Summary

The Lord gives man a place in the garden of Eden. Here man must begin to carry out the command of Genesis 1:26–28. He is tasked with cultivating (working) the garden of Eden and keeping it. Sometimes you read translations or explanations where the word keep is replaced by guard. It is true that the Hebrew word used here can mean both to preserve (or keep) and to guard. Examples where this word definitely means to preserve are Genesis 37:11; Genesis 41:35; Exodus 22:7; 1 Samuel 9:24. We choose here the meaning of taking care, because when man was made as the crown of God’s creation there was not yet any danger to creation and the garden of Eden (see the commentary on Genesis 1:31). There was no need to safeguard the garden of Eden against any dangers.

However, man is called upon to work it. That means that the Lord instructs man to cultivate the garden in such a way that it will already develop further without affecting the splendour and glory of nature. It is important that this splendour is preserved and further developed. The way in which man works in the garden and cultivates it must bring it to further development without harming God’s creation, so that from this garden we may begin to cultivate the whole earth.

The phrase to work it is a general word. It means that someone works in the service of another. Man is called to work the earth in the service of God. The verb is so general that it also means more than a person working the land; it also points to enhancements and further development, making use of all the possibilities that God has placed in his creation.

It is also clear that physical work is not the result of the fall in sin. Work has everything to do with the task the Lord gave us before the fall in sin. The work of every day is placed in the context of the dominion of Genesis 1:26–28. Here the Lord calls man to go on a journey of discovery, to mine the possibilities that the Creator has placed in creation. Such utilization does not affect the glory and harmony of God’s creation. Nature, which bears witness to God’s glory, must be preserved.