On Work Too

I must politely interject with your comment about work. Correct, the word "work" is not used (that is depending on what translation though) for it is Hebrew and so the actual word is abad (work) and shamar (keep). Each of these words has a range of meaning: abad - to work, serve, labour,work for another, etc. and shamar -to keep, guard, observe, give heed, etc. So before you say that the word "work" is not used you ought to check some other translations since the word 'work' is used in the ESV and NIV.

I understand your concern though with using the term "work"for indeed it does carry with it a western concept that scews the Eden interpretation ... I'm glad you brought it up.

Something that is facinating about the word "work" is that the word for slave or servant is ebed (they share the same root). In fact the word abad is overwhelmingly used most as "servant" (Gen 9:25-7; 12:16; 14:4 over 200 occurances). I take this to mean that we are to "work" the land as servants of the land. Not that the land owns us, but that we are authorized to tend the land but we are never its sole owner, the supreme landlord if you will. This brings a different slant to our work of "subduing" and having "dominion" over the land.

It makes me have to really define my terms clearly ... or should I say ... biblically. Or in other words, we are called to"work" the land as servants