What are some opposites that appear in the first three chapters of Genesis?

Answer 1

In the first creation story (Genesis 1:1-2:4a) , the world is pre-existing but is covered in water, which God separates on the third day, to create dry land. In the second creation story (Genesis 2:4b-20) , the world is pre-existing but no plants grow because God has yet to make it rain. Scholars say the first creation story evidences a culture dominated by water and aware of the oceans, while the second appears to originate with an inland culture dependent on rain.

In the first creation story, God simply spoke things into existence. In the second story, he needed something to make his creations from: dust to make Adam and to make each of the animals, a rib to make Eve.

In the first creation story, the first humans were to subdue the earth and have dominion over all living things (1:26). In the second creation story, Adam was to be a servant of the earth (2:5,3:18-19).

In the Garden of Eden, there was a Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

In the first creation story, God created the first humans in his own image (1:26). In the second creation story, Adam and Eve became god-like because of their disobedience and much to God's consternation (3:22).

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Answer 2

If by 'opposites' you mean 'conflicts,' then there simply just aren't any in my reading of these chapters. Some have thought that the creation accounts in Genesis 1 and 2 contradict each other. These, for example, say Genesis 1 describes animals being created before Adam, while Genesis 2:19 could be read as if Adam had been created before the animals. However, time and time again, many have shown that The Bible never contradicts itself - because it was inspired by God.

Additionally, the Genesis 2:19 Scripture doesn't mean that God created Adam first and then the animals. The correct chronological (day-to-day) sequence of events is plainly stated in Genesis chapter 1 but not in Genesis chapter 2. The content of chapter 2 is complementary and supplementary to chapter 1. God means for us to combine the content of the two chapters to get a more complete picture of what happened and why.

God's intent with His revelations is to give mankind the foundation needed to correctly pursue knowledge or as said another way "The Genesis prologue presents those historical truths which are the necessary presuppositions for the valid pursuit of human knowledge" ( The New Bible Commentary: Revised, p. 81).