual value over worldly riches. |
| Isa 60:9 | "For the coastlands await me... bringing their silver and gold with them." | Prophecy of future glory, where precious metals will honor God in Zion. |
| Rev 21:18 | "The city was pure gold, like clear glass." | Description of the New Jerusalem made of pure gold, signifying ultimate perfection. |
| Rev 2:7 | "To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God." | Echoes the Garden of Eden and the restoration of God's paradise. |
| Ezek 47:1-12 | "And everything will live where the river goes." | Symbolic river from the temple bringing life and fertility, paralleling Eden's life-giving river. |
| John 4:10-14 | "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." | Jesus offers spiritual "living water" that parallels God's bountiful provision. |
| Ps 36:8-9 | "You give them drink from the river of your delights... for with you is the fountain of life." | Metaphorical river of God's pleasures, linking to life and sustenance. |
Genesis 2 verses
Genesis 2 11 Meaning
Genesis 2:11 names Pishon as one of the four rivers that branched out from the single river flowing out of the Garden of Eden. It specifies that this river encompasses the entire land of Havilah, a region notably rich in pure gold. This verse details the lushness and valuable natural resources that were part of or flowed from God's perfectly designed creation in and around Eden.
Genesis 2 11 Context
Genesis 2 focuses on the creation of humankind and the establishment of the Garden of Eden. Following the account of Adam's formation (v. 7) and his placement in the Garden (v. 8), verses 10-14 provide a detailed geographical description of a central river in Eden that branches into four heads. This description is vital for understanding the ideal nature of the Garden—a place of unparalleled beauty, abundance, and divine provision. Verse 11 specifically names the first of these four rivers, Pishon, and highlights its connection to Havilah, emphasizing the wealth of natural resources, particularly pure gold, inherent in this initial creation, underscoring God's lavish care for humanity and the inherent goodness of His design.
Genesis 2 11 Word Analysis
- The name: הַשֵּׁם (haš·šêm). Identifies and distinguishes Pishon from other rivers. Naming signifies recognition and establishing order.
- of the first: הָאֶחָד (hā·’e·ḥāḏ). Indicates primary importance or sequence among the four rivers mentioned.
- Pishon: פִּישׁוֹן (Pî·šōwn). An enigmatic name whose exact meaning is debated, possibly linked to concepts like "to gush forth" or "to overflow." Its precise geographical identification remains elusive, prompting theological reflection on Eden's unique, possibly super-earthly, qualities rather than precise cartography.
- it is the one that encompasses: הֽוּא הַסּוֹבֵב (hū haš·šō·w·ḇêḇ). "Encompasses" (סוֹבֵב - sovev) implies circling or flowing around. This suggests a broad geographical reach, indicating a significant and influential river system.
- the whole land: אֶת־כָּל־אֶרֶץ (’eṯ-kol-’e·reṣ). "Whole" (כָּל - kol) denotes entirety, stressing the complete encompassing of a substantial region by the Pishon.
- of Havilah: הַֽחֲוִילָה (ha·ḥă·wî·lāh). A biblical place name whose specific location is uncertain. It appears in other biblical genealogies and geographical markers (Gen 10:7, 29; Gen 25:18; 1 Sam 15:7), suggesting it was a recognized, resource-rich land in ancient Near Eastern perception, often linked to Arabian or northeastern regions.
- where there is gold: אֲשֶׁר־שָׁם הַזָּהָב (’ă·šer-šām haz·zā·hāḇ). This phrase highlights a key resource of Havilah. "Gold" (זָהָב - zahav) is a precious metal, universally valued, symbolizing purity, royalty, and divine splendor. Its presence in Eden's surroundings underscores the incredible richness and quality of God's initial creation, not just for practical use but as a testament to His inherent lavishness and the inherent goodness of all He made.
Words-group analysis:
- "The name of the first is Pishon": Establishes a systematic divine order and classification for the life-giving waters flowing from Eden, initiating the detailed geographical and resource description of God's created world.
- "it is the one that encompasses the whole land of Havilah": This phrase defines Pishon's broad sweep and deep connection to a distinct and significant geographical territory, showcasing the expansive influence of Eden's water source and the interconnectedness of God's design.
- "where there is gold": This immediately qualifies the "land of Havilah" as exceptionally rich and valuable. The specific mention of gold signifies not just earthly wealth, but also the unparalleled quality and purity of resources in this untouched, God-blessed part of creation, emphasizing the perfection and bounty before the Fall.
Genesis 2 11 Bonus Section
The inclusion of specific precious materials like gold (and in Gen 2:12, bdellium and onyx stone) within the Edenic context and its immediate surroundings highlights that material wealth itself is not inherently evil but was part of God's good creation. It only became problematic due to human misuse, covetousness, and idolatry after the Fall. In its original context, gold served as an intrinsic element of a perfect, God-provided world, suggesting divine generosity and a pristine state where resources existed for their inherent value and purpose in glorifying the Creator and blessing humanity. The geographical uncertainty surrounding Pishon and Havilah implies that the primary intent of these verses might not be historical geography as we understand it today, but rather theological geography—emphasizing the unparalleled blessedness, ideal conditions, and divine design of the Edenic paradise from which life, sustenance, and valuable resources flowed.
Genesis 2 11 Commentary
Genesis 2:11 contributes to the profound theological picture of Eden as a place of unsurpassed perfection, beauty, and abundance. By naming Pishon and describing its encompassing the gold-rich land of Havilah, the text portrays a world divinely supplied with the best resources. The emphasis on "gold" is not merely about material wealth; in biblical terms, gold often symbolizes purity, value, and sacredness, extensively used in the Tabernacle and Temple for divine worship. Thus, its presence near Eden signifies the unblemished, perfect nature of God's creation, reflecting His own glory and provision for humanity. This detailed description of the physical environment grounds the narrative in a tangible reality, even as the specific locations remain elusive to modern cartography, reinforcing the concept of a paradise designed with utmost care and lavishness by the Creator. It paints a picture of life in communion with God in a perfectly provisioned environment, a stark contrast to the toil and scarcity that enter the world after the Fall.