John Calvin Commentary Genesis 2:15

"And Jehovah God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." — Genesis 2:15 (ASV)

And the Lord God took the man, Moses now adds, that the earth was given to man with this condition: that he should engage in its cultivation. From this it follows that men were created to be occupied with some work, and not to lie down in inactivity and idleness.

This labor, indeed, was pleasant and full of delight, entirely exempt from all trouble and weariness. However, since God ordained that man should be engaged in the cultivation of the ground, He condemned, in man, all indolent repose. Therefore, nothing is more contrary to the order of nature than to consume life in eating, drinking, and sleeping, while in the meantime we plan to do nothing.

Moses adds that the care of the garden was entrusted to Adam to show that we possess the things God has placed in our hands on the condition that, being content with a frugal and moderate use of them, we should take care of what remains.

Let him who possesses a field so partake of its yearly fruits that he does not allow the ground to be damaged by his negligence; but let him endeavor to hand it down to posterity as he received it, or even better cultivated. Let him so feed on its fruits that he neither squanders it through luxury nor permits it to be marred or ruined by neglect.

Moreover, so that this stewardship and diligence regarding the good things God has given us to enjoy may flourish among us, let everyone regard himself as the steward of God in all things he possesses. Then he will neither act dissolutely nor corrupt by abuse those things God requires to be preserved.