hepteract writes:
Even if its purpose is not as a chronological account, for it to be inerrant it still needs to keep consistent. The statement that plants did not exist when man was created is a clear and stark contradiction with what was said in chapter one. Even if the passage as a whole serves a different purpose, that particular sentence is stating a chronological order that is inconsistent with the order described just verses before.
firstly, Gen 2 is talking about the GARDEN OF EDEN, that is the subject.
In line with that subject we read that there are no 'plants' and the earth had not been cultivated because there was no man.
I dont believe this is refering to all vegetation of the entire earth because when Adam was removed from the garden, the earth outside did have vegetation in it which was uncultivated and a lot of hard work for Adam.
When God forms the man he places him in the GARDEN as opposed to the FIELD. In vs 8 he says he is planting the garden and PLACING THE MAN THERE. This shows that the garden existed before the man otherwise how could God place the man in the garden if it wasnt already existing?
Then vs9 says he's causing to sprout every tree 'good to sight'
So again, the food trees were already there otherwise how could it be said that Adam could see that they were 'good to sight'?
hebrew interlinear writes:
Gen2:7 andhe-is-forming Yahweh Elohim thehuman soil from theground
VS8 andhe-is-planting Yahweh Elohim garden inEden andhe-is-placing
there thehuman whom he-formed
VS9 andhe-is-causing-to-sprout Yahweh Elohim from theground every-of tree being-coveted tosight andgood forfood
There is a difference between the entire uncultivated earth and the cultivated garden which God made as a home for the man. The garden was a starting point of cultivated ground...from there Adam would continue to cultivate the rest of the earth until the entire globe became a cultivated paradise.