Chapter 2 - Why This Unusual Structure?
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - The Problem Stated
Chapter 3 - Current Theories and the Fourth Commandment

The account of creation of the first page of the Bible is written in a literary form quite unlike any other narrative in it. Even to the most casual reader it is obvious that there is something very exceptional in its structure. Not only is it divided into six sections by the use of the words “and there was evening and there was morning” but the sections are serially numbered from one to six. The whole record is fitted into a unique framework composed of words and phrases which are repeated six or more times. This framework is constructed in the following manner:

Day One

Verse
3. God said let . . . and . . . was.
4. “ saw . . . that it was good.
“ divided . . . .
5. “ called . . . .
And there was evening and there was morning day one.

Day Second
6. God said let . . . .
7. “ made. . . .
“ divided . . . and it was so.
8. “ called . . .
“ saw that it was good (LXX Version).
And there was evening and there was morning day second.

Day Third
9. God said let . . . and it was so.
10. “ called ...
“ saw that it was good.
11. “ said let . . . and it was so.
12. “ saw that it was good.
13. And there was evening and there was morning day third.

Day Fourth
14. God said let . . . and it was so.
16. “ made . . . .
17. “ set . . . .
18. “ saw that it was good . . . .
19. And there was evening and there was morning day fourth.

Day Fifth

20. God said let . . . and it was so (LXX Version).
21. “ created . . . .
“ saw that it was good.
22. “ blessed . . . .
23. And there was evening and there was morning day fifth.

Day Sixth

24. God said let . . . and it was so.
25. “ made . . . .
“ saw that it was good.
26. “ said let . . . .
27. “ created . . . .
“ created . . . . created . . . .
28. “ blessed . . . .
“ said . . . .
29. “ said . . . . and it was so.
31. “ saw that it was very good.
And there was evening and there was morning day the sixth.

Apart from the repetition of these phrases, the words used are remarkably few and simple. This is all the more surprising seeing that it is an outline of the origin of the heavens and the earth; of vegetable, marine and animal life, and also of the instruction given by God to first man. The principal words used in addition to the framework are those translated, light, darkness, night, firmament, waters, heavens, dry, earth, seas, grass, herb, seed, winged creature, cattle, creeping things, man, image, male, female, replenish, dominion, meat. It will be noticed that ‘God said’ ten times (four times on the sixth day), in this number there is a similarity to the ‘Ten Words’ as the ten commandments are called.

If this record of creation is carefully examined it will be seen that the six days fall into two clearly parallel parts, the events recorded in the last three days being parallel with the first three. Those best acquianted with ancient Hebrew literary methods will readily recognise a feature frequent in the Old Testament of a balanced symmetry due to a repetition of thought expressed in almost synonymous words. The parallelism is as follows:
On the first day it was revealed how light came into existence, on the fourth day, about the sources and purposes of the light, the greater light for the day and the lesser light for the night.
On the second day God explains how the atmostphere came to be, and how it separated the waters above from those below the expanse. On the fifth day how the waters below were populated with fish and the atmosphere with birds.
On the third day God tells how He gathered the waters together so as to form areas of dry land, and then how the various forms of vegetation came to be. On the sixth day it is said how the dry land was populated with animal life, how man was created, and explains how the first of the forms of green vegetation was for animal life, and both green vegetation and trees were assigned to man for food.
The second three days tells how space, water, air, and land are populated. Notwithstanding the simplicity of the record it is comprehensive, and later it will be seen how this parallel arrangement agrees with science. It may be summarised as follows:
The key to the arrangement may be seen in the words “without form and void” (verse 2). In the first three days we are told of the formation of the heaven and the earth, and on the second three days of the furnishing of the void. Thus the formlessness takes shape or form in the narration of the first three days and the void becomes occupied and inhabited in the second three days’ narrative.
We must notice one other thing about the structure of this narrative: while the complete section extends from chapter 1:1 to chapter 2:4, it will be seen that this special framework of the days is confined to verses 3 to 31 of chapter 1. The first two verses being an introduction or superscription, and the last four verses (chapter 2:1-4) an appendix or colophon. In ancient times when men wrote on clay tablets it was customary to add a colophon giving information regarding the ‘title’ of a tablet or series of tablets, the date when written, the name of the writer, and other literary information.
Does the colophon at the end of this Genesis creation narrative contain any of this valuable information? Before this question is answered it is necessary to review the other important passage where the six days are mentioned.

Chapter 3 - Current Theories and the Fourth Commandment