Genesis 1:11-13 God’s Taxonomy
Genesis 1:11-13 Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them”; and it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a third day.
Remember back in the day when we all studied the Linnaeus classification system? There was Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species. This is man’s idea of classification. Biblically speaking, this system is heretical. I am not naïve, I am sure science sees God’s system as antiquated and simplistic.
How does God classify? It is different in comparison to how man classifies. There is the phrase, “after their kind…” The word to consider is “kind”. It is the Hebrew word “miyn”. It means kind or species. In verse 11, there is the word “vegetation” or “deshe’” in the Hebrew. It could be translated to mean vegetation or grass. Either way, grass has seed. It is a plant and it is vegetation.
These created plants were brought forth with maturity and capable of reproduction with “seed” or “zera’” in the Hebrew. The word is translated: seed, sowing, offspring, semen, descendants, posterity, or children. This is the same term used in Genesis 3:15 by God in response to the fall of man and to sin. This verse is in reference to the seed of the woman and the seed of Satan. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” Yes, Satan has a seed.
When it comes to vegetation, according to God, there are two types: 1) plants yielding seed and 2) fruit trees with fruit yielding seed contained within the fruit (Bodie Hodge, www.answersingenesis.org ). This is much cleaner and less complicated in comparison to man’s classification system.
All plant life was created before animal life. The idea of plant life and vegetation created on Day 3 before the sun and animals is in direct contradiction with evolutionary science.
There was evening and there was morning, a third day. Remember, darkness first to start the day.
How God divides species and man divides species are not the same. This will become much more obvious when animals are taken into consideration. Isaiah 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
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