John Calvin Commentary Genesis 2:8

"And Jehovah God planted a garden eastward, in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed." — Genesis 2:8 (ASV)

And the Lord God planted. Moses now adds the condition and rule of living which were given to man. First, he narrates in what part of the world man was placed, and what a happy and pleasant habitation was allotted to him. Moses says that God had planted, accommodating Himself by a simple and uncultivated style to the capacity of ordinary people.

For since the majesty of God, as it really is, cannot be expressed, the Scripture is accustomed to describe it according to the manner of men.

God, then, had planted Paradise in a place which He had especially embellished with every variety of delights, with abounding fruits and with all other most excellent gifts. For this reason it is called a garden, on account of the elegance of its situation, and the beauty of its form. The ancient interpreter has not improperly translated it Paradise, because the Hebrews call the more highly cultivated gardens פרדסים (Pardaisim), and Xenophon pronounces the word to be Persian, when he treats of the magnificent and sumptuous gardens of kings. That region which the Lord assigned to Adam, as the firstborn of mankind, was one selected out of the whole world.

Regarding In Eden, it is very obvious that Jerome improperly translates this as “from the beginning,” because Moses afterwards says that Cain dwelt in the southern region of this place. Moreover, it is to be observed that when he describes Paradise as in the east, he speaks in reference to the Jews, for he directs his discourse to his own people.

Hence we infer, first, that there was a certain region assigned by God to the first man, in which he might have his home. I state this expressly because there have been authors who would extend this garden over all regions of the world. Truly, I confess that if the earth had not been cursed on account of the sin of man, the whole—as it had been blessed from the beginning—would have remained the fairest scene both of fruitfulness and of delight; it would have been, in short, not dissimilar to Paradise when compared with that scene of deformity which we now behold.

But when Moses here particularly describes the situation of the region, they absurdly transfer what Moses said of a certain particular place to the whole world. Indeed, it is not doubtful (as I just hinted) that God would choose the most fertile and pleasant place, the first-fruits (so to speak) of the earth, as His gift to Adam, whom He had dignified with the honor of primogeniture among men, in token of His special favor.

Again, we infer that this garden was situated on the earth, not, as some dream, in the air; for unless it had been a region of our world, it would not have been placed opposite to Judea, towards the east. We must, however, entirely reject the allegories of Origen, and of others like him, which Satan, with the deepest subtlety, has endeavored to introduce into the Church, for the purpose of rendering the doctrine of Scripture ambiguous and destitute of all certainty and firmness.

Indeed, it may be that some, impelled by a supposed necessity, have resorted to an allegorical sense because they never found in the world such a place as is described by Moses; but we see that the greater part, through a foolish affectation of subtleties, have been too much addicted to allegories.

As it concerns the present passage, they speculate in vain, and to no purpose, by departing from the literal sense. For Moses has no other design than to teach man that he was formed by God, with this condition: that he should have dominion over the earth, from which he might gather fruit, and thus learn by daily experience that the world was subject to him.

What advantage is it to fly in the air and to leave the earth, where God has given proof of His benevolence towards the human race? But someone may say that to interpret this of celestial bliss is more skillful. I answer, since the eternal inheritance of man is in heaven, it is truly right that we should tend there; yet we must fix our foot on earth long enough to enable us to consider the abode which God requires man to use for a time.

For we are now conversant with that history which teaches us that Adam was, by Divine appointment, an inhabitant of the earth, in order that he might, in passing through his earthly life, meditate on heavenly glory; and that he had been bountifully enriched by the Lord with innumerable benefits, from the enjoyment of which he might infer the paternal benevolence of God.

Moses, also, will later add that he was commanded to cultivate the fields and permitted to eat certain fruits: all of which things suit neither the circle of the moon nor the aerial regions. But although we have said that the situation of Paradise lay between the rising of the sun and Judea, yet something more definite may be required concerning that region.

Those who contend that it was in the vicinity of Mesopotamia rely on reasons not to be despised; because it is probable that the sons of Eden were contiguous to the river Tigris. But as the description of it by Moses will immediately follow, it is better to defer consideration of it to that place.

The ancient interpreter has fallen into a mistake in translating the proper name Eden with the word “pleasure.” Indeed, I do not deny that the place was so called from its delights; but it is easy to infer that the name was given to the place to distinguish it from others.