Perspective

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1 NASB)  This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven. (Genesis 2:4 NASB)

God/ Lord God – As you probably know, the first verse of Genesis uses the term ʾĕlōhîm to designate “God,” but the second chapter of Genesis uses the designation YHVH ʾĕlōhîm, the personal name plus the status designation.  ʾĕlōhîm is a class noun.  It describes everything that is in the class of “god.”  Of course, since there is only one God, this term is applied only to the one true God.  But it is nevertheless not God’s name.  It is His status.  His name is designated by the Hebrew letters Yod-Hey-Vav-Hey, no longer pronounced.  Today it is vocalized as HaShem or Adonai.  But in the Genesis account, one word is used in the first account of the creation and another word-combination is used in the second account of the creation.  Why?

Jonathan Sacks offers an interesting explanation.

The twin perspectives of the priest and the prophet correspond to the twin perspectives on creation represented respectively by Genesis 1:1-2:3, spoken in the priestly voice, with an emphasis on order, structure, divisions and boundaries, and Genesis 2:4-3:24, spoken in the prophetic voice, with an emphasis on the nuances and dynamics of interpersonal relationships.[1]

Rather than trying to reconcile the two creation stories from one perspective, Sacks offers us a way to think of these opening chapters as two separate but compatible accounts, focused on different aspects of creation.  The first view gives us order; the second gives us relationship.

Both are essential, as Sacks notes: “For without structure, Judaism would have no continuity, but without spontaneity, it would have no fresh life.”[2]

The first two chapters of Genesis give us some insight into other apparent event-contradictions.  Think of the differences between the accounts of Yeshua’s actions in the first three gospels and the account in John.  Difference in perspective also entails difference is emphasis.  Each author views some things as important, others not so important.  The same changes happen in the Tanakh.  In fact, if the Genesis accounts come from different traditions, then what it involved is not theological conundrums, but rather author perspectives.  More than anything else, this tells us we need to read the biblical text for what it is, not a theological monograph but rather the reflections of men about their experience with God, and the words of God communicated in the language of men.  “To put it at its simplest: Torah is the word of God to man.  The prophetic books are the words of God through man.  The other writings are the words of man to God.”[3]

Topical Index: YHVH ʾĕlōhîm, God, perspective, Genesis 2:4, Genesis 1:1

[1] Jonathan Sacks  Covenant & Conversation: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible: Leviticus: The Book of Holiness (Maggid Books & The Orthodox Union, 2015), p. 151.

[2] Ibid., p. 152.

[3] Ibid., p. 33.