A young friend is trying to study the scriptures on her own and has requested information about the rivers that met in the Garden of Eden.
We are all familiar with the verses in Genesis 2:10-14.
· Genesis 2:10-14 KJV And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. 11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. 13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. 14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.
We can read that “the whole land of Havilah” is mentioned in other verses such as Genesis 10:7, Genesis 10:29, Genesis 25:18, and 1 Samuel 15:7.
References for “the whole land of Ethopia” are Genesis 10:6 and Isaiah 11:11.
The third area that is mentioned is “the east of Assyria.” References for that area are: Genesis 10:11, Genesis 10:22, and Genesis 25:18.
Finally, the fourth river is Euphrates, a familiar name even today. References for this river and its area are: Genesis 15:18, Deuteronomy 1:7, Deuteronomy 11:24, and Revelation 9:14.
One interesting fact mentioned in Genesis 15:18-21 is the nations that lived around the Euphrates river.
· Genesis 15:18-21 KJV In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: 19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, 20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, 21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
Now to my friend’s question: Are these rivers the same as we read about today? Is there a map that shows these together?
I might add that several friends have also been studying the flood mentioned in Genesis 6:17.
· Genesis 6:17 KJV “And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.”
We know that the earth was greatly changed by that event. Does anyone on this list know if there a reliable study that might compare the paths of the rivers after the flood?
Beth Johnson
Chennai Teacher Training School
Articles and Books by Beth Johnson
STAY WELL, DO GOOD AND SEEK WISDOM. ALSO REMEMBER: 1 John 2:4-6