Topic: Order of Creation
The critic claims that the record in Gen. 1:25-26 has man made after the animals, and in Gen.2:18-20, the record has man made before the animals.
| Before | After |
|---|---|
|
(Gen 1:25 NKJV) And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind,… (Gen 1:26 NKJV) Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image,… |
(Gen 2:18 NKJV) And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." {19} Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam …" |
The argument by the skeptic is that Gen. 2 is giving a chronological account (i.e. God sees that man is alone, and then creates the animals). However, that is not required of the text. The intent of the "aside" concerning the animals is to show why woman was needed. The text in Genesis 1:25-26 uses the word "then" to indicate chronology. The "aside" used in Gen. 2:18-19 does not necessarily indicate chronology; its primary intent is an explanation for why God would make a helper for man.
An "aside" used for explanation in this way is often used to speak of past-tense events in order to explain current action. These events are often not related in chronological order, but in the order that leads to a desired conclusion.
-- David A. Duncan