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Compare and contrast the creation stories in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2.
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Genesis 1 and 2 narrate God's creation of the world, but they differ in style, details, and perspective. Genesis 1, believed to be written later, employs a poetic and elevated language, repeatedly emphasizing God's satisfaction with creation. Genesis 2, considered an earlier account, uses a more prosaic language, portraying God in a more human-like manner. Genesis 1 presents the creation in chronological order, while Genesis 2 provides more specific details, particularly about the creation of Adam and Eve.
Both Genesis 1 and 2 are alike in that they tell the story of God creating the Earth and all that is in it, with an emphasis on the creation of humankind.
However, biblical scholars have long believed that the two creation accounts were authored by two distinct authors writing in different time periods. This is based on the marked stylistic differences between the two versions.
The first account (Genesis 1) is written in an elevated style of poetic diction and uses poetic devices. One of these is anaphora , or the repetition of the same words at the beginning of consecutive lines. For example, lines repeatedly begin with the words "and God said." This creation account also uses the literary device of repetition to create a sense of cadence, over and over referring to aspects of creation with "and it was very good." Many scholars believe Genesis 1 was...
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written to be sung or recited as a hymn.
The account in Genesis 2, however, is not written in an elevated poetic style. It is prosaic, down-to-earth, and folksy. Most biblical scholars believe that it reflects an earlier version of the creation story than Genesis 1. While the God in the first version is depicted as the grand and omnipotent creator of the universe, the God in Genesis 2 is down-to-earth and more like a human. For example, he gets tired and has to rest.
Many scholars believe that, because of its elevated language and use of the word "firmament," which also appears in Egyptian creation stories, Genesis 1 borrowed from the creation myths of nearby cultures but was modified to say that the earth was created by one god, not many.
The two biblical versions use different names for God as well. In Genesis 1, God is referred to only as Elohim, while in Genesis 2, God is referred to as YWHW or YWHW-Elohim, but never as Elohim at all. The various names used for God are key markers used by scholars to distinguish between biblical texts by different authors.
What is interesting is that from the start of the Bible, poetry and prose, as well as a grand, omnipotent God and a folk God, are placed side by side, melding together different traditions into a rich and complex whole.
Genesis 1 tells the story of Biblical creation in chronological order. According to Genesis 1, God first created the Earth and the heavens. It was not the Earth as we know it. Instead, it was "formless and empty." It was after this that God made light, and the separation of night and day. After this, God created the sky, seas, and land. Then God created the vegetation, and then the stars and planets. Next, God made living creatures. Last, God created man:
Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." (From the New International Version)
Genesis 2 still tells the story of Biblical creation, but with less of a focus on chronology. Genesis 2 also refers to the creation of man. It tells about this creation in greater detail. Genesis 2 tells how the first man, Adam, was created from the dust and how God breathed life into him. Genesis 2 also describes what the Garden of Eden looked like and what it contained. Adam was lonely and wanted a helper, so God took one of his ribs and from it formed a woman, Eve. Adam was also informed that he could not eat from the forbidden tree.
Similarities:
- The Biblical story of creation is told in both chapters
- The story of the creation of man is told in both chapters
- Both chapters describe what is in the garden
Differences:
- There is more of a focus on chronology in Genesis 1
- There are more specific details in Genesis 2
- Genesis 2 focuses on what happens after the Earth is created, and the forbidden fruit is mentioned