Genesis 2:7

Context

The verse belongs to the second creation account, which begins at Genesis 2:4. Chapter 1 describes the creation of the entire cosmos within a six-day framework, while chapter 2 focuses on humanity and the Garden of Eden. The divine title "the LORD God" first appears in this section. The verse follows directly after the description of a time when there was no rain and no man to till the ground (2:5–6). The narrative then turns to the planting of the garden and the placing of man in it (2:8, 15).

The Hebrew text has several notable features:

• The verb translated "formed" denotes the action of a potter shaping clay.
• Adam (man) and adamah (ground) sound alike, forming a wordplay.
• The phrase translated "breath of life" denotes the breath that gives life.
• "Living soul" (nephesh chayyah) means "a living being." The same expression refers to animals in Genesis 1:20 and 24.

Interpretation

• Dichotomist reading: This view holds that a human being consists of two elements: a body made of dust and a soul breathed in by God. Systematic theology in the Reformed tradition, including Presbyterianism, generally follows this view.
• Trichotomist reading: This view distinguishes the dust (body), the breath of life (spirit), and the living soul (soul), and so understands the human being as consisting of three parts: spirit, soul, and body. First Thessalonians 5:23 is cited as further support. Through the writings of Watchman Nee and others, this view became widely known in many denominations in Korea.
• Holistic reading: Many Old Testament scholars hold that "living soul" refers not to a soul dwelling separately within the body but to the whole person who breathes and lives. On this view, the focus of the verse is that life comes from the breath of God.
• New Testament reading: Paul quotes this verse in 1 Corinthians 15:45: "The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." He thereby contrasts the first Adam with the last Adam, Jesus Christ.

Debates and Issues

• Dichotomy and trichotomy: The two views have long been debated across denominational lines. Proponents of dichotomy point out that Scripture often uses "spirit" and "soul" interchangeably. Proponents of trichotomy argue that a distinction between spirit and soul is necessary to explain spiritual experience and sanctification.
• The immortality of the soul: The Seventh-day Adventist Church reads this verse to mean that the body and the breath of life combine to form a living person. Accordingly, it understands death as a state in which the breath of life has departed and consciousness is absent. Most Protestant denominations hold that the soul continues to exist after death.
• The question of literal reading: Whether the verse should be read literally, as stating that man was directly formed from the dust, or as a theological statement about the origin and dignity of humanity is one of the issues in the creation and evolution debate.

In Korean Churches

In Korean Protestant churches, the verse is frequently cited in sermons and Bible studies on the image of God and the creation of humanity. Because it presents the breath given by God as the source of life, it is also used together with the scene in which Jesus breathed on his disciples (John 20:22) to explain the work of the Holy Spirit.

Related Passages

• Genesis 3:17–19
• John 20:22
• Ezekiel 37:11–14
• Job 10:8–12
• 1 Corinthians 15:45