Genesis 2:19 Commentary and Bible Study

Moses does not now change the order of creation and have man created before the animals, as if he had forgotten what he had written in chapter 1. This chapter is an account that revolves around man and all things are adapted to bring to bear on that account. These things are said to introduce what follows, and without this explanation, the obvious question would arise, Where did the animals come from? They are introduced as animals made for Adam, even though Adam was created after them, for the world was fully prepared before he was formed. The animals are brought to Adam and they are named by him, and that's an indication of Adam's vast intellect because the original names given to the animals have a zoological purpose. They are just not any old names: they are names which identify and indicate certain characteristics of those animals. We only have a small glimpse of this in the animal names of the Old Testament, and presuming that they are all like that, then Adam had such an intellect in his created condition that he could accurately identify the chief characteristics of animals and name them intelligently. But that's not the purpose of this passage. This naming of the animals is put here to show us how wonderful was God’s provision of a wife. Adam does not seem to have been looking for a help meet among the animals. He knew perfectly well that no help meet was coming from them. They were so different from himself. They are not living souls; they don't have the power of communication; they don't have rational minds; they are far beneath him. And certainly God is not looking for a help meet among the animals. The naming of the animals is put in here simply to emphasize how alone Adam was. He is totally alone, the only human being. How many animals did Adam name? We are not told. It may have been representatives of each species, and may have been an enormous number, but they were brought and they came, and there being no predators at that time and no claws adapted for harmful use, or gaping jaws, or venom – they were docile before Adam. Adam was established, not only as a zoology student and a most knowledgeable person and the namer of all things: you see not only does he do enjoyable work, to tend the Garden of Eden; he’s also a student. Man is made to be master of creation and to look into things and to understand and describe them, and Adam begins that great function given to man by naming every living creature. No doubt he does so in very intelligent terms that truly described each beast and shows an understanding of their nature. Some people see here a limitation in the beasts named, because the term used is ‘beasts of the field’, whereas previously they have been called ‘beasts of the earth’, as though only some of the animals are brought to him.