In Genesis 2 we read about a remarkable river flowing out of Eden, dividing itself into four main streams: the Pishon, the Gihon, the Tigris, and the Euphrates.
Why does the Bible tell us about this, and why is it important for us to read about it even today?
In this study, you will find answers to these questions.
You will also discover the deep spiritual meaning of the river in the Bible, its source, and the place to which it flows.
The insights you gain into these things will help you grow in Christ as never before, because the river in Genesis 2 is all about you!
Spiritual Meaning of Water and Rivers
All natural things mentioned in the Bible symbolize a spiritual principle.
All these natural things always represent either the wisdom of God or the wisdom of the world.
1 Corinthians 3:19 (NKJ)
And the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God!
Thus, the Bible speaks about two types of rivers as well.
One represents the wisdom of God, and the other the wisdom of the world.
I will show you shortly the river representing the wisdom of the world.
About the river representing the wisdom of God, you can read, for example, in Revelation 22.
Revelation 22:1 (NKJ)
He showed me a pure river, of the water of life,
clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
In this river flows water that gives life.
Water, in the Bible, is an image of that which someone says.
The water that gives life symbolizes what God says;
➡️ the Word of God, the wisdom of God.
The river is the path the Word takes.
It is the means by which the Word is spread.
This river, therefore, symbolizes you and me when we speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
The perfect example of this is, of course, Jesus Christ.
In him, the Word became flesh.
He is a pure river filled with water that gives life.
Thát is the reason stories about rivers appear in the Bible.
These stories give you insight and wisdom into who you truly are, so that you will…
Ephesians 4:15 (NKJ)
… grow up in all things into Him who is the head, that is, Christ.
This way, you also become a river filled with water that gives life.
Then the Word has also become flesh in you.
Worldly Wisdom: a River of Death
The river with water that gives life, mentioned in Revelation 22, is the same river that originates in Eden.
We’ll come back to that in a moment, and you’ll also discover why the river splits into four other rivers.
First, I will show you the river through which the wisdom of the world flows.
This river is also first mentioned in the book of Genesis, namely the Jordan River.
You probably didn’t expect that, but let me explain.
The Jordan is the river the Israelites had to cross to enter the promised land for the first time.
The priests carrying the ark of the covenant went before the people.
Joshua 3:15 (HST)
And as soon as the feet of the priests who carried the ark were dipped in the water, the water coming from upstream stopped flowing.
It stood still, forming a heap far away at the city of Adam,
which is next to Zarethan.
And the water flowing toward the Arabah, the Salt Sea, disappeared;
it was cut off.
The water in the Jordan flows from the city of Adam into the Salt Sea.
The Salt Sea is so salty that nothing can live in it.
That’s why it’s also called the Dead Sea.
The water of the Jordan river thus feeds the Dead Sea, and this water symbolizes the wisdom of the world.
In other words, the wisdom of the world leads to death (Proverbs 14:12).
This earthly wisdom is symbolized by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 3:6 (NKJ)
A tree desirable to make one wise.
Adam was the first to eat of this wisdom.
He thus symbolizes all of us.
He represents all of humanity—including you.
You went along with him in that choice.
His story is your story.
The city called Adam lies just beside Zarethan, which means “to toil.”
The wisdom of the world that makes you toil stopped flowing when the priests stepped into the water of the Jordan.
These are beautiful images giving us insight into God’s great plan and the purpose of your life.
Because you are that priest!
For Jesus is the one…
Revelation 1:6 (HST)
…who has made us kings and priests to his God and Father.
That’s why he says:
John 7:38 (NAS)
Whoever believes in Me: rivers of living water shall flow from his innermost being!
Then you have become a pure river filled with water that gives life.
This way, the promise of Ezekiel 47 is fulfilled:
Ezekiel 47:8-9 (HST)
This water flows down into the Arabah and enters the sea.
When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed.
There will be a great number of fish there, because this water goes there,
and wherever this river flows, everything will be healed and come to life.
When you are a river filled with water that gives life—the wisdom of God—the wisdom of the world will stop flowing.
And wherever this river flows, everything will be healed and come to life.
Symbolism of the Four Rivers
“Wherever this river flows, everything will be healed and come to life.”
This is precisely the meaning of the river in Genesis 2.
This river is a pure river, filled with water that gives life.
Genesis 2:10-14 (BSB)
This river went out of Eden to water the garden,
and from there it parted and became four headwaters.
The name of the first river is Pishon; it winds throughs the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.
And the gold of that land is good, and bdellium and onyx are found there.
And the name of the second river is Gihon; it winds through the whole land of Cush.
And the name of the third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria.
And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
The number four
In the Bible, the number four symbolizes the whole earth.
Consider the four winds (Ezekiel 37:9) or the four corners of the earth (Revelation 7:1).
The river flowing from Eden is filled with water that gives life.
This river flows over the whole earth, and wherever this river flows, everything will be healed and come to life.
Everywhere the pure wisdom of God is spoken, there will be life and abundance.
This fulfills God’s promise:
Numbers 14:21 (NKJ)
All the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD!
The Gihon
The meanings of the names of the lands through which the four rivers flow are also deeply significant!
They reveal that the world is living in darkness and that the Word of God—the water in the river—is the light for the world.
The Gihon flows throughout the entire land of Cush.
Cush means darkness.
The land of Cush is covered in darkness, but the river flowing from Eden brings light and life.
the pishon
The Pishon flows through the land of Havilah.
Havilah is a son of Cush (Genesis 10:7).
He is a son of darkness, brought forth by darkness.
Much gold is found in the land of Havilah.
Gold symbolizes truth.
Gold must first be purified before it reveals its true shine and value.
Impure gold, therefore, is like impure truth, and impure truth is nothing but a lie.
Remember that everything in the Bible is about you.
This story in Genesis 2 also shows how you are changed from within when you have ears to hear what the Spirit of truth is saying.
All good things come from God, and when you eat and drink from that, you grow into the perfect image and likeness of God, which is the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).
What Jesus says to the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3 is entirely about the land of Havilah, but also about you when your heart is still paved with impure gold.
Revelation 3:17-18 (BSB)
Because you say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’
But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.
I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich.
Rich in truth!
the tigris and the euphrates
Also, the Tigris and Euphrates flow through the land of darkness, so everyone who drinks from that water becomes a spring of living water themselves, shining like a light in the darkness.
The Tigris and Euphrates flow through the land of Shinar.
Shinar is the kingdom of Nimrod (Genesis 10:10).
Nimrod built great cities there, like Erech, Akkad, and Babel.
Nimrod was also brought forth by darkness, as Nimrod was also a son of Cush.
The whole earth is covered in darkness because we, like Adam, eat from the wisdom of the world.
And just like Eve, we pass on this earthly wisdom to one another.
That’s why it’s time to start fasting—stop eating from the lie—so that we hunger for truth and begin drinking from the pure river, filled with water that gives life.
Isaiah 60:2 (NKJ)
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the peoples
but the LORD shall arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you.
the names of the rivers
The name of the first river is Pishon.
Pishon means “increase” or “multiply.”
2 Peter 1:2 (ESV)
May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
The name of the second river is Gihon.
Gihon means “breaking through.”
Micah 2:13 (ESV)
He who opens the breach goes up before them
they will break through, pass through the gate and go out by it.
Their king passes on before them, the Lord at their head.
The name of the third river is Tigris.
Tigris means “with haste.”
Isaiah 60:22 (ESV)
The least of you will become a thousand, and the smallest one a mighty nation.
I am the Lord; in its time I will hasten it.
And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
Euphrates means “fruitfulness.”
John 15:5 (ESV)
Whoever abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit,
for apart from me you can do nothing.
Proverbs 18:4 (HST)
The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;
the fountain of wisdom is a flowing river.
Which river flows from your mouth?
