What is the purpose of two Creation accounts in Genesis?

Question

The creation story in Genesis 1 is different than the account in genesis 2. Why is that, and what do they mean?

Answer 1

The book of Genesis, in line with other writings of that time period, was written by telling events in chronological order and topical order. Often these accounts, religious or not, have one story telling the order that the events happened and then another account telling you the different events that happened in summary.



The two accounts therefore are NOT different. But if you haven't taken any literature courses that covered topical and chronological writings, you might not get it.



Any person who has taken a religious studies class should already know this, especially if you studied Mesopotamian literature.



edit: I'm stunned by how ignorant and stupid some people on here are. If you took a theology class you would easily understand my answer. If you were someone who based their beliefs on emotion and your own ego, my answer would be absolute garbagle.

Answer 2

There exists several theories, and most revolve around the idea that there existed two separate stories about creation originally. One theory claims that there were different writers with different ideas of how the world began in Christianity. The other, is virtually the same, except one single source combined two stories in Genesis, for he could not decide which one was truthful. The blatant fact that there exist a few contradictions in each story informs us that the writer or writers of Genesis did not find them to be critical in the overall meaning of the entire work. The idea that God set in motion this world and all its inhabitants still shines through. As well, some translations between Hebrew and English could have been misconstrued, referring to the tense of the word "create." All throughout the Bible, several books concentrate on chronology, while others do not. Genesis most definitely does. However, the fact that the Bible itself is not arranged in a tightly structured chronological manner overall, the placement of Genesis 1 and 2 are miniscule compared to the information within them, which if viewed, provide basic ideas about Christianity.

Answer 3

Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Later, in Genesis 2:4, it seems that a second, different story of creation begins. The idea of two differing creation accounts is a common misinterpretation of these two passages which, in fact, describe the same creation event. They do not disagree as to the order in which things were created and do not contradict one another. Genesis 1 describes the “six days of creation” (and a seventh day of rest), Genesis 2 covers only one day of that creation week—the sixth day—and there is no contradiction.



In Genesis 2, the author steps back in the temporal sequence to the sixth day, when God made man. In the first chapter, the author of Genesis presents the creation of man on the sixth day as the culmination or high point of creation. Then, in the second chapter, the author gives greater detail regarding the creation of man.



There are two primary claims of contradictions between Genesis chapters 1-2. The first is in regard to plant life. Genesis 1:11 records God creating vegetation on the third day. Genesis 2:5 states that prior to the creation of man “no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground.” So, which is it? Did God create vegetation on the third day before He created man (Genesis 1), or after He created man (Genesis 2)? The Hebrew words for “vegetation” are different in the two passages. Genesis 1:11 uses a term that refers to vegetation in general. Genesis 2:5 uses a more specific term that refers to vegetation that requires agriculture, i.e., a person to tend it, a gardener. The passages do not contradict. Genesis 1:11 speaks of God creating vegetation, and Genesis 2:5 speaks of God not causing “farmable” vegetation to grow until after He created man.



The second claimed contradiction is in regard to animal life. Genesis 1:24-25 records God creating animal life on the sixth day, before He created man. Genesis 2:19, in some translations, seems to record God creating the animals after He had created man. However, a good and plausible translation of Genesis 2:19-20 reads, “Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. 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. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.” The text does not say that God created man, then created the animals, and then brought the animals to the man. Rather, the text says, “Now the LORD God had [already] created all the animals.” There is no contradiction. On the sixth day, God created the animals, then created man, and then brought the animals to the man, allowing the man to name the animals.

Answer 4

It means that Genesis is a combination of multiple author's work. Research the Documentary Hypothesis and the evidence supporting it.



Ironically, Genesis 2 is an older written story than Genesis 1, in the sense that the words and language used in Genesis 2 is a more archaic form than that used to write Genesis 1.



Pretty interesting if you ask me.

Answer 5

They are not actually different. They just highlight different details.



There are many other instances in Scripture where an event is accounted for in more than one place. Typically it is because there was more than one writer. The accounts do not contradict each other, they just focus on different points.



Chapter 1 focuses on the Creation of the heavens and earth.



Chapter 2 focuses more on man.





There are many places in Scripture where an event is recorded more than once. Each by a different writer and from a different perspective. For example, there are four gospels. The writers walked side by side as they followed Jesus. Many of the events that are recorded, have slight variations in the details, while not contradicting one another. Simply different men with different vantage points.



I also see that in the prophets. John, who wrote Revelation, seems to have been in the same place at times, in the Spiritual realm that Ezekiel was in. Sometimes he seems to be in the same place as Zechariah. . I also see some of the same events in Scripture that make it appear as if Isaiah stood in the same place and saw the same events as some of the other prophets.

Answer 6

in case you have spend plenty time examining newspaper information articles, between the trouble-free procedures used became into to state the story in the 1st paragraph, and then to grant extra factor as you study down throughout the time of the story. the author of the 1st 5 books of the previous testomony oftentimes makes use of this technique. He provides a top level view of the undertaking and then fits decrease back to retell the form in extra beneficial factor. In Genesis a million, we are only informed that God created guy in his image, woman and male, and supply him authority of the animals. In Genesis 3 we see the small print of ways guy became into like God. guy became into made became into 3 natures (a physique from the earth, a spirit from the breathe of God and a soul from the union of the 1st 2) so as that guy might exist in all 3 nation-states have been God is discovered. God the father is the religious realm, God the Son in the actual realm, and God the Holy Spirit in the hearts/minds of guy. It additionally shows how he made them woman and male. Ne made Adam first, and planted a backyard for him. notice that Genesis 2 does not say that God created flora at that element, basically that he planted a backyard. Made the animals and further them till now Adam to be named (which saws that Adam had authority over them.) and then accomplished the advent of guy by applying making woman and male. It has a similar opinion with what Genesis a million tells us, it only provides extra information

Answer 7

Biblical scholars suggest that the two versions were based on oral traditions that were different in

the North and South of Israel. When the story was put into writing, since nobody wanted to

rule out one of them, they were both incorporated into Gen.I. There is actually a third creation

story in Genesis - bet you can find it if you look carefully!

Answer 8

They were two different stories, and someone wrote down both of them, one after the other.



This is unlike the Noah Flood stories, of which there are at least two, but, they are blended together (P and J sources).

Answer 9

Gen 1 is the creation of everything Gen 2 is the creation of the Garden of Eden.

Answer 10

When I read it, it got the impression that first god created the earth and everything in it. THEN god created the garden of Eden, where he put all of his favorite things. (Including a male human of his choosing)

Answer 11

Emphasis from two different vantage points.

Answer 12

It keeps the Hebrew version and the earlier one they stole from the Canaanites. Which is the correct one?

Answer 13

Two different people having delusional hallucinations.



There is no god.