Naming the Animals

[Bugmaster]

In one of the creation accounts in Genesis, God creates Adam, and then parades a bunch of animals before him, at which point Adam gives each animal a unique name.

My question is: why does God charge Adam with this task ? Why can't God (being omni-everything) name the animals himself ?

Interestingly enough, other myths and religions assume (sometimes, implicitly) that the power to name things is uniquely a human province. The power to name things is what separates humans from animals, spirits, goblins, etc.; it is this power that is the basis of most magicks.

[AB]

So, you say the bible is not reasonable? Interesting. I disagree.

What did Adam name T-rex?

Obviously it's T-rex. And really, do you think such a big creature would have such tiny arms??. I think sceince has that make-up wrong. ha haa. Joking.

Seriously, T-Rex:

Genesis 1:1 -
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (NIV)

Genesis 1:2 -" Now the earth was (Or possibly became) formless and empty...." (NIV)

There is an interpretation(I agree with this) that there is a large time gap between Genesis 1:1 and Gensis 1:2. Intially there was creation of some life form, which may have included dionosours. However, for whatever reason God re-set and destroyed that situation of life and created again starting with Gensis 1:2.

So, to respond to your question, T-Rex wasn't around for Adam to name.

[McCulloch]

As info, the naming of the animals Adam did was before Eve came on on the scene...so your "head of the household" parody is quite irrelevant. By the way, naming of the animals was not the first task Adam had.. before that God put him in charge of taking care of the land. Again, a working relationship with God. You should really get a Bible and check out what happend. It's good stuff.

I have one. I just forgot the sequence of events.

Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him."
Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.

Yes, you are right about that. Adam was given the task because Eve wasn't on the scene.

[Cathar1950]

It seems it was an oversight making man alone. Did he try all the animals and found none of them a good help mate?

[AB]

As info, the naming of the animals Adam did was before Eve came on on the scene...so your "head of the household" parody is quite irrelevant. By the way, naming of the animals was not the first task Adam had.. before that God put him in charge of taking care of the land. Again, a working relationship with God. You should really get a Bible and check out what happend. It's good stuff.

I have one. I just forgot the sequence of events.

Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him."
Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.

Yes, you are right about that. Adam was given the task because Eve wasn't on the scene.

No. Adam wasn't given the task due to the fact Eve was not on the scene. You have perverted the reality. Nice. Seems like y'all are treating this as a comical situation. You know, you should really dig deep and get serious about what God wants for you in your reality.

[AB]

It seems it was an oversight making man alone. Did he try all the animals and found none of them a good help mate?

Read the book of Genesis. This should help you answer that question.

[Cathar1950]

AB

Read the book of Genesis. This should help you answer that question.

That is funny. Do you know how many times I have read or studied Genesis?
I think it has more questions then answers and had you read it you would know that.

[McCulloch]

No. Adam wasn't given the task due to the fact Eve was not on the scene. You have perverted the reality. Nice. Seems like y'all are treating this as a comical situation. You know, you should really dig deep and get serious about what God wants for you in your reality.

Except for a few evangelical literalists, everyone sees that a story with talking serpents is a myth, a parable, not to be taken literally. I am sure that there is some spiritual significance to the fact that God allowed humans to name the other animals rather than doing it himself.

[Cathar1950]

Except for a few evangelical literalists, everyone sees that a story with talking serpents is a myth, a parable, not to be taken literally. I am sure that there is some spiritual significance to the fact that God allowed humans to name the other animals rather than doing it himself.

I know, I was being sarcastic.

[McCulloch]

As info, the naming of the animals Adam did was before Eve came on on the scene...so your "head of the household" parody is quite irrelevant. By the way, naming of the animals was not the first task Adam had.. before that God put him in charge of taking care of the land. Again, a working relationship with God. You should really get a Bible and check out what happend. It's good stuff.

I have one. I just forgot the sequence of events.

Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him."
Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.

Reading the narrative, it appears as if the all-knowing all-powerful God is creating beasts and birds as an attempt to find a helper suitable for the solitary human He has created. Presumably, this God was somewhat brighter than to think that any of the non-human animals would be a suitable helper. So what conclusions can be drawn? God wanted to convince this human, made in God's image but not too smart himself, that the non-human animals were not suitable companions? After trying out the sheep and the goats, God knew that the human male would have a better appreciation of the human female? God wanted to familiarize the human with the other species, so he used this alleged search for a suitable companion as a ruse to get the human to name and thus get to know the non-human animals? What's the message here? It is not quite clear from the text.

[AB]

AB

Read the book of Genesis. This should help you answer that question.

That is funny. Do you know how many times I have read or studied Genesis?
I think it has more questions then answers and had you read it you would know that.

No I don't know how many times you have read it. Sorry.

For me, I don't see a questions and answers situation when reading Genesis. I see reality

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