Bible Question (short): Adam, Eve, plants, animals - what order? |
Question (full): I apologize if this already well-plowed ground. I know I'm not the first person to ask this question, I just don't know the answer. THIS IS NOT A TROLL! I am not looking to start a debate, I'm just looking for your views. In the first creation account, trees were created on day three (1:11-13) while Adam and Eve were created on day six (1:26-31). In the second account, Adam came before trees (2:4-9). Specifically, verse 5 says there were no plants; verse 6 says that the ground was watered but says nothing about God creating any plants yet; and verse 7 is when God created Adam - still no mention of plants. Verse 9 says that God planted trees. Some time later, God created Eve (2:21-23). Similarly, the first account says that animals were created ahead of Adam and Eve on the sixth day (1:24-26), while the second says that they were created after Adam had been placed in the garden (2:18-19) but before Eve. I have been told that a literal reading of Genesis provides a complete, historically accurate account of creation (a perspective I respect). If this is the case, how does one explain these apparent differences between the two accounts? Peace and grace, Steve |