I know that the overall church consensus is that Genesis 2:5- 3:24 is a recap of what takes place in Genesis 1 - 2:4. But I’m just curious on whether or not that is a natural reading of the text, or is it actually a continuous narrative?
For example, in Jewish folklore rabbis created stories about the alleged “missing woman”, in Genesis 1:27. They called her name Lilith.
When I analyze them closely the events recording in each are not perfectly harmonious. God tells the man and woman in Genesis 1:29 that they have full access to the herbs, fruit trees etc. But in Genesis 2 it says they can eat of every tree, but with an added prohibition: don’t eat that one tree. But there’s no prohibition in Genesis 1. Also it says he told “them”… but in Genesis 2 God told just Adam.
The order is not the same either. God makes plants - birds - land animals - then man and woman at the same time. But in Genesis 2 he makes man - then trees - birds and land animals at the same time - then last the woman.
In Genesis 1 there is mention of a garden or a place called Eden. On the seventh day there is a “rest”, but that day of rest is nowhere to be found in Genesis 2 — in fact there’s a whole lot of “unrest” with Adam toiling with the ground, along with Cain, and others.
I’ll lay out the four main positions on this issue.
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Genesis 2 is a recap of Days 1 - 6
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Genesis 2 is a recap of Day 6
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Genesis 2 is more of a “spiritual recap”. Where Genesis 1 was talking about the glory of God, and His best creation for last, etc. Genesis 2 is a more personal story of morality, disobedience, judgement, mercy, the human condition etc.
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Genesis 2 is not a recap, but a continuous narrative.
-Tim