Genesis’ creation stories

The Bible starts with Genesis. Genesis 1, until Genesis 2 verse 3 is an enumeration of the creation of (the elements of) the earth and man. The pattern of the story is:

• Statement of time, either ‘in the beginning’, ‘day’ and ‘then’. Genesis 2 verse 3 ends with ‘the seventh day’.
• A statement of what God between two time statements (in a time frame) did, either by ‘creating’, ‘speaking’, ‘calling’, ‘making’, ‘setting’, ‘naming’, ‘blessing’ and ‘resting’.

Genesis 2 (starting from verse 4) is sometimes seen as a second creation story, as a result of different writing stiles, different or absent chronological order, details and nuances.

The most significant reason for a second creation story is the use of ‘in the day’ (Genesis 2 verse 4), which opposes a 7-day creation as described in Genesis 1. ‘These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, […]’.

If I read Genesis 1 and 2, Genesis 2 strikes me as a chapter that adds details to the straightforward enumeration of the creation as written in Genesis 1. Why would there be a difference with such significant implications as ‘another creation story’?

The translation leads to conflicting stories (day versus in the day), so I asked ChatGPT (since I am not a theologian):

• to give the words used for ‘day’ in Hebrew, both in Genesis 1 and 2
• to give the meaning of the words ‘day’ in Genesis 1 and 2, considering the meaning of the words in their context.

If the words are equal we might speak of internal inconsistency. If the words have different meaning, something else might be the explanation.

This is the answer:

‘In Genesis 1 and 2:4, different Hebrew words are used for the concept of “day.” These differences are significant both linguistically and contextually.

In Genesis 1, the word “יוֹם” (yom) is used for “day.” This term appears several times and refers to the individual days during the creation week. Each “day” is marked by an evening and a morning, suggesting that it refers to a literal day, although some interpretations consider it symbolic or as a period of time.

In Genesis 2:4, a different concept is used. Here we read “בְּיוֹם” (b’yom), which can be literally translated as “on the day” or “when.” This usage of “yom” in the phrase “b’yom” suggests more of a temporal indication meaning “at the time of” or “when,” indicating an overview or summary of what occurred in Genesis 1. This can be seen as a figurative use of the word “day,” more as a period or era rather than a literal day.

Thus, while “יוֹם” (yom) in Genesis 1 appears to refer to literal or specific days, the use of “בְּיוֹם” (b’yom) in Genesis 2:4 points to a broader temporal designation or period.’

End of answer from ChatGPT. (The answer corresponds with https://creationbc.org/index.php/genesis-24-and-the-meaning-of-day-in-genesis-1/)

So when we replace ‘in the day’ in Genesis 2 verse 4 for ‘when’, the original sentence:

‘These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, […]’

becomes

‘These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, […]’

Anyway, it strikes me as a referral to the period of creation, thus as a referral to Genesis 1 as a whole.

I think I could not bare the thought of my own believe in something with an inconsistency of such prominence. Already in the first two chapters.