How long did it take Adam to name all the millions and millions of animal species and sub-species?

Answer 1

The Bible does not say. The Bible says that the creation of man, naming of the animals, and the creation of woman all occurred on the sixth creative "day." However, how long were the creative days? Some conclude that they were each 24 hours long, but the Hebrew word translated �day� has a variety of meanings, including �a long time; the time covering an extraordinary event.� (Old Testament Word Studies, Grand Rapids, Mich.; 1978, W. Wilson, p. 109) The term used allows for the thought that each �day� could have been thousands of years in length.

Often we might hear someone use the expression,"back in my day...." and we understand that to really mean an indefinate period of time covering many years.

This is consistant with the fact that the Bible says that during the fourth creative day, he made a division of smaller units of day and night for the earth, by causing the sun to illuminate the earth during the day, and the moon to illuminate the night.

The Bible also says at 2 Peter 3:8 that a thousand years to man, are but a day to God.

All this points to the creative days being possibly thousands of years long, therefore, we cannot say just how long Adam had to name the animals. Reasonably, it would have taken him much time to observe each one, and pick out an appropriate name.

To Answer : How Long Did it Take Adam to Name the Animals

The Hebrew word for day 'yom' can indeed mean an indefinite period of time as in the first answer. However when qualified by the words 'and there were evening and morning the first day, second day etc' they can only mean a 24 hour day as we currently have. This is even acknowledged by those who hold theologically or for other reasons to a non-literal interpretation of Genesis. Thus the context makes it abundantly clear.

To deal with the naming of the animals there are a number of comments to be made. Today there are about two million species of 'animals' named not the millions and millions as suggested, although the number of identified species known to science is daily increasing and is thought by some to be closer actually to four million. As speciation has occurred and is currently observed to be occurring (i.e. new species or types) as in dogs for example it is logical to assume that there were less species on the earth in the past.

To narrow it down further, Adam would not have had to name every single animal species. Genesis 2 v 19 states ' And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them.' Beasts of the field are thought to be those that would have a close association with man in agriculture and domestic use etc. Together with the less diverse avian varieties some have suggested a figure of about 3000 in all.

Given that Adam was a perfect human specimen and no doubt highly intelligent the task has been estimated to have taken about five hours in all.

answer

The same amount of time that Adam named all the water creatures..

AnswerGenesis 2:19 (King James Version)

19And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

Beasts of the field and fowls of the air are what Adam was required to name. 'Water creatures' are not on the job specification. Sub-species are also not necessarily on it either. It is easy to scoff or set up a straw man to knock down. The actual text, when read for what it actually says is quite possible and plausible.

Opinion:

If the story of Adam and Eve is a true one, it would have taken Adam many many eras to name every single living species and sub-species including, protozoa, viruses, bacteria, mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, arthropods, arachnids, etc. God may have granted Adam an eternal life while living in the Garden before being tempted to eat the forbidden fruits, but that is of course if you choose to believe the bible.

Personally: I think about an afternoon as the story suggests. When you look at the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air there really aren't that many. In Adam's time especially there were a lot fewer as there was no crossbreeding between like animals. For example: I don't think he named a Yorkshire Terrier as there wasn't a Yorkshire back then. But then the world is full of mockers and scoffers nowadays who can't get this far in the Bible without showing their prejudices and bigotry and showing a total lack of sense that God gave man in the first place. But, I guess that's what the Great Tribulation if for - even so Lord Jesus come.


Logic:No one knows exactly... it is something not meant to be answered with today's knowledge.