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NASB | Genesis 2:5 Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 2:5 no shrub or plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground, |
Bible Question:
In reading through Genesis I found what would appear to be a contradiction between chapter one and chapter two. In chapter one it says that vegetation, trees, etc. were created on the third day, therefore before the creation of man. However, in 2:5, it says "and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up." Then in verse 7, God created Adam. It seems to me that there is a chronological contradiction here. Could someone help me understand what's going on? |
Bible Answer: The purpose of this section is its depiction of human life before and after the garden sin; the condition of the “land” after Adam's sin is contrasted with its state before the creation of the man. Genesis 2:5–7 is best understood in light of 3:8–24, which describes the consequences of sin. This is shown by the language of 2:5–6, which anticipates what happens to the land because of Adam's sin (3:18, 23). When viewed in this way, we find that the “shrub” and “plant” of 2:5 are not the same as the vegetation of 1:11–12. “Plant of the field” describes the diet of man which he eats only after the sweat of his labor (3:18–19) after his garden sin, whereas “seed-bearing plants”, as they are found in the creation narrative, were provided by God for human and animal consumption (1:11–12, 29–30; 9:3). These plants reproduce themselves by seed alone, but “plant,” spoken of in 2:5, requires human cultivation to produce the grains necessary for edible food; it is by such cultivation that fallen man will eat his “food” (3:19). The “shrub of the field” is a desert shrub large enough to shield Hagar's teenage son (Gen 21:15) and those seeking its protection (Job 30:4, 7). Since “plant” is best defined by its recurrence in the judgment oracle (Gen 3:18), “shrub” probably parallels Adam's “thorns and thistles,” which are the by-product of God's curse on the ground (3:17–18). Thus 2:5–6 does not speak to the creation of overall vegetation but to specific sorts of herbage in the world to follow. The language of cultivation, “work the ground” (2:5), anticipates the labor of Adam, first positively as the caretaker of Eden (2:15) but also negatively in 3:23, which describes the expulsion of the man and woman from the garden. God prepared a land for the man, but in telling of his creation and the land in which he is placed, the text anticipates how the land will suffer from the effects of Adam's sin. New American Commentary – Volume 1a: Genesis 1-11:26, Kenneth A. Mathews. |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Gen 2:5 | Author | ||
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Ace Tech | ||
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dalida | ||
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Biffbt | ||
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taylorsmom313 | ||
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rcongo2 | ||
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Silver | ||
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bentbales | ||
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Pew Potato |