The Garden of Eden. It was here that the Bible records the creation of the first human couple, where Adam named the animals, and where the serpent tempted Adam & Eve to rebel against God. But what exactly was the Garden? Was it simply a place that humanity was tasked to take care of or was it something more significant?

On the surface, one can conclude that the Garden of Eden was simply a paradise. The Greek Old Testament uses the Greek word paradeisos, which is where we get the word paradise.[1] It was taken from the Persian pairi-daeza (a “walled enclosure”), which referred to a royal park for animals, or a pleasure garden. The Hebrew for Eden means delight and the prophet Ezekiel (28:13) calls it “the garden of God.”[2]

What is interesting is that when one digs a little deeper it can be argued that the Garden of Eden was created as a temple or sanctuary. This implies that the Earth was originally designed to be a place where God would live with humanity.[3] One can conclude this when the Garden is compared with the later Jerusalem temple and the Tabernacle, the holy sanctuary that the Hebrews built after the Exodus. Numerous lines of evidence point to this conclusion.

First, we have the entrance to the Garden. Genesis 3:24 tells us that the entrance to the Garden of Eden was on the east side. Later in Scripture, the Tabernacle and temple were also to be entered from the east side (Exodus 25:18-22; 26:31; 36:35; 1 Kings 6:23-29; 2 Chronicles 3:14). And even later still, Ezekiel 40:6 places the entrance of a future temple on the east side.[4]

Second, we have the cherubim who had a significant role in Eden, the Tabernacle, and the temple. Cherubim are heavenly beings often compared with angels. When God expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden, he placed cherubim and a flaming sword at the entrance to prevent the couple from eating from the Tree of Life. The cherubim and sword function similarly to the Levites who acted as guards around the Tabernacle (Numbers, 1:51, 53).

The Ark of the Covenant, found in both the Tabernacle and temple, had two cherubim on the top which “guarded” the contents inside (Exodus 25:18-22), and the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place had cherubim on it (Exodus 26:31; 36:35). Cherubim appear all over the place in the temple including on the walls and inside the innermost room which had large statues of cherubim which can be interpreted as guards (1 Kings 6:23-35; 7:29, 36; 2 Chronicles 3:10-14).[5]

Third, inside the Tabernacle and temple, a person would find the menorah (or lampstand) which has become a very important symbol in Judaism. This lampstand resembled a tree trunk with seven branches with flowering almond blossoms (Exodus 25:31-40). The menorah likely symbolizes the tree of life that is found in the Garden (Genesis 2:9; 3:22; cf. Exodus 25:31-35).[6]

Fourth, two Hebrew verbs are used that connect the Garden with the later two sanctuaries. The Hebrew verbs are abad and samar. Abad means “to serve, till,” and samar carries the meaning “to keep, tend, observe, guard, protect.” These words are used in Genesis 2:15 in God’s command to Adam “to work it [the garden] and take care of it.” In other sections of the Pentateuch, these words are only used together in passages that describe the duties of the Levities in the sanctuary.

Abad is a common verb often used concerning the cultivation of soil. It can be used in a religious context of serving God (Deuteronomy 4:19) and is used concerning the tabernacle duties of the Levites (Numbers 3:7-8; 4:23-24, 26; 8:26; 18:5-6).

Samar has the basic meaning of “guarding” or “to exercise great care over.” It is used in relationship to commands and Levitical duties (Leviticus 18:5) and the fact that the Levites were to guard the Tabernacle (Numbers 1:53; 3:7-8).

This is emphasized as the poetic synonym of samar is always nasar, “to protect” in many passages (Deuteronomy. 33:9; Psalm 12:8 [English 7]; 105:45; 119:34, 55-56, 145-146; 140:5 [English 4]; 141:3; Proverbs 2:8, 11; 4:6; 5:2; 27:18). The root for samar is also used in Genesis 3:24 referring to the cherub guarding Eden. 

Just as the priests were to keep guard and take care of the temple and Tabernacle (Numbers 18:5), so Adam and Eve were to guard and take care of Eden.[7]

Fifth, gold and onyx, mentioned in connection to the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2:11-12, are used extensively to decorate the priestly garments and the later sanctuaries (e.g. Exodus. 25:7, 11, 17, 31; 28:9-14, 17-21; 1 Chronicles 29:2). Gold, in particular, is one of the main materials used in the construction of the Tabernacle and temple as it is used almost everywhere in these structures (1 Kings 6:20-22, 28-30, 31-35; 7:48-50). Ezekiel 28:13 also makes a connection with jewels and Eden.[8]

Sixth, God walks in Eden as he later does in the Tabernacle (Genesis. 3:8; cf. Leviticus. 26:12; Deuteronomy 23:14-5; 2 Samuel 7:6-7). God’s presence also fills the Temple (1 Kings 6:13; 8:10-11).[9]

Seventh, a river flows out of Eden to the lands outside (Genesis 2:10). A river also flows from the future temple in Ezekiel 47 which gives life to the nations outside. Scholar Desmond Alexander makes an interesting observation when he says, “The river flowing from Eden (Gen. 2:10) is reminiscent of Ezekiel 47:1-12, which envisages a river flowing from a future Jerusalem temple and bringing life to the Dead Sea. The fact that Eden must be an elevated location, possibly a mountain, also supports that it is a sanctuary, for God’s presence is frequently associated with mountains.”[10]

Eighth, the Jerusalem temple was adorned by arboreal decorations giving it the feeling of a garden paradise (1 Kings 6:18, 31-35; 7:18-22, 24, 29-30, 36, 42)).[11] This imagery, especially the trees and rivers, reflects the abundant life found in God’s presence. This paints a picture of God fulfilling humanity’s every need in the garden temple. Just like the Holy Place had the lampstand (the tree of life) and the bread of the presence to sustain the priests, the Garden has the tree of life which provides food for Adam and Eve.[12] Scholar Gordon Wenham says that “Paradise in Eden and the later [T]abernacle share a common symbolism suggestive of the presence of God.”[13]

Ninth, there is also a connection between Eden and the later sanctuaries regarding knowledge and wisdom. The ark of the covenant, which lies in the Holy of Holies, contained the Law which leads to wisdom. In the Garden lies the tree of knowledge of good and evil which also led to wisdom (see Proverbs 3).[14]

Adam and Eve in the Garden

Considering that the Garden is envisioned as a temple, it makes sense that God would endow Adam and Eve with a job that is reminiscent of a temple priest, and this is exactly what we see in Genesis 2. God gives the first couple a holy status that allows them to serve their Creator in the garden temple as a priest served God in the temple and Tabernacle. This gives Adam and Eve direct access to God, and in addition to this, “the human couple is appointed as God’s viceroys to govern the earth on his [God’s] behalf.”[15] What is the evidence of this?

First, they are told to have dominion over all the other creatures that God has created (Genesis 1:26-28). By giving mankind authority over the animal kingdom, God has set them apart from the animals and has given them royal status (see below). The fact that this is mentioned twice in 1:26-28 underscores the importance of the decision to give authority to humans to rule over the world.[16]

Secondly, being made in the image of God has within it the concept of royalty. In the Ancient Near East, the phrase “image of God” was often only given to kings. Scholar Richard Middleton says:

“the writer of Genesis 1 portrays God as king presiding over ‘heaven and earth,’ an ordered and harmonious realm in which each creature manifests the will of the creator and is thus declared ‘good.’ Humanity is created like this God, with the special role of representing or imaging God’s rule in the world.”[17]

To add to this, God commands humanity to be fruitful and multiply, and fill up the earth. Alexander notes that “[i]mplicit in this instruction is the idea that God’s authority will be extended throughout the earth as people increase in number and spread outwards.”[18] This fits the historical context of the Ancient Near East as a king would erect statues of himself (his image) throughout his kingdom to show that his authority (and image) reached there.[19]

This was the purpose that God gave Adam, Eve, and their descendants. They were to rule as God’s viceroys over his creation. They were to be good stewards and follow their king, the Lord God. They were also sinless, and God provided for them everything that they needed. They had royal status and lacked nothing.

Putting the pieces together

The Garden of Eden tells us much about God’s original intent with the world and humanity. The Garden was created to be a holy sanctuary where God’s royal viceroys (who were made in his image) would live. Humanity was given the job of being stewards of the earth, taking care of it and ruling over it as good kings and queens.

When we read about the Garden of Eden, we often will only envision it as the home of the first human couple. However, the previous details show us that the Garden was meant to be the home of God as well. He did not create the Garden, and the rest of the universe, only as a place where people will live. He set it up as a place where he could live with his creation. One scholar says it well:

“God does not set up the cosmos so that only people will have a place. He also sets up the cosmos to serve as his temple in which he will find rest in the order and equilibrium that he has established.”[20]

Sources:

T. Desmond Alexander, From Eden to the New Jerusalem (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2008).

G.K. Beale & Mitchell Kim, God Dwells Among Us (Downers Grove, Ill; IVP Books, 2014.

Victor P. Hamilton, The Book of Genesis: Chapters 1-17 (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990).

H.C. Leupold, Exposition of Genesis Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1942).

J.R. Middleton, The Liberating Image: The Image Dei in Genesis 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos, 2005).

Henry M. Morris, The Genesis Record (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1976).

Jonathan D. Sarfati, The Genesis Account (Powder Springs, GA: Creation Book Publishers, 2015).

Bruce K. Waltke, Genesis: A Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001).

Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 1-15, Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1987.

[1] The Hebrew for garden is gān.

[2] Sarfati, 312.

[3] Alexander, 14-15, 21. Wenham, 86.

[4] Alexander, 21-22; Hamilton, 210. Beale & Kim, 18. Wenham, 86.

[5] Alexander, 21-22, 26. Hamilton, 210. Wenham, 86.

[6] Alexander, 22. Beale & Kim, 19-20. Wenham, 86.

[7] Alexander, 22-23, 26; Hamilton, 171; Beale & Kim, 24-25; Wenham, 67. Waltke (87) believes that Adam and Eve were supposed to guard the garden against Satan but failed to drive out the serpent. Morris (92-93) believes that since there was no external enemy yet, to “guard” the garden means “exercising a careful and loving stewardship over it, keeping it beautiful and orderly, with every component in place and in harmonious relationship with the whole.” Leupold (126-127) likes a translation of either “have charge of” or “to look after”; he agrees with Morris that no evil existed yet so “to keep” means to take care of the garden.

[8] Alexander, 23. Beale & Kim, 22-23. Wenham, 65.

[9] Alexander, 23. Beale & Kim, 18.

[10] Alexander, 23. Also see, Beale & Kim, 20-21.

[11] Alexander, 26.

[12] Beale & Kim, 19, 21.

[13] Wenham, 65.

[14] Beale & Kim, 18-19.

[15] Alexander, 76.

[16] Alexander, 76. Beale & Kim, 31, 35, 36.

[17] Middleton, 26.

[18] Alexander, 77-78. Alexander also says, “Although it is not stated, the opening chapters of Genesis imply that the boundaries of the garden will be extended to fill the whole earth as human beings are fruitful and increase in number” (Alexander, 25). Also see Beale & Kim, 34-35. 

[19] Beale & Kim, 30.

[20] Walton, quoted in Alexander, 24.