The Creation on the 6th day and the Creation in Gen. 2?

Question

Are these just different tellings of the same story, one is in general the other is specific? Or are they two different creative acts, on the 6th day God created the human race and in chapter 2 God created the chosen man of Adam and placed him in the Garden of Eden? Just wandering what you think?

From the research that I've done, "Elohim" seems to be more of a general name for God where as "Adonai" is a more personal name. That would follow with the idea of chapter one being the general account and chapter 2 being the more specific and personal account of God with Adam and Eve.

Answer 1

Ch 2 gives a fuller account of Ch 1 creation activities. Not a separate creative act.

Ge 2:4-6 The name LORD God (Jehovah [Yahweh] Elohim) appears for the first time in verse 4, but only after the creation of man (Gen_1:27). As Elohim, God is the Creator. As Jehovah, He is in covenant relation with man. Failing to see this, some Bible critics have concluded that these different names for God can only be explained by a change in authorship.

This is the history (v. 4) refers to the beginnings described in chapter 1. Verse 5, which reads, "before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown," describes conditions on the earth in Gen_1:10, when the dry land appeared but before vegetation appeared. The earth was watered by a mist rather than by rain.

2:7 A fuller account of the creation of man is now given. God formed his body from the dust of the ground, but only the impartation of the breath of God made him a living being. Adam ("red" or "ground") was named after the red earth from which he was made.

Answer 2

The writer of Genesis wished to tell of Creation in chapter 1 by emphasizing the sequence of events. There is an orderliness to the description that is lacking in the second chapter. In chapter 2, the writer is not concerned to tell you about the timing of the events because he has already told you that information in chapter 1. Now, he wants to focus on what is most important, namely, the origin of man and woman. Notice how much there is about the male-female relationship in chapter 2 that is completely missing from chapter 1? You see, they don’t contradict one another because they are treating different aspects of the whole creation from different perspectives.

Consider an analogy. Two people go to a football game and sit on opposite sides of the field. Then, after the game, if these two people write short accounts of what happened during the game, you might and probably would get very different accounts. This would be especially true if one of them wrote with an emphasis on the sequence of events while the other didn’t think the sequence was particularly important. If we read their accounts, we might say that they contradicted one another, but in fact, both accounts can be accurate taken in and of themselves. They are just written from different perspectives.

The most importan thing is to get the message that the author intended.

Answer 3

Scholars tend to say that they are two different creation stories. From the source cited below:

Often people refer to the Genesis creation story as myths, but this is not technically correct in reference to Genesis 1. The priestly account is liturgy. It justifies and underlies the celebration of a worship cycle of seven days. If you look at the color coding below you will see how much of the text consists of formal elements that tend to outline and drive the text. This is carefully written theology.

snip

This story looks at creation from a completely different angle. Here God is personally and actively involved in the creation process and is visible to the newly created human for whom he seeks a helper. Rather than simple commands which are fulfilled, there is formation and growth. The chronology is also not precisely the same. It is unlikely that an editor heavily concerned with chronology would have put these stories together. On the other hand, someone more concerned with theology could easily see these two aspects of God's power--creative force and personal attention--as being complementary and presenting a more complete image of God. I argue elsewhere that Psalm 104 is another creation story with the focus there being on the continuing creative and sustaining power rather than the initiation.

Answer 4

All modern scholars accept the overwhelming evidence that there were two different traditions, one from the Northern kingdom of Israel, and one from the Southern kingdom of Judah. These were merged, together with other documents, to create the Bible.

The two different creation stories have different writing styles, use two different names for God, and describe the steps of creation in different orders.

Only the most fundamentalist of Christians make absurd rationalizations trying to unite both stories into a single tale, written entirely by Moses.

Answer 5

No. They are two different creation stories from two Hebrew traditions. That is why you see the word God (Elohim) in the first chapter and Lord (Adonai) in the second.

Answer 6

I believe this to be the telling of the same act not two separate acts.
.

In chapter 1 it shows how he blessed him....stated man's purpose.
Chapter 2 I believe is an explanation to how he created man.

I think the breath of life he breathed into man was when he called him Adam..man with dominion.

Answer 7

Yes, Chapter 1 is an overview, Ch 2 is more detailed.

Answer 8

Genesis 2 is a summary of creation, it was common in the writing style of the time to repeat something and give further detail.

Answer 9

God had to put a body on that spirit. We are far more spirit than body. Wait until you get to be 60 and the mind is still young but the body is wrinkling and sagging. My spirit is young. My body can't keep up. Once I lose this body, I will soar in my spirit.

Answer 10

Well, look at it this way. G1, Man is made in their image(God says our image. God did not say mine, or my, he said: "OUR") Now i believe, that it is possible. As for G2.
Now God looked and saw no one tending to his garden. So God takes it upon himself. to create, someone to tend to his garden.
So he created Adam. And put Adam directly in the garden. So therefor. Adam ,is not aware of his surroundings. By the way, go look for my qestion regarding it.
Look for question, "Is it possible" Or just check my Q&A's.