Genesis Continued

chapters one and two of genesis seem to be two different narratives. the first narrative starts with genesis 1:1 and ends at genesis 2:4. the first narrative is about the gods creating the heavens and the earth, plants, animals, and humans in the the context of a seven day week, with the Lord God resting on the seventh day, blessing it and sanctifying it. in this narrative there is some confusion of chronology, nevertheless, there is an emphasis on each day of the week. in this narrative the heavens and the earth are created first, then the earth is formed and fashioned with land and sea, and then plants and herbs are created, and then subsequently animals then humans.

in the first narrative, the gods bless everything after they create it and see that it is good...but we read that on the seventh-day, the Lord God not only blesses the seventh-day, but sanctifies it. what is the difference between blessing something and sanctifying it?? the seventh-day is the only thing that the Lord God sanctifies in the narrative. i thought that was very interesting.

the second narrative starts at genesis 2:5 when we read that "before any plant or the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field was grown." this verse is an obvious departure from the previous narrative. however, perhaps the author is making a distinction between plants and herbs created by the gods and plants and herbs cultivated by man. the text goes on to say that there was no man to till the ground.

In this narrative, Man is created first, then the garden, which we read that the Lord God planted, and then the animals, and then finally the woman. in this narrative there is no emphasis on time. we have no idea how much time passes between the creation of man, the garden, the animals, and finally the woman. in this narrative we are given proper names to things, the man is named Adam, the garden is Eden, the rivers are Pishon, Gihon, Ashur, and the Euphrates. and of course, Adam names the animals. also, we are placed in a more specific geographic context: we read of the land of Cush, of Havilah,and east of Assyria or the Tigris. I wonder what the significance of these locations are.


more later,
raj