Common misinterpretations treat this verse as a precise modern geographical map, leading to speculative theories like placing Eden near the Nile by equating Gihon with it and Cush with modern Ethiopia, disregarding the ancient Near Eastern context where Cush referred to Nubia and the possibility of a pre-flood topography; others view it as mere myth due to the rivers' vast separation, missing its theological purpose in portraying Eden's idyllic abundance rather than scientific cartography.
Genesis 2:13
King James Version (1769)
13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.
Genesis 2:13 names the second river emanating from the one flowing out of Eden as Gihon, which encircles the entire land of Cush (Ethiopia in the KJV), contributing to the broader description of paradise's abundant, life-sustaining waters that divide into four heads associated with fertile regions, underscoring the garden's role as the source of blessing and provision in God's original creation.