Expert: LEBoyd - 2/1/2008

Question
My question for you, is kind of complicated. I am enrolled at an Apostolic Faith Bible College, and in my doctrine class we have began to discuss the idea of a pre-adamic race. Common sense, and the majority of scholars refute the idea, but all the commentary I've read still leaves me with unanswered questions. My first question, is why two different Hebrew words. Genesis 1:27 he uses created. In genesis 2:7 he uses the word Form.(Hebrew bara, for created, and Hebrew yatsar for form).
My second question is that in the second chapter of genesis, the account differs greatly from the first. I'll attempt to show some contrasts. In chapter one, God creates male and female (1:27) in chapter two he forms Adam, then makes eve from his rib. In chapter one the beasts were created before man (1:24). In chapter two he creates man (2:7), then beasts then man names beasts(2:18), then eve is formed(2:21). In chapter one the male and female had dominion over all the earth, and could eat of any tree (1:29). In chapter two male is given Dominion over the Garden (2:8), and given restrictions on what he could eat (2:16).
Given the differences in the two chapters, i would like to believe that there are two different races of people, and the two chapters are telling two different accounts. However it's a far out theory, and am curious if you have some insight that would sway my opinion to the truth.

Answer
Brady,

First, I love the name.  My son is named Brady :)

Genesis chapter 1 is the "Short Story" of creation.  It quickly describes the creation week, in the order that God created.  So, it does not go into details of the creation of man and woman, or the garden, or the rules set forth by God.

Chapter 2 is where we get the details on the creation of man and women.  "Created" is used in verse 3, and interestingly, why was "made" (aasaah) used in verse 2?  Of course the chapter/verse divisions were added long after Moses wrote Genesis, and it's likely that Moses didn't sit down and write the whole book of Genesis in one sitting.  I can see Moses (guided by the Holy Spirit) writing chapter 1 through chapter 2:3 and then coming back later to write other chapters.  Hence you have a change of word choice.

In chapter 2, after man and women are formed, God places them in the garden and gives them two commands.  First, they are to work the garden.  Second, they are not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  (Notice that prior to eating of this tree, they were allowed to eat of the Tree of Life - which (imho) is why man lost mortality through the expellation from the garden.)

From where do we think that chapter 2 says that man was created before the beasts?  Probably from the same place that people think chapter 2 says that man was created before the plants.  In actuality, concluding this from chapter 2 is from not reading closely (no offense meant).  Although Moses talks about man in v7 compared to plants in 9&10, no where does Moses say it was after man was created.  It is simply in the past tense.  This is also true of v19.  It's simply in the past tense.

Part of the problem is that many versions have the word "and" as the first word of v19.  Of course, this isn't in the Hebrew and generally comes from the KJV.  The NKJV, NIV and others correct this to help alleviate the idea that a time table is being used.  I really like the way the NIV says it.

Gen 2:19
Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air.

So, again in my humble opinion, the order of creation is chapter 2 is only in reference to man and women, not the plants, not the rivers, not the beasts and not the birds.

Hope this helps.