A common challenge presented by skeptics or atheists to prove a biblical contradiction exists in the Creation account is: “What was created first? Compare Genesis 1:20-27 (birds and animals before Adam) with Genesis 2:18-19 (birds and animals after Adam) and tell me which account is correct?”
When we read these sections of Scripture independently, they seem to contradict each other. However, the Bible is not a collection of fragmented passages understood and interpreted at face value apart from their immediate context, chapter, book, or Scripture as a whole. It is a cohesive story from Genesis through Revelation, with all 66 books fitting together within a coherent and logical framework. Therefore, studying Genesis 1 and 2 in context and having a basic understanding of Hebrew verb tenses eliminates any confusion about this chronological sequence.
According to Genesis chapter one, God made birds and sea life on the fifth day of Creation and land-dwelling animals on the sixth day. Then God created Adam on the sixth day after making the animals. Subsequently, God put Adam in the Garden of Eden before making a suitable helper for him. Genesis 2:18-19 says, “‘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.”
At face value, the above passages imply that God created Adam before birds and animals by assuming the Hebrew verb “formed” is in the present tense. That conclusion would mean God formed the beasts and birds right before bringing them to Adam, who was already in existence. However, this assumption relies on the English translation of this Hebrew verb rather than its intended and expressed tense.
Hebrew verbs do not have progressive or perfect tenses for past, present, or future as in English. Their correct tense is determined by and expressed through its context. Therefore, given the contextual framework of Creation in Genesis 1 and 2, the Hebrew verb for “formed” conveys a past tense of “had formed.” This correct tense means God brought the birds and animals to Adam that He formed previously to see what Adam would call them. This interpretation is in perfect harmony with the overall flow and order of Creation—with Genesis chapter one providing an overview of each day of Creation and Genesis chapter two giving a detailed account of specific elements of Creation, namely Adam and Eve.
Another aspect of Genesis 2:18-19 was emphasizing and distinguishing the difference between how God formed birds, animals, and humans—namely Eve. Verse nineteen specified that God created birds and animals from the ground. Yet, a few verses afterward, in Genesis 2:21-22, God uniquely fashioned Eve from one of Adam’s ribs—creating her in His image and likeness just as He did with Adam.
