A: Genesis 1 tells us God created plants on the third day and then man was formed later on Day Six. But in chapter 2 we read that “before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown . . . the Lord God formed man” (Genesis 2:5,7). At first this may seem impossible to remedy, but a closer look at the text reveals there is no contradiction.

The two specific types of plants mentioned in verse 5 are translated from specific Hebrew terms: “plant of the field” (siah hassadeh) and “herb of the field” (eseb hassadeh). These terms have been defined as “wild shrubs of the steppe” and “cultivated grain” respectively.

In Genesis 2:5–6 the writer set up the narrative and informed the reader of what was to come. These verses provide a description of the world on Day Six before God created Adam. The grasses, fruit trees, and seed-yielding herbs were created on Day Three (with the exception of those within the garden), but the thorny plants and cultivated grains came about after Adam was created.

Continue reading to learn why these two types of plants were not on the earth until after God created man.

Demolishing Supposed Bible Contradictions 2

Today’s Q&A is just one of many topics addressed in our popular “Contradictions Book 2.” Discover over 40 powerful explanations to key questions like the one above, showing the Bible is still accurate and without error.

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