Genesis 2:7

V7 – I really enjoy the literary devices already found throughout the beginning of Genesis. Here in verse 7, we see that Yahweh Elohim, who formed hā ʾādām from ādāmā, is forming/sculpting them from out of the earth/ground (ʾădāmā). What is more, God “breathes” His “breath” into humanity. As both readings pointed out, the play on words here is intentional.

This verse gives us a picture of the One, True Creator God who creates (almost) infinitely from the finite. From the primeval waters, God speaks and makes come forth the foundations of the heavens and the earth. From light, He creates the lights in their many kinds. From the water, He creates the marine world in all their various kinds. The same is true for the land. From the land comes the plant and animal kingdoms in all their various kinds. However, the crowning jewel of His creation, ʾādām (humanity), we now know that He also created from ʾădāmā (the earth/ground). It is from these finite entities (resources) of creation that God creates an almost infinite sustainability of life (they would be infinite until the world ends, I suppose, at His command).

In this verse, we see the writer weaving a theme through the creation narrative. The God who created all things in their various kinds, also created the ground from which humanity was created. However, from out of the ground only humanity was molded and crafted into His image and likeness – unlike any other creature or creation. Furthermore, what is especially distinct about this creation is the breath that God breathed into them.

The sense I get from what the writer is trying to convey in this verse is that we are intensely valuable. It is humankind that stands between the earth and the heavens (God). Our vocation is to enjoy our work on the earth; our calling is to delight in our Creator. While we are living (filled with the breath of life), we work as stewards of the earth. When we die (our finiteness ends), our bodies return to the earth, but our “breath” (soul) proceeds to infinity. There is a lot that is probably being drawn from to read into this verse (more than probably necessary), but it is certainly a crucial verse in the whole creation narrative.