Genesis 1: 24 Commentary

Verse 24. Let the earth bring forth . He descends to the sixth day, on which the animals were created, and then man. ‘Let the earth,’ he says, ‘bring forth living creatures.’ But whence has a dead element life? Therefore, there is in this respect a miracle as great as if God had begun to create out of nothing those things which he commanded to proceed from the earth. And he does not take his material from the earth, because he needed it, but that he might the better combine the separate parts of the world with the universe itself. Yet it may be inquired, why He does not here also add his benediction? I answer, that what Moses before expressed on a similar occasion is here also to be understood, although he does not repeat it word for word. I say, moreover, it is sufficient for the purpose of signifying the same thing, that Moses declares animals were created ‘according to their species:’ for this distribution carried with it something stable. It may even hence be inferred, that the offspring of animals was included. For to what purpose do distinct species exist, unless that individuals, by their several kinds, may be multiplied?

Cattle . Some of the Hebrews thus distinguish between "cattle" and "beasts of the earth," that the cattle feed on herbage, but that the beasts of the earth are they which eat flesh. But the Lord, a little while after, assigns herbs to both as their common food; and it may be observed, that in several parts of Scripture these two words are used indiscriminately. Indeed, I do not doubt that Moses, after he had named Behemoth, (cattle,) added the other, for the sake of fuller explanation. By ‘reptiles,’ in this place, understand those which are of an earthly nature.

By John Calvin (wrote 19 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 10/22/2008 21:08 pm

1)There is much description for the acts of creation of the sixth day than any other days of creation.Gen.1:24-31.
2)Gen.2:19 states that every beast of the field & every fowl of the air were formed out of the ground.

By Alex (wrote 499 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 10/10/2008 02:23 am