Genesis 2 13

Genesis 2:13 kjv

And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.

Genesis 2:13 nkjv

The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which goes around the whole land of Cush.

Genesis 2:13 niv

The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush.

Genesis 2:13 esv

The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush.

Genesis 2:13 nlt

The second branch, called the Gihon, flowed around the entire land of Cush.

Genesis 2 verses

Genesis 2 13 Meaning

Genesis 2:13 introduces the Gihon as the second of the four rivers flowing from Eden, described as encircling the entire land of Cush. This verse provides specific geographical details that emphasize the physical reality of Eden and its life-sustaining influence spreading beyond its immediate boundaries, suggesting the bountiful provision and ordered nature of God's original creation extending to known distant lands.

Genesis 2 13 Context

Genesis chapter 2 details the creation of humankind and the Garden of Eden, providing a closer look at the environment prepared by God for Adam. Following the account of Adam being placed in the garden and given responsibilities, verses 10-14 specifically describe the intricate water system of Eden: a single river that parts into four headwaters, supplying the entire region. This verse, Gen 2:13, focuses on the Gihon as the second of these rivers, highlighting its course around the land of Cush. The historical context reflects an ancient Israelite worldview, which had some understanding of distant geographies like Cush (modern-day Ethiopia/Nubia, south of Egypt), known through trade or interaction. The mention of specific geographical names (Pishon, Havilah, Gihon, Cush, Hiddekel/Tigris, Euphrates, Asshur) roots the narrative in a concrete, though now unidentifiable, physical reality. This served to ground the Genesis account of creation and Eden as a factual, historical event for the original audience, distinct from mythological, localized creation accounts prevalent in the ancient Near East that often lacked such broad, specific geographical scope.

Genesis 2 13 Word analysis

• And: Connects this verse to the preceding description of the first river, the Pishon (Gen 2:12), signifying continuity in the description of Eden's geographical layout.
• the name: Hebrew, שֵׁם (shem). Emphasizes designation and identity. In biblical thought, a name often carried significance beyond mere label, sometimes reflecting character or essence. Here, it literally names the river.
• of the second river: Points to an ordered sequence, highlighting the second in a series of four primary streams branching from the Edenic river. It reiterates the specific focus on a precise geological arrangement by the Creator.
• is Gihon: Hebrew, גִּיחוֹן (Gihon). The name itself likely means "gushing," "bursting forth," or "to bubble up." This root implies vigorous, abundant flow, conveying a sense of life, dynamism, and plentiful water supply, which is crucial for fertility and sustenance. This is a distinct river from the Gihon spring in Jerusalem (1 Ki 1:33, 38).
• the same is it that: Hebrew, הִוא הַסּוֹבֵב (hi’ has-sovev). Reinforces the identity and particular characteristic of this specific river.
• compasseth: Hebrew, סוֹבֵב (sovev). Meaning "to go around," "to encircle," "to surround," "to flow about." It describes the geographical path of the river, indicating that the Gihon made a sweeping loop or border around the land. This suggests the river was a prominent, natural landmark.
• the whole land: Hebrew, כָּל־אֶרֶץ (kol-eretz). The phrase implies the entire extent or complete territory of a specific region, emphasizing the comprehensive influence or boundary established by the river.
• of Ethiopia: More accurately rendered of Cush (כּוּשׁ - Kush). This is an ancient geographical region generally identified with Nubia, south of Egypt, encompassing parts of modern-day Sudan and Ethiopia. To the ancient Hebrews, Cush represented a distant, sometimes powerful, and well-known region at the southern limits of their known world, thus signifying the extensive reach of Eden's life-giving waters even to the far corners of their perceived earth.

• "the second river is Gihon": This phrase confirms a literal enumeration and identification of Eden's vital waterways. It shows divine precision in the earth's formation.
• "compasseth the whole land of Cush": This grouping provides geographical specificity, tying the Edenic rivers to real, though now obscured, regions. It signifies the immense geographical scope and life-sustaining power flowing from Eden to remote territories, providing vitality even to lands distant from the garden itself. This implies that Eden's blessing was not confined but radiated outward, blessing the entire created order.

Genesis 2 13 Bonus section

The four rivers flowing from Eden (Gen 2:10-14) – Pishon, Gihon, Tigris (Hiddekel), and Euphrates – are believed by many scholars to describe a pre-Flood geography that may no longer be recognizable after the global Deluge (Gen 7). This accounts for the difficulty in precisely locating Eden in modern terms, despite the recognizable names like Tigris and Euphrates, whose current courses might differ significantly from their original Edenic flows. The explicit naming of these rivers and surrounding lands served to authenticate the historical narrative of Genesis for its original audience, linking God's act of creation to a real, knowable world, rather than abstract myth. The inclusion of "Cush," a widely known but distant land, also serves to emphasize the grand scale of Eden's hydrological system and, by extension, God's sovereignty over the entirety of the created order, from the center of Eden to its farthest reaches.

Genesis 2 13 Commentary

Genesis 2:13 offers specific, tangible details about God's perfect creation in Eden, underscoring its historical and geographical reality. The description of the Gihon river, flowing with vitality ("gushing") and encompassing the vast land of Cush, illustrates the overflowing abundance and global impact of the life initiated in God's paradise. It points to God's detailed design, where life and fertility flowed outward, sustaining even distant parts of the created world. This verse, with its literal geographical markers, solidifies Eden as a real place of God's dwelling and blessing, a truth later obscured by the Fall but ultimately pointing to God's ultimate plan for universal restoration and the "river of life" in the new heaven and new earth (Rev 22:1).