# Genesis 2.7 > Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed > into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. > (Genesis 2:7, NASB95) Genesis 2:7 is the single most theologically loaded sentence in the biblical account of human origins. Three moves happen in a row: God *forms* the human from dust (lowly material continuity with the creatures of the earth), God *breathes* into his nostrils the breath of life (a vertical infusion from God himself), and the human *becomes* a *nephesh chayyah*, a living being or living soul. The verse anchors the Hebrew anthropology of the human as a dust-rooted creature whose life derives directly from God, and it generates most of the major intramural debates in Christian theology about the soul, the image of God, and the relationship between creation and biology. ## Immediate context (±2 verses) **ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/)) > 5. And no plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for Jehovah God had not caused it to rain upon the earth: and there was not a man to till the ground; 6. but there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. > > **7. And Jehovah God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.** > > 8. And Jehovah God planted a garden eastward, in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9. And out of the ground made Jehovah God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:5-9, ASV) **WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/)) > 5. No plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for Yahweh God had not caused it to rain on the earth. There was not a man to till the ground, 6. but a mist went up from the earth, and watered the whole surface of the ground. > > **7. Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.** > > 8. Yahweh God planted a garden eastward, in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9. Out of the ground Yahweh God made every tree to grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:5-9, WEB) **KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/)) > 5. And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. 6. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. there: or, a mist which went up from, etc. > > **7. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. of the dust: Heb. dust of the ground** > > 8. And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9. And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:5-9, KJV) **YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/)) > 5. and no shrub of the field is yet in the earth, and no herb of the field yet sprouteth, for Jehovah God hath not rained upon the earth, and a man there is not to serve the ground, 6. and a mist goeth up from the earth, and hath watered the whole face of the ground. > > **7. And Jehovah God formeth the man, dust from the ground, and breatheth into his nostrils breath of life, and the man becometh a living creature.** > > 8. And Jehovah God planteth a garden in Eden, at the east, and He setteth there the man whom He hath formed; 9. and Jehovah God causeth to sprout from the ground every tree desirable for appearance, and good for food, and the tree of life in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:5-9, YLT) ## Setting - **Speaker:** Moses (traditional authorship) writing a Spirit-given narrative. - **Audience:** Israelites recently delivered from Egypt, learning who their God is and who they are. - **Location:** Eden (the narrative); Sinai wilderness and the plains of Moab (the composition). - **Time period:** events at the origin of humanity; composed c. 1446 to 1406 BC. ## Theological reading Three actions of God stack here and each carries weight. First, *forming* (*yatsar*, the potter's verb). The human is not spoken into being from nothing the way the universe is in Genesis 1:1; the human is shaped, sculpted, worked from preexisting material. The material is *dust from the ground* (*aphar min-ha-adamah*). This places man in continuity with the earth and its creatures and grounds the later judgment "to dust you shall return" (Gen 3:19). Lowliness is built into the species at the ontological level. Second, God *breathes* (*naphach*) into the nostrils the *neshamah chayyim*, the breath of life. This vertical action distinguishes the human from every other creature so far formed. The breath comes directly from God's mouth into the man's face. Genesis 1:26-27 says the human is made in the image of God; Genesis 2:7 shows the mechanism. Whatever the *imago Dei* is, it is delivered through this divine in-breathing. Third, the human *becomes* (*hayah*) a *nephesh chayyah*, a "living soul" or "living being." The same phrase is used of animals in 1:20-24, which is exegetically important: *nephesh chayyah* is not by itself a technical term for an immortal human soul. What is unique to the human is the *combination* of dust-formation, divine in-breathing, and image- bearing identity, not the bare possession of *nephesh*. The verse is the textual seedbed for several intramural debates. **Dichotomism vs. trichotomism** asks whether the human has two parts (body/soul) or three (body/soul/spirit); both sides cite Gen 2:7 alongside 1 Thessalonians 5:23. **Creationism vs. traducianism** asks whether each soul is freshly created (Gen 2:7 as paradigm) or transmitted parent-to-child like the body. **Substance dualism vs. physicalism** asks whether the soul is a substance distinct from the body or an emergent property; Gen 2:7 is the OT anchor for the dualist side. **Evolutionary creation** asks whether the dust-formation language is consistent with God using a long biological process to prepare the human body before the in-breathing event; the *naphach*-event is typically read as a non-negotiable historical moment regardless of mechanism, since it is what makes humans humans rather than highly developed primates. ## Key words - [H0120 - adam](/codex/h0120-adam/), the term for "man / humankind"; cognate with *adamah*, "ground," from which he is formed. - [H5315 - nephesh](/codex/h5315-nephesh/), "soul / living being / self"; what the human *becomes* after the in-breathing. - [H7307 - ruach](/codex/h7307-ruach/), "spirit / breath / wind"; the related but distinct anthropological term used elsewhere for the divine and human spirit. - [H3068 - YHWH](/codex/h3068-yhwh/), the covenant name of God; the divine name paired with *Elohim* in this account distinguishes the personal Creator who breathes life from the abstract deity of the surrounding ANE cosmogonies. ## Theological themes - **Hebrew anthropology.** Humans are dust-rooted creatures whose life is a direct, ongoing gift of God. - **The image of God.** The in-breathing is the textual mechanism for whatever it means to bear the divine image (cf. Gen 1:26-27). - **The soul.** *Nephesh chayyah* grounds the Christian doctrine of the soul, while leaving room for debate about composition and origin. - **Death and dust.** The "dust" motif anticipates the mortality pronounced in Gen 3:19 and the resurrection reversal in 1 Cor 15:45. - **Creation and biology.** The verse keeps a special-creation core (the divine in-breathing) without by itself ruling on the mechanism by which the dust was prepared. ## Cross-references - [Genesis 1.26-27](/codex/genesis-1-26-27/), the image-of-God declaration that this verse enacts. - [Genesis 3.19](/codex/genesis-3-19/), "for you are dust, and to dust you shall return"; the reversal of the formation language. - [1 Corinthians 15.21-22](/codex/1-corinthians-15-21-22/), Paul's Adam-Christ pairing that depends on the historicity of the first man. - [Job 34.15](/codex/job-34-15/), "all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust"; the breath-withdrawal counterpart. - [Psalms 139.13-16](/codex/psalms-139-13-16/), the formation theme applied to every human in the womb. ## See also - [Adam and Eve Historicity](/codex/adam-and-eve-historicity/) - [Soul](/codex/h5315-nephesh/) - [Substance Dualism](/codex/substance-dualism/) - [Original Sin](/codex/original-sin/) - [Federal Headship](/codex/romans-5-12-21/) ## Quoted in **Arguments and defeaters:** - [AI Consciousness Proves Mind Is Computation (Defeater)](/codex/ai-consciousness-proves-mind-is-computation-defeater/) - [Argument from Consciousness](/codex/argument-from-consciousness/) - [Argument from Origin of Life](/codex/argument-from-origin-of-life/) - [Argument from Personal Identity](/codex/argument-from-the-memory-continuity-convergence/) - [Biogenesis Argument](/codex/biogenesis-argument/) - [Chirality Argument](/codex/chirality-argument/) - [Edge of Evolution Argument](/codex/edge-of-evolution-argument/) - [Information Argument](/codex/information-argument/) - [Israelites Were Black Racial Descriptors Objection Defeater](/codex/israelites-were-black-racial-descriptors-objection-defeater/) - [Miller-Urey Reframe Argument](/codex/miller-urey-reframe-argument/) - [Modal Argument from Mind](/codex/modal-argument-from-mind/) - [Population Genetics for Historical Adam Argument](/codex/population-genetics-for-historical-adam-argument/) - [Quran Confirms Jesus is God Argument](/codex/quran-confirms-jesus-is-god-argument/) - [RNA World Failure Argument](/codex/rna-world-failure-argument/) - [Signature in the Cell Argument](/codex/signature-in-the-cell-argument/) - [Top 25 Reasons We Do Not Share a Common Ancestor With Apes](/codex/top-25-reasons-we-do-not-share-a-common-ancestor-with-apes/) **Concepts:** - [Adam and Eve Historicity](/codex/adam-and-eve-historicity/) - [Common Descent Critique](/codex/common-descent-critique/) - [Edge of Evolution](/codex/edge-of-evolution/) - [Human Chromosome 2 Fusion](/codex/human-chromosome-2-fusion/) - [Pentecost](/codex/acts-2/) - [Soul](/codex/h5315-nephesh/) - [Soul and Spirit, Origin and Awareness](/codex/soul-and-spirit-origin-and-awareness/) - [Substance Dualism](/codex/substance-dualism/) - [The Muslim Defense](/codex/the-muslim-defense/) - [Young's Literal Translation](/codex/ylt/) **Lexicon:** - [G5590 - psyche](/codex/g5590-psyche/) - [H0120 - adam](/codex/h0120-adam/) - [H1961 - hayah](/codex/h1961-hayah/) - [H2416 - chay](/codex/h2416-chay/) - [H5315 - nephesh](/codex/h5315-nephesh/) - [H7307 - ruach](/codex/h7307-ruach/) **Passages:** - [1 Chronicles 21.15](/codex/1-chronicles-21-15/) - [1 Chronicles 28.20](/codex/1-chronicles-28-20/) - [1 Chronicles 9](/codex/1-chronicles-9/) - [1 Corinthians 15.42-44](/codex/1-corinthians-15-42-44/) - [1 Kings 10.1-13](/codex/1-kings-10-1-13/) - [1 Kings 11.14-16](/codex/1-kings-11-14-16/) - [1 Kings 18.32](/codex/1-kings-18-32/) - [1 Kings 19.5-7](/codex/1-kings-19-5-7/) - [1 Kings 19.9-18](/codex/1-kings-19-9-18/) - [1 Kings 21.25](/codex/1-kings-21-25/) - [1 Kings 22.16](/codex/1-kings-22-16/) - [1 Kings 8.57](/codex/1-kings-8-57/) - [1 Samuel 1.3](/codex/1-samuel-1-3/) - [1 Samuel 15.2-3](/codex/1-samuel-15-2-3/) - [1 Samuel 15.9-21](/codex/1-samuel-15-9-21/) - [1 Samuel 16.1](/codex/1-samuel-16-1/) - [1 Samuel 16.12](/codex/1-samuel-16-12/) - [1 Samuel 28](/codex/1-samuel-28/) - [1 Samuel 3](/codex/1-samuel-3/) - [1 Samuel 8.6-7](/codex/1-samuel-8-6-7/) - [2 Chronicles 9.1-12](/codex/2-chronicles-9-1-12/) - [2 Kings 1.15](/codex/2-kings-1-15/) - [2 Kings 1.3](/codex/2-kings-1-3/) - [2 Kings 16.3](/codex/2-kings-16-3/) - [2 Kings 18](/codex/2-kings-18/) - [2 Kings 19.35](/codex/2-kings-19-35/) - [2 Kings 2.24](/codex/2-kings-2-24/) - [2 Kings 24](/codex/2-kings-24/) - [2 Samuel 12.11-12](/codex/2-samuel-12-11-12/) - [2 Samuel 24.1](/codex/2-samuel-24-1/) - [2 Samuel 24.15-17](/codex/2-samuel-24-15-17/) - [2 Samuel 24.16](/codex/2-samuel-24-16/) - [Amos 2.6-7](/codex/amos-2-6-7/) - [Amos 4.11](/codex/amos-4-11/) - [Amos 9.7](/codex/amos-9-7/) - [Daniel 9](/codex/daniel-9/) - [Deuteronomy 13.3-5](/codex/deuteronomy-13-3-5/) - [Deuteronomy 15.15](/codex/deuteronomy-15-15/) - [Deuteronomy 18.10-12](/codex/deuteronomy-18-10-12/) - [Deuteronomy 18.15](/codex/deuteronomy-18-15/) - [Deuteronomy 18.22](/codex/deuteronomy-18-22/) - [Deuteronomy 18.5](/codex/deuteronomy-18-5/) - [Deuteronomy 18.7](/codex/deuteronomy-18-7/) - [Deuteronomy 18.9-12](/codex/deuteronomy-18-9-12/) - [Deuteronomy 18.9-14](/codex/deuteronomy-18-9-14/) - [Deuteronomy 21](/codex/deuteronomy-21/) - [Deuteronomy 21.10-14](/codex/deuteronomy-21-10-14/) - [Deuteronomy 21.22-23](/codex/deuteronomy-21-22-23/) - [Deuteronomy 21.23](/codex/deuteronomy-21-23/) - [Deuteronomy 22](/codex/deuteronomy-22/) - [Deuteronomy 22.25-26](/codex/deuteronomy-22-25-26/) - [Deuteronomy 24.14-15](/codex/deuteronomy-24-14-15/) - [Deuteronomy 24.7](/codex/deuteronomy-24-7/) - [Deuteronomy 25.17-19](/codex/deuteronomy-25-17-19/) - [Deuteronomy 28](/codex/deuteronomy-28/) - [Deuteronomy 28.11](/codex/deuteronomy-28-11/) - [Deuteronomy 28.2](/codex/deuteronomy-28-2/) - [Deuteronomy 28.36](/codex/deuteronomy-28-36/) - [Deuteronomy 28.68](/codex/deuteronomy-28-68/) - [Deuteronomy 31.6](/codex/deuteronomy-31-6/) - [Deuteronomy 31.8](/codex/deuteronomy-31-8/) - [Deuteronomy 34](/codex/deuteronomy-34/) - [Deuteronomy 4.24](/codex/deuteronomy-4-24/) - [Deuteronomy 4.35](/codex/deuteronomy-4-35/) - [Deuteronomy 4.39](/codex/deuteronomy-4-39/) - [Deuteronomy 5.12](/codex/deuteronomy-5-12/) - [Deuteronomy 6.4-5](/codex/deuteronomy-6-4-5/) - [Deuteronomy 6.4-9](/codex/deuteronomy-6-4-9/) - [Deuteronomy 7](/codex/deuteronomy-7/) - [Deuteronomy 7.1-2](/codex/deuteronomy-7-1-2/) - [Deuteronomy 7.9](/codex/deuteronomy-7-9/) - [Deuteronomy 8.18](/codex/deuteronomy-8-18/) - [Deuteronomy 8.2](/codex/deuteronomy-8-2/) - [Deuteronomy 9.4-5](/codex/deuteronomy-9-4-5/) - [Ecclesiastes 3.12-13](/codex/ecclesiastes-3-12-13/) - [Ecclesiastes 7.20](/codex/ecclesiastes-7-20/) - [Exodus 10.19](/codex/exodus-10-19/) - [Exodus 10.21](/codex/exodus-10-21/) - [Exodus 12.23](/codex/exodus-12-23/) - [Exodus 12.29](/codex/exodus-12-29/) - [Exodus 14.14](/codex/exodus-14-14/) - [Exodus 14.19-24](/codex/exodus-14-19-24/) - [Exodus 14.21](/codex/exodus-14-21/) - [Exodus 15.26](/codex/exodus-15-26/) - [Exodus 17.14](/codex/exodus-17-14/) - [Exodus 19.10-19](/codex/exodus-19-10-19/) - [Exodus 20.1-17](/codex/exodus-20-1-17/) - [Exodus 20.4-6](/codex/exodus-20-4-6/) - [Exodus 21.22-25](/codex/exodus-21-22-25/) - [Exodus 23.9](/codex/exodus-23-9/) - [Exodus 3](/codex/exodus-3/) - [Exodus 3.1-15](/codex/exodus-3-1-15/) - [Exodus 3.1-4](/codex/exodus-3-1-4/) - [Exodus 3.14-15](/codex/exodus-3-14-15/) - [Exodus 3.2](/codex/exodus-3-2/) - [Exodus 3.2-6](/codex/exodus-3-2-6/) - [Exodus 31.13](/codex/exodus-31-13/) - [Exodus 32.14](/codex/exodus-32-14/) - [Exodus 33.11](/codex/exodus-33-11/) - [Exodus 33.20](/codex/exodus-33-20/) - [Exodus 34.5-6](/codex/exodus-34-5-6/) - [Exodus 7](/codex/exodus-7/) - [Exodus 7.1](/codex/exodus-7-1/) - [Exodus 7.13](/codex/exodus-7-13/) - [Exodus 7.16](/codex/exodus-7-16/) - [Ezekiel 1.1-3](/codex/ezekiel-1-1-3/) - [Ezekiel 18.1-24](/codex/ezekiel-18-1-24/) - [Ezekiel 21.1-5](/codex/ezekiel-21-1-5/) - [Ezekiel 28.11-17](/codex/ezekiel-28-11-17/) - [Ezekiel 36](/codex/ezekiel-36/) - [Ezekiel 37.24-28](/codex/ezekiel-37-24-28/) - [Ezekiel 39](/codex/ezekiel-39/) - [Ezekiel 39.6](/codex/ezekiel-39-6/) - [Ezekiel 7.9](/codex/ezekiel-7-9/) - [Ezra 1.1-2](/codex/ezra-1-1-2/) - [Ezra 2](/codex/ezra-2/) - [Ezra 7.6](/codex/ezra-7-6/) - [Genesis 1.21](/codex/genesis-1-21/) - [Genesis 1.24-28](/codex/genesis-1-24-28/) - [Genesis 1.28](/codex/genesis-1-28/) - [Genesis 11.1-9](/codex/genesis-11-1-9/) - [Genesis 11.6](/codex/genesis-11-6/) - [Genesis 11.7-9](/codex/genesis-11-7-9/) - [Genesis 12](/codex/genesis-12/) - [Genesis 13.13](/codex/genesis-13-13/) - [Genesis 15.1](/codex/genesis-15-1/) - [Genesis 16.10](/codex/genesis-16-10/) - [Genesis 16.12](/codex/genesis-16-12/) - [Genesis 16.7-13](/codex/genesis-16-7-13/) - [Genesis 18.1-15](/codex/genesis-18-1-15/) - [Genesis 18.22](/codex/genesis-18-22/) - [Genesis 18.33](/codex/genesis-18-33/) - [Genesis 19.15-16](/codex/genesis-19-15-16/) - [Genesis 19.24-25](/codex/genesis-19-24-25/) - [Genesis 2.18](/codex/genesis-2-18/) - [Genesis 2.4](/codex/genesis-2-4/) - [Genesis 22.11-18](/codex/genesis-22-11-18/) - [Genesis 22.14](/codex/genesis-22-14/) - [Genesis 28](/codex/genesis-28/) - [Genesis 28.10-22](/codex/genesis-28-10-22/) - [Genesis 3](/codex/genesis-3/) - [Genesis 3.8](/codex/genesis-3-8/) - [Genesis 32.30](/codex/genesis-32-30/) - [Genesis 4.26](/codex/genesis-4-26/) - [Genesis 6.1-4](/codex/genesis-6-1-4/) - [Genesis 6.2](/codex/genesis-6-2/) - [Genesis 6.4](/codex/genesis-6-4/) - [Genesis 6.8](/codex/genesis-6-8/) - [Genesis 7.17-23](/codex/genesis-7-17-23/) - [Genesis 7.21-23](/codex/genesis-7-21-23/) - [Genesis 9.26](/codex/genesis-9-26/) - [Haggai 2.23](/codex/haggai-2-23/) - [Hosea 12.3-5](/codex/hosea-12-3-5/) - [Hosea 13.4](/codex/hosea-13-4/) - [Hosea 2.19-20](/codex/hosea-2-19-20/) - [Hosea 2.21-23](/codex/hosea-2-21-23/) - [Hosea 5.4](/codex/hosea-5-4/) - [Isaiah 1.19-20](/codex/isaiah-1-19-20/) - [Isaiah 11.1-2](/codex/isaiah-11-1-2/) - [Isaiah 11.2](/codex/isaiah-11-2/) - [Isaiah 11.9](/codex/isaiah-11-9/) - [Isaiah 13](/codex/isaiah-13/) - [Isaiah 19.14](/codex/isaiah-19-14/) - [Isaiah 2.11](/codex/isaiah-2-11/) - [Isaiah 21](/codex/isaiah-21/) - [Isaiah 28.9-13](/codex/isaiah-28-9-13/) - [Isaiah 29.10](/codex/isaiah-29-10/) - [Isaiah 37.34-38](/codex/isaiah-37-34-38/) - [Isaiah 37.36](/codex/isaiah-37-36/) - [Isaiah 40.3](/codex/isaiah-40-3/) - [Isaiah 40.3-5](/codex/isaiah-40-3-5/) - [Isaiah 40.31](/codex/isaiah-40-31/) - [Isaiah 41.17](/codex/isaiah-41-17/) - [Isaiah 41.4](/codex/isaiah-41-4/) - [Isaiah 42.1](/codex/isaiah-42-1/) - [Isaiah 42.1-5](/codex/isaiah-42-1-5/) - [Isaiah 42.13](/codex/isaiah-42-13/) - [Isaiah 42.6](/codex/isaiah-42-6/) - [Isaiah 43.1](/codex/isaiah-43-1/) - [Isaiah 43.10](/codex/isaiah-43-10/) - [Isaiah 43.10-11](/codex/isaiah-43-10-11/) - [Isaiah 43.10-13](/codex/isaiah-43-10-13/) - [Isaiah 43.11](/codex/isaiah-43-11/) - [Isaiah 43.15](/codex/isaiah-43-15/) - [Isaiah 44.15](/codex/isaiah-44-15/) - [Isaiah 44.24](/codex/isaiah-44-24/) - [Isaiah 45.1](/codex/isaiah-45-1/) - [Isaiah 45.11](/codex/isaiah-45-11/) - [Isaiah 45.12](/codex/isaiah-45-12/) - [Isaiah 45.21](/codex/isaiah-45-21/) - [Isaiah 45.5](/codex/isaiah-45-5/) - [Isaiah 45.5-7](/codex/isaiah-45-5-7/) - [Isaiah 45.7](/codex/isaiah-45-7/) - [Isaiah 49.1-7](/codex/isaiah-49-1-7/) - [Isaiah 51.9](/codex/isaiah-51-9/) - [Isaiah 53.1-12](/codex/isaiah-53-1-12/) - [Isaiah 53.10](/codex/isaiah-53-10/) - [Isaiah 53.11](/codex/isaiah-53-11/) - [Isaiah 53.12](/codex/isaiah-53-12/) - [Isaiah 53.5-7](/codex/isaiah-53-5-7/) - [Isaiah 53.6-7](/codex/isaiah-53-6-7/) - [Isaiah 55.8-9](/codex/isaiah-55-8-9/) - [Isaiah 6](/codex/isaiah-6/) - [Isaiah 6.1-8](/codex/isaiah-6-1-8/) - [Isaiah 6.3](/codex/isaiah-6-3/) - [Isaiah 61.1](/codex/isaiah-61-1/) - [Isaiah 61.1-2](/codex/isaiah-61-1-2/) - [Isaiah 61.1-6](/codex/isaiah-61-1-6/) - [Isaiah 61.2](/codex/isaiah-61-2/) - [Isaiah 61.3](/codex/isaiah-61-3/) - [Isaiah 62](/codex/isaiah-62/) - [Isaiah 64.8](/codex/isaiah-64-8/) - [Isaiah 8.3](/codex/isaiah-8-3/) - [Isaiah 9.6-7](/codex/isaiah-9-6-7/) - [Jeremiah 1.4-6](/codex/jeremiah-1-4-6/) - [Jeremiah 1.4-7](/codex/jeremiah-1-4-7/) - [Jeremiah 1.4-8](/codex/jeremiah-1-4-8/) - [Jeremiah 1.5](/codex/jeremiah-1-5/) - [Jeremiah 1.9](/codex/jeremiah-1-9/) - [Jeremiah 10.23](/codex/jeremiah-10-23/) - [Jeremiah 2.37](/codex/jeremiah-2-37/) - [Jeremiah 22.24-30](/codex/jeremiah-22-24-30/) - [Jeremiah 23.5](/codex/jeremiah-23-5/) - [Jeremiah 28.13-14](/codex/jeremiah-28-13-14/) - [Jeremiah 29.11](/codex/jeremiah-29-11/) - [Jeremiah 30.17](/codex/jeremiah-30-17/) - [Jeremiah 30.21](/codex/jeremiah-30-21/) - [Jeremiah 31.29-34](/codex/jeremiah-31-29-34/) - [Jeremiah 31.3](/codex/jeremiah-31-3/) - [Jeremiah 32.27](/codex/jeremiah-32-27/) - [Jeremiah 51.6](/codex/jeremiah-51-6/) - [Job 1.6-8](/codex/job-1-6-8/) - [Job 34.15](/codex/job-34-15/) - [Joel 2.31](/codex/joel-2-31/) - [Joshua 2.12-13](/codex/joshua-2-12-13/) - [Joshua 24.26](/codex/joshua-24-26/) - [Joshua 5.13-15](/codex/joshua-5-13-15/) - [Joshua 6](/codex/joshua-6/) - [Joshua 8.30-35](/codex/joshua-8-30-35/) - [Judges 13.18](/codex/judges-13-18/) - [Judges 13.3-22](/codex/judges-13-3-22/) - [Judges 2.1](/codex/judges-2-1/) - [Judges 2.1-5](/codex/judges-2-1-5/) - [Judges 4](/codex/judges-4/) - [Judges 5.23](/codex/judges-5-23/) - [Judges 6.11-24](/codex/judges-6-11-24/) - [Judges 6.22](/codex/judges-6-22/) - [Judges 6.24](/codex/judges-6-24/) - [Lamentations 2.20-21](/codex/lamentations-2-20-21/) - [Leviticus 1](/codex/leviticus-1/) - [Leviticus 19.18](/codex/leviticus-19-18/) - [Leviticus 19.2](/codex/leviticus-19-2/) - [Leviticus 19.33-34](/codex/leviticus-19-33-34/) - [Leviticus 19.34](/codex/leviticus-19-34/) - [Leviticus 23.3](/codex/leviticus-23-3/) - [Leviticus 26.13](/codex/leviticus-26-13/) - [Leviticus 5.15](/codex/leviticus-5-15/) - [Malachi 1.6](/codex/malachi-1-6/) - [Malachi 3.10-11](/codex/malachi-3-10-11/) - [Malachi 4.5](/codex/malachi-4-5/) - [Micah 5](/codex/micah-5/) - [Nehemiah 8.10](/codex/nehemiah-8-10/) - [Nehemiah 9.6](/codex/nehemiah-9-6/) - [Numbers 14.18](/codex/numbers-14-18/) - [Numbers 15.15-17](/codex/numbers-15-15-17/) - [Numbers 22.22-35](/codex/numbers-22-22-35/) - [Numbers 25](/codex/numbers-25/) - [Numbers 25.1-3](/codex/numbers-25-1-3/) - [Numbers 25.16-18](/codex/numbers-25-16-18/) - [Numbers 31](/codex/numbers-31/) - [Numbers 31.1](/codex/numbers-31-1/) - [Numbers 31.1-2](/codex/numbers-31-1-2/) - [Numbers 31.16](/codex/numbers-31-16/) - [Numbers 31.7-8](/codex/numbers-31-7-8/) - [Numbers 5.30](/codex/numbers-5-30/) - [Numbers 6.24-26](/codex/numbers-6-24-26/) - [Proverbs 1.29](/codex/proverbs-1-29/) - [Proverbs 1.7](/codex/proverbs-1-7/) - [Proverbs 16.1](/codex/proverbs-16-1/) - [Proverbs 16.4](/codex/proverbs-16-4/) - [Proverbs 16.5](/codex/proverbs-16-5/) - [Proverbs 16.9](/codex/proverbs-16-9/) - [Proverbs 17.3](/codex/proverbs-17-3/) - [Proverbs 18.10](/codex/proverbs-18-10/) - [Proverbs 2.6](/codex/proverbs-2-6/) - [Proverbs 20.27](/codex/proverbs-20-27/) - [Proverbs 3.5](/codex/proverbs-3-5/) - [Proverbs 3.5-6](/codex/proverbs-3-5-6/) - [Proverbs 6.16-17](/codex/proverbs-6-16-17/) - [Psalms 1.2](/codex/psalms-1-2/) - [Psalms 103.2-3](/codex/psalms-103-2-3/) - [Psalms 103.8-10](/codex/psalms-103-8-10/) - [Psalms 104.24-25](/codex/psalms-104-24-25/) - [Psalms 106.34-38](/codex/psalms-106-34-38/) - [Psalms 11.7](/codex/psalms-11-7/) - [Psalms 118.11](/codex/psalms-118-11/) - [Psalms 118.6](/codex/psalms-118-6/) - [Psalms 121](/codex/psalms-121/) - [Psalms 121.7-8](/codex/psalms-121-7-8/) - [Psalms 124.8](/codex/psalms-124-8/) - [Psalms 127.1](/codex/psalms-127-1/) - [Psalms 136](/codex/psalms-136/) - [Psalms 136.1](/codex/psalms-136-1/) - [Psalms 137.7-11](/codex/psalms-137-7-11/) - [Psalms 137.7-9](/codex/psalms-137-7-9/) - [Psalms 139.14](/codex/psalms-139-14/) - [Psalms 139.2-4](/codex/psalms-139-2-4/) - [Psalms 145.17](/codex/psalms-145-17/) - [Psalms 145.9](/codex/psalms-145-9/) - [Psalms 146.8](/codex/psalms-146-8/) - [Psalms 17](/codex/psalms-17/) - [Psalms 18.2](/codex/psalms-18-2/) - [Psalms 2.6-8](/codex/psalms-2-6-8/) - [Psalms 2.7](/codex/psalms-2-7/) - [Psalms 22.7-8](/codex/psalms-22-7-8/) - [Psalms 23.1](/codex/psalms-23-1/) - [Psalms 23.3](/codex/psalms-23-3/) - [Psalms 23.6](/codex/psalms-23-6/) - [Psalms 24.10](/codex/psalms-24-10/) - [Psalms 24.8](/codex/psalms-24-8/) - [Psalms 27](/codex/psalms-27/) - [Psalms 27.1](/codex/psalms-27-1/) - [Psalms 27.10](/codex/psalms-27-10/) - [Psalms 27.4](/codex/psalms-27-4/) - [Psalms 29.1-2](/codex/psalms-29-1-2/) - [Psalms 32](/codex/psalms-32/) - [Psalms 32.5](/codex/psalms-32-5/) - [Psalms 33.11](/codex/psalms-33-11/) - [Psalms 33.12](/codex/psalms-33-12/) - [Psalms 34.17](/codex/psalms-34-17/) - [Psalms 34.8](/codex/psalms-34-8/) - [Psalms 35.5-6](/codex/psalms-35-5-6/) - [Psalms 37.28](/codex/psalms-37-28/) - [Psalms 42.1](/codex/psalms-42-1/) - [Psalms 42.5](/codex/psalms-42-5/) - [Psalms 49.15](/codex/psalms-49-15/) - [Psalms 5.4-6](/codex/psalms-5-4-6/) - [Psalms 68.18](/codex/psalms-68-18/) - [Psalms 7.17](/codex/psalms-7-17/) - [Psalms 8.3-4](/codex/psalms-8-3-4/) - [Psalms 82.1-8](/codex/psalms-82-1-8/) - [Psalms 82.6-7](/codex/psalms-82-6-7/) - [Psalms 89.6-7](/codex/psalms-89-6-7/) - [Psalms 9.9](/codex/psalms-9-9/) - [Psalms 90.17](/codex/psalms-90-17/) - [Psalms 90.3](/codex/psalms-90-3/) - [Psalms 91.1-2](/codex/psalms-91-1-2/) - [Psalms 91.2](/codex/psalms-91-2/) - [Psalms 92.15](/codex/psalms-92-15/) - [Psalms 94.11](/codex/psalms-94-11/) - [Psalms 94.14](/codex/psalms-94-14/) - [Psalms 96.13](/codex/psalms-96-13/) - [Zechariah 1.12-13](/codex/zechariah-1-12-13/) - [Zechariah 11.12-13](/codex/zechariah-11-12-13/) - [Zechariah 12](/codex/zechariah-12/) - [Zechariah 12.1](/codex/zechariah-12-1/) - [Zechariah 13.3](/codex/zechariah-13-3/) - [Zechariah 14.1](/codex/zechariah-14-1/) - [Zechariah 14.9](/codex/zechariah-14-9/) - [Zechariah 2.11](/codex/zechariah-2-11/) - [Zechariah 2.7-11](/codex/zechariah-2-7-11/) - [Zechariah 2.9-11](/codex/zechariah-2-9-11/) - [Zechariah 3.1-2](/codex/zechariah-3-1-2/) - [Zechariah 3.1-6](/codex/zechariah-3-1-6/) - [Zechariah 4.1-6](/codex/zechariah-4-1-6/) - [Zechariah 4.7-9](/codex/zechariah-4-7-9/) - [Zechariah 4.8-9](/codex/zechariah-4-8-9/) - [Zechariah 6.12-13](/codex/zechariah-6-12-13/) --- _Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_ ## Why these four translations ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance. The four: - **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition. - **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English. - **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base. - **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff. See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.