Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 86:344 (Oct 1929)
Article: The Bible In Its Setting
Author: Melvin Grove Kyle

BSac 86:344 (Oct 1929) p. 406

The Bible In Its Setting

Melvin Grove Kyle

III. Creation Of Animate Things

In our study of what the Bible teaches concerning creation we come now to the second great division of the narrative of creation in Genesis, the creation of animate things. The most fundamental distinction among things of this world is between the animate and the inanimate, the living and the not-living. If the narrative in Genesis be a narrative of facts, we must expect an equally fundamental distinction among them in the manner of description; a true account of things must conform to the nature of the things recounted. A curious interest thus attaches to an examination of the account of the creation of animate things.

I. The Fifth Day of Creation (Gen. 1:20–23). Immediately we are introduced to a very different phase of creation expressed in different terms.

(1) The verbs of creation are here again of special interest. The first verb encountered, sharats, translated “bring forth,” more literally, “creep with creepers,” or “swarm with swarms,” is not properly a verb of creation, but a source of supply or production (Gen. 1:21). The real verb of creation on the fifth day is again that word bara, “to bring into existence.” “In the beginning,” when the materials of the universe were brought into existence, this word was used. During the four days of creation of inanimate things this word was not used, but, instead, a word meaning “to construct out of materials.” Now again here in the account of creation on the fifth day, the creation of animate things characterized by the word hai, “living,” bara is used. There is thus a striking difference in the description of the creation of vegetation and of animate things; neither of these words, hai or bara, is used of vegetation in the account of creation. There was also now given to animate things the power of voluntary motion; they were living creatures “that move” (Vs.

BSac 86:344 (Oct 1929) p. 407

20–21). Inanimate things are inert, they stay put; animate things will not stay put, they move of themselves. Here is an entirely different quality in created things and that which expresses this quality is hai and that which gives hai is bara. In the account of creation these two Hebrew words are so used exclusively.

(2) It is especially to be noted also that animate creatures first appeared not on land, but in the water. This is again a very exact following along scientific lines in the Genesis account, though in absolutely popular language. Geological remains everywhere present the sa...