Genesis 2:10

Genesis 2:10

And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

a. NLT: A river flowed from the land of Eden, watering the garden and then dividing into four branches. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became four heads. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: And a river is going out from Eden to water the garden, and from thence it is parted, and hath become four chief rivers; [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Classic Amplified: Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four [river] heads. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Septuagint: And a river proceeds out of Edem to water the garden, thence it divides itself into four heads.

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/ Writings: A river issues forth from Eden to water the garden, and from there it is divided and becomes four headwaters. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]

1. “And a river went out of Eden to water the garden…”

a. [And a] river [Strong: 5104 nahar naw-hawr' from 5102; a stream (including the sea; expec. the Nile, Euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperity:--flood, river.]

b. went out [Strong: 3318 yatsa' yaw-tsaw' a primitive root; to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.:--X after, appear, X assuredly, bear out, X begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), + be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence, out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out), going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out, lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, X scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring out, stand out, X still, X surely, take forth (out), at any time, X to (and fro), utter.]

c. [of] Eden [Strong: 5731 `Eden ay'-den the same as 5730 (masculine); Eden, the region of Adam's home:--Eden.]

d. [to] water [Strong: 8248 shaqah shaw-kaw' a primitive root; to quaff, i.e. (causatively) to irrigate or furnish a potion to:--cause to (give, give to, let, make to) drink, drown, moisten, water.]

e. [Strong: 853 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]

f. [the] garden [Strong: 1588 gan gan from 1598; a garden (as fenced):--garden.]

2. “...and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.”

a. [and from] thence [Strong: 8033 sham shawm a primitive particle (rather from the relative pronoun, 834); there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or thence:--in it, + thence, there (-in, + of, + out), + thither, + whither.]

b. [it was] parted [Strong: 6504 parad paw-rad' a primitive root; to break through, i.e. spread or separate (oneself):--disperse, divide, be out of joint, part, scatter (abroad), separate (self), sever self, stretch, sunder.]

c. [and] became [Strong: 1961 hayah haw-yaw a primitive root (Compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-)self, require, X use.]

d. [into] four [Strong: 702 'arba` ar-bah' masculine oarbaah {ar-baw-aw'}; from 7251; four:--four.]

e. heads [Strong: 7218 ro'sh roshe from an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.):--band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, X every (man), excellent, first, forefront, ((be-))head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), X lead, X poor, principal, ruler, sum, top.]

1). These verses describe the irrigation of the garden and the splitting up of the river into four separate rivers and some of the natural resources in the surrounding area. The geography of the area changed dramatically after the flood so their exact location is unknown.