Genesis 2:2 – Learn Chinese Bible

到第七日，神造作的工已完成，就在第七日歇了他一切的工。

By the seventh day, God finished the work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done.

Chinese Character	Pinyin	Meaning	Grammar Role
到	dào	By, until	Preposition
第七日	dì qī rì	The seventh day	Noun phrase
神	shén	God	Subject noun
造作	zào zuò	Create, make	Verb
的	de	Possessive or descriptive particle	Particle
工	gōng	Work	Noun
已	yǐ	Already	Adverb
完成	wán chéng	Finish, complete	Verb
就	jiù	Then	Adverb
在	zài	At, on	Preposition
歇	xiē	Rest	Verb
了	le	Indicates completion	Particle
他	tā	He, his	Pronoun
一切	yī qiè	All, everything	Quantifier

Sentence Structure:

到第七日 (dào dì qī rì): Indicates the time by or on the seventh day.
神造作的工已完成 (shén zào zuò de gōng yǐ wán chéng): Describes God finishing the work He had done.
就在第七日歇了他一切的工 (jiù zài dì qī rì xiē le tā yī qiè de gōng): States that God rested from all His work on the seventh day.

Key Grammar Points:

到 (dào): A preposition meaning “by” or “until,” marking the timing of the action.
已 (yǐ): An adverb meaning “already,” indicating a completed state.
了 (le): A particle indicating the completion of an action or state.

Tone Practice:

Key Characters:

到 (dào): A common preposition marking time or arrival, essential for indicating the seventh day’s significance.
神 (shén): Represents the divine, a central figure in the narrative.
造作 (zào zuò): Refers to the act of creation, highlighting God’s active role in making the world.
歇 (xiē): Signifies rest, an important concept reflecting completion and reflection.
了 (le): Marks the completion of actions or states, frequently used in narrative contexts.

Rest After Completion: The concept of rest on the seventh day resonates with the Chinese value of balance between work and rest, a principle often discussed in Confucian and Daoist philosophies.
Significance of Seven: Both Hebrew and Chinese traditions recognize the number seven as symbolic of completeness and order.
Work as Creation: The term 造作 (zào zuò): reflects the divine act of creation, similar to traditional Chinese views of heaven’s and earth’s creative forces.

到 (dào): Imagine reaching the end of a journey marked by the seventh day.
第七日 (dì qī rì): Visualize the number seven in a cycle, signifying completion.
造作 (zào zuò): Picture God crafting the world, symbolizing purposeful work.
歇 (xiē): Think of resting under a tree, a symbol of peace and renewal.

Comparison with Hebrew:
- וַיְכַ֤ל אֱלֹהִים (VaYekhal Elohim): → 神造作的工已完成 (shén zào zuò de gōng yǐ wán chéng): Both describe God completing His work.
- בַּיֹּ֣ום הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י (BaYom HaShevi’i): → 到第七日 (dào dì qī rì): Both mark the seventh day as significant.
- וַיִּשְׁבֹּת֙ (VaYishbot): → 歇 (xiē): Both refer to resting from work.
- מִכָּל־מְלַאכְתֹּ֖ו (MiKol Melakhto): → 他一切的工 (tā yī qiè de gōng): Both describe resting from all labor.
Comparison with English:
- “By the seventh day” matches 到第七日 (dào dì qī rì): Both introduce the timing of the event.
- “God finished the work that He had done” corresponds to 神造作的工已完成 (shén zào zuò de gōng yǐ wán chéng): Both emphasize the completion of creation.
- “And He rested on the seventh day” aligns with 就在第七日歇了 (jiù zài dì qī rì xiē le): Both describe resting as a significant act.
Comparison with Chinese Cultural Concepts:
- Completion and Rest: The act of resting after completing work resonates with the Chinese value of balancing effort and renewal.
- Significance of Time: The mention of the seventh day reflects the Chinese view of cyclic time, where periods of work are followed by rest.