The First Two Chapters of 'Genesis'

Paper Summary:

This paper compares and contrasts the first two chapters of the 'Book of Genesis' within the Old Testament. It describes the events that occurred during the first two chapters and discusses their literary style. The paper particularly focuses on the way that God maintained full control of all created in 'Genesis':1, while in 'Genesis': 2, God gives humans both the autonomy of choice and free will, thereby setting up the conflicts that ensue in 'Genesis':3.

From the Paper:

"Chapter 1 of Genesis is different from Chapter 2 of Genesis, in that in Chapter 1, the very beginning, most basic elements of the earth are created from waters and darkness. In Chapter 2, God creates the first man, and then, to keep the man company, creates the first woman to live with the man on the earth, and everything around them that they need in the Garden of Eden. The tree of knowledge is also created in Chapter 2, and God instructs the man" "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 2: 16-17, p. 58). But it is not until Chapter 3 of Genesis that the woman and then the man are tempted by the tree of Knowledge."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Genesis 1-2. The Old Testament. In The Norton Anthology of World Literature, Beginnings to A.D. 100. Volume A (Pkg.1). Sarah Lawall et al. (Ed.). New York: Norton, 2002. 56-58.
• Genesis 1-2. The Hebrew Scriptures. 17 Jul 2007 <www.hope.edu/bandstra/ BIBLE/GEN/GEN1.HTM>
• Hasel, Gerhard F. 1994). "The "Days of Creation in Genesis: 1: Literal "Days" or Figurative "Periods/Epochs of Time?" Origins, Vol. 21: 1. 5-38. 1994. 17 Jul 2007. <http://www.grisda.org/origins/21005.htm>
• UCCB. "Preface." The New American Bible [online version]. 2001. <http://www. nccbuscc.org/nab/bible/preface.htm>

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