Genesis 1:54. Lights, or rather luminaries or light bearers; being a —different word from that rendered light in ver. —1:20. fowl that may fly. Hebrews —let fowl fly. This marginal reading is more conformable to the original and reconciles this passage with Chapter 2:19. The word fowl, from the Saxon fleon, to fly, exactly corresponds to the original which denotes everything that flies, whether bird or insect.
— 1:24. Cattle, denotes domestic animals living on vegetables. —Beasts of the earth, wild animals, especially such as live on flesh; and creeping things, reptiles; or all the different genera of serpents, worms, and such animals as have no feet.
—1:26. Man. In Hebrew, Adam, probably so called either from the red earth of which he was formed, or from the blush or flesh tint of the ‘human countenance: the name is intended to designate the human race.
Genesis 2:22And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. (Genesis 2:2). And on the seventh day God rested, or, rather, ceased, as the Hebrew word is not opposed to weariness, but to action; as the Divine Being can neither know fatigue, nor stand in need of rest.
— 2:7. A remarkable heathen tradition evidently based on the Scriptural narrative is as follows:—The people at Takaafo, of the Tokelan group say that the first woman was made of the loose earth or dust of the ground. The first man, who had previously been a stone, thought one day that he would make a woman. He collected the light earth on the surface of the ground in the form of a human body with head, arms and legs. He then plucked out one of his left ribs, and thrust it into the breast of his earth model. Instantly the earth became alive, and up started a woman. He called her Ivi (according to English orthography it would be Eevee) which is their word for rib. How like to our Eve.
—2:10. Eden. Eden denotes pleasure or delight, but was certainly the name of a place, and was, most probably, situated in Armenia, near the sources of the great rivers Euphrates, Tigris, Phasis, and Araxes.
—2:12. Bdellium is a transparent aromatic gum. The onyx is a precious stone, so called from a Greek word signifying a man’s nail, to the color of which it nearly approaches.
—3:15. It shall bruise thy head. There are various traditions connected with the serpent among heathen nations. The Hindoos relate of their god Krishnoo, that, having a terrible encounter with a black serpent, which had a thousand heads, he tore them off one by one, and trampling on them the serpent was completely vanquished. This tradition, doubtless, had its origin with the Scriptures. Now that the words “it shall bruise thy head” comprehend nothing less than the utter destruction of the devil by Jesus, our Great Deliverer, is manifest, on referring to the customs in those countries where serpents abound; and it is well known there, if not elsewhere, that there is no certain mode of ensuring the death of these creatures but by bruising or crushing the head; one reason for this being, as is said, that the heart is situated so near the head.
Thou shalt bruise his heel. In Oriental Illustrations the Revelation J. Roberts quotes various parallel passages in the history of Jacob, Job, and David, with a view of showing that attacking or injuring a person in the “heel” included the idea of treachery, of craft and deceit. “Thus,” he says, “was the serpent to injure the seed of the woman. The heel was the part to be wounded, which conveys the idea of being followed for that purpose. A similar phraseology exists in the East at this day; for the heel is the part which is said to be wounded when a treacherous person, under the guise of friendship, has injured another. The man who has thus perfidiously conducted himself is called kuthe-kal vettukurravlu, that is, a heel-cutter, which reminds us of the Russian proverb, He fawned on me and then bit my heel.”
—3:18. Thorns and thistles. These terms are generally connected in the Scriptures, and probably often denote any kind of useless or noxious Plants that grow spontaneously, to the annoyance of the husbandman, and the great injury of his crop. The figurative use of these terms denotes desolation, (Proverbs 24:3131And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. (Proverbs 24:31); Isaiah 5:66And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. (Isaiah 5:6); Hosea 2:6;96Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths. (Hosea 2:6)
6For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles. (Hosea 9:6). 6; 10:8.) The visitations of Providence, Numbers 33:5555But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. (Numbers 33:55); Judges 2:33Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. (Judges 2:3); 2 Corinthians 12:77And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. (2 Corinthians 12:7). Difficulties and hindrances, (Proverbs 15:1919The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain. (Proverbs 15:19).) Troubles, (Proverbs 22:55Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them. (Proverbs 22:5).)