Gen 2:4–6: before the garden

Says From 2:4 the narrative names God יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים, eleven times in Gen 2; Gen 1:1–2:3 has אֱלֹהִים alone. Gen 2:5 opens with two "not yet" clauses, וְכֹל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה טֶרֶם יִהְיֶה and וְכָל־עֵשֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶה טֶרֶם יִצְמָח: טֶרֶם with an imperfect, "before … was," of plants "of the field." Two reasons follow: כִּי לֹא הִמְטִיר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים, a perfect, "for the Lord God did not cause it to rain," and וְאָדָם אַיִן לַעֲבֹד אֶת־הָאֲדָמָה, "and there was no man to work the ground." The BSB's "had yet appeared" and "had not yet sent" are its English tenses. Gen 2:6 has וְאֵד יַעֲלֶה מִן־הָאָרֶץ, with an imperfect; BDB glosses the noun "mist," where the BSB has "springs welled up."

Uncertain How 2:4b–25 relates to Gen 1. (1) A complementary telling focused on day six and humankind: 2:5 speaks of field plants and cultivated ground, not plants in general. Objection: the sequence in 2:19 reads most naturally as narrative order. (2) A topical arrangement, not a chronology: the animals come before the man as candidates for a helper. Objection: the wayyiqtol chain looks sequential. (3) A recapitulation that expands the sixth day, the common early Jewish and Christian reading. Objection: the account says nothing of days. The days-views note cites 2:5 for the framework view. Early readings of 2:4–25 alongside Gen 1 are set out in note.historical.Gen.2.4-Gen.2.25.two-accounts-question. No lean is taken here.