Grain and Rain in Genesis 2:5, 6

Abstract

Genesis 2:5, 6 has been traditionally understood as a description of the original world by using a series of statements about a lack of vegetation, rain, and farmers in spite of a watering system. This study attempts to read the text as a chain of statements about the absence of arid land plants and irrigated grain fields typical of farming in the ancient world. In this understanding the verses prepare the scene for the paradisiacal conditions of the Garden of Eden.

Key Words: Vegetation, grain, rain, irrigation, farming, arid land, Garden of Eden