King James Version

Genesis 2:16

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

וַיְצַו֙vaytsavand appointצָוָהconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and appoint”, the next action in the storyH6680(intensively) to constitute, enjoinappoint, (for-) bid, (give a) charge, (give a, give in, send with) command(-er, -ment), send a messenger, put, (set) in order.יְהוָ֣הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).אֱלֹהִ֔יםelohimGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “God”, the ordinary formH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…הָֽאָדָ֖םhaadamthe personאָדָםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the person”, the ordinary formH120ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)[idiom] another, [phrase] hypocrite, [phrase] common sort, [idiom] low, man (mean, of low degree), person.לֵאמֹ֑רlemorto sayאָמַרpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to say”, the to-form of the verbH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…מִכֹּ֥לmikolfrom allכֹּלpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “from all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).עֵֽץetstreeעֵץnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “tree”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6086a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks)[phrase] carpenter, gallows, helve, [phrase] pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.הַגָּ֖ןhaganthe gardenגַּןdefinite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “the garden”, the ordinary formH1588a garden (as fenced)garden.אָכֹ֥לakholeatאָכַלverb, qal, infinitive absolute — “eat”, the verb used for emphasisH398to eat (literally or figuratively)[idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite.תֹּאכֵֽלtokheleatאָכַלverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “eat”, an unfinished actionH398to eat (literally or figuratively)[idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying: 'Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat;

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

Young’s Literal Translation

And Jehovah God layeth a charge on the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden eating thou dost eat;

World English Bible

Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden;

Darby Translation

And Jehovah Elohim commanded Man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou shalt freely eat;

Douay-Rheims

And he commanded him, saying: Of every tree of paradise thou shalt eat:

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying: 'Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat;

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the Lord God gave a charge to Adam, saying, Of every tree which is in the garden thou mayest freely eat,

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἐνετείλατο Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Ἀδὰμ, λέγων, ἀπὸ παντὸς ξύλου τοῦ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ βρώσει φαγῇ.