Two Accounts of Creation: Bereshit 1–2/1/en

Two Accounts of Creation

Introduction

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Repeat?

Both Chapters 1 and 2 of Sefer Bereshit speak of the creation of the world.  While Chapter 1-2:3 is a somewhat formulaic and stylized narrative, including a day by day account  of the world's origins, Chapter 2:4ff reads more like a story, describing the formation of Adam and his environs in a more personal manner.¹  Why does the Torah find it necessary to include two distinct accounts of the same event?  How is the difference in tone to be understood?

Contradictory Portraits

More troubling than the repetition, though, is the fact that the two accounts appear to differ from one another regarding a number of points:

• Order of creation - In the first account of creation, man is created last, after the light, firmament, land and water, vegetation, celestial spheres, birds,  fish, and animals.  In Chapter 2, in contrast, man appears first, followed by the vegetation, birds and animals, and finally woman.
• Names of God – The name "אֱלֹהִים" is used throughout the first account, whereas the name "ה' אֱלֹהִים" is found throughout the second.  In addition, Hashem of Chapter 1 seems very distant, whereas He is much more personal in Chapter 2, not just creating but also interacting with His creation.
• Creation of man – In Chapter 1, man is created in the image of God.  This is not mentioned in the second account, which instead describes man being formed from the dust of the earth and Hashem breathing into him a living soul.
• Man and woman – In Chapter 1, the two humans are created simultaneously, ("זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בָּרָא אֹתָם"), while in Chapter 2 man is created first, and only later is woman created from his ribs.
• Tasks given to man – After creating Adam in Chapter 1, Hashem blesses him to be fruitful, fill and conquer the earth, and to rule over the birds, fish and beasts.  In Chapter 2, in contrast, Hashem places him in the garden "to work and guard it", warns him against eating of the Tree of Knowledge, and has him name the animals.
• Manner of creation – Only in Chapter 1 is the role of Hashem's speech highlighted. In addition, the roots "עשה" and "ברא" are quite prominent in the first account, while in the second, the verb "יצר" is preferred.²

¹ Although the first account of creation extends until Chapter 2:3 where the seventh day is described, the discussion below will nonetheless refer to the first account as that in Chapter 1, and the second account as that in Chapter 2, without reference to the exceptional verses.

² The root "עשה" appears 11 times in the first account and only once in the second.  The root "ברא" is used 6 times in the first version and never in the second, while the root "יצר" appears three times in the latter and never in the former.