What's Best Reconciliation of Gen 1 and 2 You've Heard?

There is a very simple answer. Gen 1 can be thought of as a brief overview of the creation while Gen 2 is a detailed account. Take my word on this I teach literature and this literary form is seen on all the books of Moses. As to the order of creation, you have misread the chapter, there is no contradiction. Did it happen in a literal seven 24 hour days. Im wrestling with that one. On one hand, the text refers to night and day being seperated which suggests a means by which to measure time. On the other hand, Adam was told to name ALL of the animals and plants on "one" of those days and I am sure you can see how difficult that would be in the time allowed.

Quote: Don' be mad at me now. I just can't see how both things can be true at the same time. So science wants some pretty tall tales to be true. On the other hand the Bible gets treated pretty shabby if there's some little thing in there they don't like."AMEN BROTHER!!!Its easier to have faith in a non-personal, naturalistic ideal that holds no one accountable for their actions as opposed to having faith in a personal creator who does hold us accountable. When we were teens, didn't we want more than ever to be free of our parents rules. Those unfair rules designed to limit our enjoyment of life and free exercise thereof. Or, were they just trying to keep us safe because they loved us?

I can't believe this discussion has gone on for so longover Gen 1 and 2. Has anyone here ever diagramed a sentence? A not so close look at the text clearly shows the animals HAD been created before Man. Take a look at the tense. I give the English translation of the Torah here, but I have checked several other versions and found the same to be true. LOOK at the TENSE.1:24 God said, 'The earth shall bring forth particular species of living creatures, particular species of livestock, land animals, and beasts of the earth.' It happened.
1:25 God [thus] made particular species of beasts of the earth, particular species of livestock, and particular species of animals that walk the land. God saw that it was good.
1:26 God said, 'Let us make man with our image and likeness. Let him dominate the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock animals, and all the earth - and every land animal that walks the earth.'
1:27 God [thus] created man with His image. In the image of God, He created him, male and female He created them.
2:19 God had formed every wild beast and every bird of heaven out of the ground. He [now] brought [them] to the man to see what he would name each one. Whatever the man called each living thing [would] remain its name.If you have a version that contradicts my point, let me know.

Thank you for providing the examples. It is true the past tense is not directly stated in these passages, however, it doesn't imply that the animals were formed after Adam either. In fact, the conjunction "and" ties the ideas together rather than assert that one event led to another event.