There are Two Creation Stories in Genesis

Dale · Aug 30, 2020

Psalm 104 recapitulates the creation, or you could call it a third creation story.

While the first creation story in Genesis divides the creation into days, there are no days here. The second creation story tells us bout Adam and Eve. There is no Garden of Eden, no Adam and Eve, and no expulsion from paradise here. The first creation story tells us that people are made in the image of God and the second creation story tells of God breathing the breath of life into Adam. Neither idea is found in Psalm 104.

As in Genesis, the Lord creates the heavens and the earth.

2 The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
3 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
Psalm 104: 2-3 NIV

5 He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved.
Psalm 104: 5 NIV

Psalm 104 agrees with Genesis that one function of heavenly bodies is to mark time and seasons, as in Genesis 1:14.

19 He made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows when to go down.
Psalm 104: 19 NIV

In a view similar to the second creation story, God provides for His creation.

10 He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
11 They give water to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the sky nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.
Psalm 104: 10-12 NIV

The Psalmist gives God credit for the cedars of Lebanon.

14 He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:
15 wine that gladdens human hearts,
oil to make their faces shine,
and bread that sustains their hearts.
16 The trees of the Lord are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
Pslam 104: 14-16 NIV

Also,

21 The lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God.
Psalm 104:24 NIV

Psalm 104 gives us a God who is Provider and Sustainer, a God who is involved in His creation.

Maria Billingsley · Aug 30, 2020

Dale said:
In the first creation story, Genesis 1, plants are created on the third day.

11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
Genesis 1:11-13 NIV

Still in the first creation story, God creates fish, sea creatures and birds on the fifth day.

20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
Genesis 1: 20-23 NIV

Then God creates land animals and an undetermined number of people on the sixth day.

24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.”
And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Genesis 1: 24-28 NIV

The second creation account starts in Genesis 2:4.

4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
Genesis 2:4 NIV

We are specifically told that there is "no shrub" and "no plant" when Adam, the first man, is created.

5 Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Genesis 2:5-7 NIV

The second creation story gives the impression that plants are made to make Adam comfortable. The tenses here are confusing and I'll say more about that later.

8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2:8-9 NIV

In the first creation story, birds (and fish) are created before land animals while in the second creation story, land animals and birds are created at the same time. In the first story, plants and animals are created before people while in the second, Adam is created before plants and animals. Again, the creation of animals is related to Adam's comfort, since the text distinguishes between "livestock" and "wild animals." The creation of land animals and birds is closely connected with their presentation to Adam.

19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.
Genesis 2:19-20 NIV

God announces the intention to create Eve, to create the first woman, in verse 18. He does not actually do so until verses 21-23, after the creation and presentation of birds, livestock and wild animals.

18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
...
21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
Genesis 2:18-25 NIV

In summary, in the first creation story, God creates plants, then animals, then people. In the second creation story, God first creates the man, Adam, then plants, then animals, and then the woman, Eve. Each of these stories has its purpose but as literal story they can't be reconciled.

IMHO-It would be illogical to have two creations accounts in the same book and in succession. So it appears Genesis 1 speaks in generalities and Genesis 2 speaks of specifics, introducing a very important union between man and woman, marriage. Be blessed.

SkyWriting · Aug 30, 2020

Dale said:
In the first creation story, Genesis 1, plants are created on the third day.

One story, two views.

Dale · Aug 30, 2020

-57 said:
Man is still made n the image of God.
1 Cor 11:7....For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man.

Gen 9:6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.

You quote Genesis 9:6 as justification for rejecting my comment on people of both genders being made in the image of God, following Genesis 2:26-27.

You are needlessly restricting the meaning of "man" in the translation you are using. I looked up "man" in a dictionary and among the definitions that come up are:

Man: All of the living human inhabitants of the earth.
Man: The generic use of the word to refer to any human being.

In the plural, "man" includes both genders. Many translations leave it to the reader to figure that out but others are more clear on that point.

Genesis 9:6

Contemporary English Version

5-6 I [God] created humans to be like me, and I will punish any animal or person that takes a human life. If an animal kills someone, that animal must die. And if a person takes the life of another, that person must be put to death.

Genesis 9:6

Common English Bible

6 Whoever sheds human blood,
by a human his blood will be shed;
for in the divine image
God made human beings.

Genesis 9:6

Contemporary English Version

5-6 I [God] created humans to be like me, and I will punish any animal or person that takes a human life. If an animal kills someone, that animal must die. And if a person takes the life of another, that person must be put to death.

Genesis 9:6

New International Reader's Version

6 “Anyone who murders a human being
will be killed by a human being.
That is because I [God] have made human beings
so that they are like me.

Dale · Aug 30, 2020

-57 said:
Yes, God made the animals. Chapter one tells us when as well as the order. Chapter one tells us God made man and women at the same time. Chapter 2 sheds details.
Chapter two only informs us that God made the animals....no when. You are assuming it was after Adam was made yet prior to Eve.

-57: "Chapter one tells us when as well as the order."
-57:"You are assuming it was after Adam was made yet prior to Eve."

You say that Genesis Chapter One gives us the true order of events, yet I have talked to creationists who were baffled by the order of the Six Days of Creation. For instance, plants were created on the third day, in verses 11-2. Yet the sun isn't created until the fourth day, in verse 16. How do plants prosper without the sun?

You say that I am "assuming" that plants and animals were made after Adam and before Eve, but I'm just reading what Genesis Chapter Two tells us.

Philip_B · Aug 30, 2020

I have no problem with the notion that there are two creation accounts, and any number of scholars will agree. Even Wikipedia is a valuable resource on this.

Genesis creation narrative - Wikipedia
Book of Genesis - Wikipedia

These are two witnesses, two strands of oral tradition, neither entirely alike nor entirely dissimilar. Both these accounts teach us about the author of creation. Trying the overly harmonise and synthesise the two accounts will ultimately do damage to the rich traditions they represent.

It may not be tidy, but then who said it needed to be tidy?

-57 · Aug 30, 2020

Dale said:
You quote Genesis 9:6 as justification for rejecting my comment on people of both genders being made in the image of God, following Genesis 2:26-27.

I agree, women, all humans are made in Gods image. From what I undertand the reference is about subordinative roles in 1 Cor 11

The Liturgist · Aug 30, 2020

Philip_B said:
I have no problem with the notion that there are two creation accounts, and any number of scholars will agree. Even Wikipedia is a valuable resource on this.

Genesis creation narrative - Wikipedia
Book of Genesis - Wikipedia

These are two witnesses, two strands of oral tradition, neither entirely alike nor entirely dissimilar. Both these accounts teach us about the author of creation. Trying the overly harmonise and synthesise the two accounts will ultimately do damage to the rich traditions they represent.

It may not be tidy, but then who said it needed to be tidy?

I agree entirely.

-57 · Aug 30, 2020

Dale said:
-57: "Chapter one tells us when as well as the order."
-57:"You are assuming it was after Adam was made yet prior to Eve."

You say that Genesis Chapter One gives us the true order of events, yet I have talked to creationists who were baffled by the order of the Six Days of Creation. For instance, plants were created on the third day, in verses 11-2. Yet the sun isn't created until the fourth day, in verse 16. How do plants prosper without the sun?

You say that I am "assuming" that plants and animals were made after Adam and before Eve, but I'm just reading what Genesis Chapter Two tells us.

The order in chapter 2 can be read as God had created the animals. Many translations translate it properly that way.
Even still the wording doesn't necessarily denote order in chapter two even when "had" is not used. It simply states God created animals. I see no problem here.

As to the plants here are two ways to look at it....the light from the "let there be light" "prospered" the plants...but then again, plants can survive a day easily with no light.
I see no problem here.

ewq1938 · Aug 30, 2020

-57 said:
The order in chapter 2 can be read as God had created the animals.

It can't be read that way in the Hebrew because the verb tense is not past tense which is called "perfect" meaning already completed. The verb is in the "imperfect" signifying an act not yet finished so God was actively creating animals in front of Adam before Eve was created.

You can also see how this works here:

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man (imperfect) of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Gen 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. (perfect because it had already been accomplished)

Gen 2:19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

So if this really should be "had formed" as part of a previous creation the Vern should be in the PERFECT yet it is not. It is written in the IMPERFECT because it was not something God had done in the past.

ewq1938 · Aug 30, 2020

-57 said:
The order in chapter 2 can be read as God had created the animals. Many translations translate it properly that way.

That isn't correct. Most translate not as "had formed".

My bible software has 26 translations. 5 translate it as had formed or similar while 21 translate it as formed or similar. The 21 adhere to Hebrew grammar and the tense of the verb while 5 do not.

Had formed:

Genesis 2:19
(Darby) And out of the ground Jehovah Elohim had formed every animal of the field and all fowl of the heavens, and brought them to Man, to see what he would call them; and whatever Man called each living soul, that was its name.
(DRB) And the Lord God having formed out of the ground all the beasts of the earth, and all the fowls of the air, brought them to Adam to see what he would call them: for whatsoever Adam called any living creature the same is its name.
(ESV) Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.
(GW) The LORD God had formed all the wild animals and all the birds out of the ground. Then he brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called each creature became its name.
(TLV) Adonai Elohim had formed from the ground every animal of the field and every flying creature of the sky, so He brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called them—each living creature—that was its name.

Formed:

Genesis 2:19
(ABP+) AndG2532 God shapedG4111 G3588 G2316 yetG2089 from out ofG1537 theG3588 earthG1093 allG3956 theG3588 wild beastsG2342 of theG3588 field,G68 andG2532 allG3956 theG3588 winged creaturesG4071 of theG3588 heaven.G3772 AndG2532 he ledG71 themG1473 toG4314 G3588 Adam,G* to beholdG1492 whatG5100 he would callG2564 them.G1473 AndG2532 allG3956 whatG3739 everG302 [2calledG2564 3itG1473 1Adam] --G* [2lifeG5590 1 the living],G2198 thisG3778 was the nameG3686 to it.G1473
(ASV) And out of the ground Jehovah God formed every beast of the field, and every bird of the heavens; and brought them unto the man to see what he would call them: and whatsoever the man called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
(BBE) And from the earth the Lord God made every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and took them to the man to see what names he would give them: and whatever name he gave to any living thing, that was its name.
(Brenton) And God formed yet farther out of the earth all the wild beasts of the field, and all the birds of the sky, and he brought them to Adam, to see what he would call them, and whatever Adam called any living creature, that was the name of it.
(CEV) So the LORD took some soil and made animals and birds. He brought them to the man to see what names he would give each of them. Then the man named the tame animals and the birds and the wild animals. That's how they got their names. None of these was the right kind of partner for the man.
(ERV) The LORD God used dust from the ground and made every animal in the fields and every bird in the air. He brought all these animals to the man, and the man gave them all a name.
(GNB) So he took some soil from the ground and formed all the animals and all the birds. Then he brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and that is how they all got their names.
(ISV) After the LORD God formed from the ground every wild animal and every bird that flies, he brought each of them to the man to see what he would call it. Whatever the man called each living creature became its name.
(JPS) And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto the man to see what he would call them; and whatsoever the man would call every living creature, that was to be the name thereof.
(JUB) And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living soul, that was its name.
(KJV) And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
(KJVA) And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
(KJV-BRG) And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
(LITV) And Jehovah God formed every animal of the field, and every bird of the heavens out of the ground. And He brought them to the man, to see what he would call it. And all which the man might call it, each living soul, that was its name.
(MKJV) And out of the ground Jehovah God formed every animal of the field and every fowl of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.
(RV) And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto the man to see what he would call them: and whatsoever the man called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
(TS2009) And from the ground יהוה Elohim formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called each living being, that was its name.
(WEB) Out of the ground Yahweh God formed every animal of the field, and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called every living creature became its name.
(WEBA) Out of the ground Yahweh God formed every animal of the field, and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called every living creature became its name.
(Webster) And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was its name.
(YLT) And Jehovah God formeth from the ground every beast of the field, and every fowl of the heavens, and bringeth in unto the man, to see what he doth call it; and whatever the man calleth a living creature, that is its name.

-57 · Aug 30, 2020

ewq1938 said:
Gen 2:19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

Which is true...out of the ground God formed every beast of the field. Gen 1 tells us when God formed the beast of the fields. The day before God formed the beast He formed the fowls of the air.
Gen 2 is simply informing us that God formed them. Gen 2 doesn't tell us when.

Sheeze...it's so simple. I once had a fellow trying to say that the plants were made after Adam based upon Gen 2:5-8...then claimed Adam was made on day 3 just before Gen 1:11where plants are made. Your pretty much following the same concept he tried to pull.

-57 · Aug 30, 2020

ewq1938 said:
My bible software has 26 translations. 5 translate it as had formed or similar while 21 translate it as formed or similar. The 21 adhere to Hebrew grammar and the tense of the verb while 5 do not.

As I said, it doesn't matter if "had formed" is in there or not. Gen 1 tells us when God formed the beast of the fields and fowls.
Gen 2 only informes us that God formed them.

There is no issue here.

ewq1938 · Aug 30, 2020

-57 said:
Which is true...out of the ground God formed every beast of the field. Gen 1 tells us when God formed the beast of the fields.

That's not what is being said in Gen 2. The verb tense tells us the forming was being done right then and was not a forming that had been previously completed. That's why being familiar with Hebrew verb tenses are important.

The day before God formed the beast He formed the fowls of the air.
Gen 2 is simply informing us that God formed them. Gen 2 doesn't tell us when.

Hebrew Grammar and the Verb tense tells us when.

-57 · Aug 30, 2020

ewq1938 said:
That's not what is being said in Gen 2. The verb tense tells us the forming was being done right then and was not a forming that had been previously completed. That's why being familiar with Hebrew verb tenses are important.

Gen 1 tells us it already happened...now, perhaps you're a bible contains error type of guy...I'm not. God didn't mess it up...you did. The contradiction you believe in is easily answered and has been answered.

Gen 2 clearly tells us God made the beast and fowl. It doesn't say when.

If there was no chapter one your interpretation might hold water..but the bible provides more information and interprets itself When the subject is compared the order comes through. Animal...Adam.
We see this happening a lot when one gospel adds more detail to another gospel detailing Jesus and what He did.

It's a good thing we have the overview then the closer look of day 6.

ewq1938 · Aug 30, 2020

-57 said:
Gen 1 tells us it already happened...now, perhaps you're a bible contains error type of guy...I'm not. God didn't mess it up...you did. The contradiction you believe in is easily answered and has been answered.

There's no contradictions in my exegesis of the chapters and I didn't "mess up" anything nor did God. The issue here is the lack of understanding Hebrew verbs and their tenses.

Dale · Aug 30, 2020

ChristServant said:
One story not two. You will find a ton of information on this.

JSRG said:
Two creation accounts?

AV1611VET said:
This seeming contradiction clears up when you realize that Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 comprise what is known as a frame story.How many times does Genesis 2 say God put Adam into the Garden?

Genesis 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

Genesis 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

Obviously God put him there only once, but it is narrated twice.

-57 said:
if the accounts are nor reconciled into one...then the Bible is in error.

Maria Billingsley said:
IMHO-It would be illogical to have two creations accounts in the same book and in succession. So it appears Genesis 1 speaks in generalities and Genesis 2 speaks of specifics, introducing a very important union between man and woman, marriage. Be blessed.

SkyWriting said:
One story, two views.

There is resistance to the notion of two creation accounts.

"Its Compositeness.--Only on the assumption that the book of Genesis is a composite work is it possible to explain the duplication of events, the varying use of the divine names Yahway and Elohim, the linguistic and stylistic differences, the internal intricacies of the subject matter, and the differing standpoints as regards tradition, chronology, morals and religion. The cumulative effect of the whole evidence is too strong to be withstood, and already in the 17th century it was recognized that the book was of composite origin."
--Encyclopedia Britannica, 1946, vol 10 under Genesis

In calling Genesis "a composite work," EB is saying that the stories in Genesis combine more than one tradition.

In the first creation story, Genesis 1:1 to Genesis 2:3, God is called Elohim.
In the second creation story, starting in Genesis 2:4, God is called Jehovah-Elohim.

Why the difference? Because there are two separate traditions here.

"God identifies Himself as Elohim thirty-five times at the start of Scripture. In fact, it is the only name used for God from Genesis 1:1 to Genesis 2:3."

Link
Elohim (Tony Evans is a pastor in Dallas, Texas.)

"Jehovah-Elohim, the LORD who made the earth and the heavens (Genesis 2:4)"

Link
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/why-is-jehovah-one-of-gods-names.html

SkyWriting · Aug 30, 2020

Dale said:
There is resistance to the notion of two creation accounts.

I said that. Two accounts. No resistance.

Dale · Aug 30, 2020

SkyWriting said:
I said that. Two accounts. No resistance.

Thanks!

Cis.jd · Aug 30, 2020

Dale said:
Each of these stories has its purpose but as literal story they can't be reconciled.

They are not literal stories.

Also, everyone knew about this for thousands of years.

There are Two Creation Stories in Genesis

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