Page 29 - ADAM IN GENESIS

In verse 29 the account continues with another wayyomer elohim (and God said). This
time it follows with an emphatic hinneh, often translated 'behold!' or 'look!.' It occurs 879
times in the OT and is typically used to draw the listeners attention to the important point
that follows. It just happens that this point is hotly debated. It is the subject of dietary
restrictions of people and animals before the Fall in Genesis 3. Most global-extent YECs
believe that this is a command given by God that only plants are to be eaten, not meat.
Therefore, the nephesh chayyah including Adam and Eve were all originally herbivorous.
Others, mostly OECs believe that this statement is local or limited in extent and is not
exclusive to the option of eating meat. The implication is that if meat was eaten, then
death occurred before the Fall of Adam in Genesis 3. Some feel that this diminishes the
atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Naturally, others say that animal death has no
bearing on Christ's sacrifice because Romans 5:12 says that death came to all men when
Adam sinned in Genesis 3. They note it does not say anything about animal death. Again,
it is important to only read what the text says when forming an interpretation.
Remember on Day 3 in verse 11 God commanded the vegetation to sprout. This was the
general term deshe. It then consisted of the esev (grass and low-to-the-ground-vegetation)
yielding seed and the ets periy (fruit trees). In verse 29, God gives man the esev and the
ets periy for food. In verse 30, God gives the all the nephesh chayyah yereq esev (green
plants) for food. In my opinion, the lists given are extremely limited and local in extent
(e.g. what about corn and nuts?). Surely the command is not all-inclusive with regards to
all the known vegetation, so why should it be exclusive of meat? Objectors will be quick
to point out that Genesis 9:3 is God's declaration to man and animals that meat may be
eaten after the Flood. Again, the text speaks for itself. In that verse God gives man the
remes or the small reptiles and four-footed rodents for food. No other variety of meat is
mentioned here, not even cattle or other beasts that are known for their good meat. Note
also He does not offer it to animals. This would seem to imply that some animals were
already carnivorous. The only restriction was to not eat the blood of the animal.
Other problems with an originally herbivorous Creation are both biblical as well as
scientific in nature. There would have been severe biological changes in order to make
the carnivores we know today from an existing herbivore. For instance, a carnivores
teeth, claws and digestive system are suited for capturing, killing and digesting other
animals. There is no such change recorded in scripture (not even in the curse of Genesis
3) and there is a long history of carnivorous activity in the fossil record. Also, what about
the aquatic creatures? Not only is there no mention of aquatic vegetation for them to eat,
there is now way for a whale to come on land and eat the green plants God gave them in
verses 29-30. Rather the simplest interpretation is to think that whales ate the same things
they do today (i.e. plankton, fish and in some cases seals).
It appears that from verses 29-30, that God is giving a partial list of food to His creatures.
There is no reason to read into the text that God is only giving vegetation as it is obvious
that not all vegetation is listed here. These are menu items, but the full menu is not given.
The list is representative and as such it is difficult to say that anything is excluded
potentially even meat.
As Creation Day 6 closes we see another hinneh drawing the listeners attention to the fact
that God looks at all He has made (from the beginning and on through the Creation
Week) and declares it very good. These are sadly two of the most divisive words in the
Christian church. In Hebrew it reads tov meod. In the LXX it is kala lian. Whereas Days