Carnivores in the Garden of Eden

[grannymh]

cephas161619:
The thread’s topic is “Carnivores in the Garden of Eden.” A previous post commented about the business about eating meat in the book of Genesis as a foreshadowing … In my humble opinion, I have already offered a sufficient response to that idea. Thank you.

 

[Peter_Dawson]

Many come to sites like this to be affirmed, not to be changed.

 

[CHRISTINE77]

A quasi-vegetarian pointed out that Adam and Eve weren’t eating the cute little critters in the Garden of Eden. That’s my recollection as well. Did God punish Adam and Eve by making them eat bacon when they were kicked out of the garden? When does the first recorded meal involving meat occur?

I don’t really know when people started eating meat. But it’s interesting that in the Old Testament that different animals were declared clean or unclean to eat, but when Peter saw the sheet descending from heaven with all the animals in it, God told him that nothing he created on earth was unclean to eat.

 

[NotWorthy]

I don’t really know when people started eating meat. But it’s interesting that in the Old Testament that different animals were declared clean or unclean to eat, but when Peter saw the sheet descending from heaven with all the animals in it, God told him that nothing he created on earth was unclean to eat.

Now THAT is a great question! I’ll check some commentaries and see what they say about that.

 

[juliamajor]

Green plants are food for every creature in Eden including men. Gen 1:29-30; "God said, “see, Igive you every seed bearing plant that is upon all the earth, and every tree that has seed bearing fruit; they shall be yours for food.and to all the animals on land, to all the birds of the sky, and to everything that creeps on earth, in which there is the breath of life, I give all the green plants for food.”
Adam was famer not hunter.Gen.2:15 “The Lord God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, to till and tend it.”
After the Fall Gen 3:18 “thorns and thistles shall it sprout for you.But your food shall be the grasses of the field.” Again no meat.
Mankind was, in the biblical view vegetarian until after the Flood,the function of animals before that was milk,wool sacrifice.
In Gen:7:2.Clean and unclean animals are mentioned -but are not divided for food purposes but for sacrificial purposes.
After the flood , Gen:9,society must be regenerated and reordered.In Gen9:3 meat is permitted; “every creature that lives shall be yours to eat;as with green grasses, I give you these”.
Also notice after the flood the practice of polygamy also begins.

 

[Peter_Dawson]

Green plants are food for every creature in Eden including men. Gen 1:29-30; "God said, “see, Igive you every seed bearing plant that is upon all the earth, and every tree that has seed bearing fruit; they shall be yours for food.and to all the animals on land, to all the birds of the sky, and to everything that creeps on earth, in which there is the breath of life, I give all the green plants for food.”
Adam was famer not hunter.Gen.2:15 “The Lord God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, to till and tend it.”
After the Fall Gen 3:18 “thorns and thistles shall it sprout for you.But your food shall be the grasses of the field.” Again no meat.
Mankind was, in the biblical view vegetarian until after the Flood,the function of animals before that was milk,wool sacrifice.
In Gen:7:2.Clean and unclean animals are mentioned -but are not divided for food purposes but for sacrificial purposes.
After the flood , Gen:9,society must be regenerated and reordered.In Gen9:3 meat is permitted; “every creature that lives shall be yours to eat;as with green grasses, I give you these”.
Also notice after the flood the practice of polygamy also begins.

But what is the spiritual significance?

 

[Digitonomy]

juliamajor and Peter Dawson and Omyo12, thanks for the scriptural references. I’ll also point out that the first mention of animal sacrifice is Genesis 4:4, and it is viewed more favorably by the Lord than an offering of the “fruit of the soil.”

while Abel, for his part, brought one of the best firstlings of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,

there is the story of Abraham’s Visitors, in Genesis 18, where bread id served with the flesh of a choice killed steer.

I haven’t read to that point yet in Genesis; is that the first time where an actual meal of meat is mentioned?

Mankind was, in the biblical view vegetarian until after the Flood,the function of animals before that was milk,wool sacrifice.

Don’t forget leather, as God apparently served as leathersmith for Adam & Eve:

Genesis 3:21
For the man and his wife the LORD God made leather garments, with which he clothed them.

juliamajor:

Also notice after the flood the practice of polygamy also begins.

Are you suggesting that polygamy and meat-eating are related?

 

[PeterK]

Also notice after the flood the practice of polygamy also begins.

Julia,
That is not accurate. Polygamy existed before the flood.
Gen 4.19 NAB. Lamech took two wives; the name of the first was Adah, and the name of the second Zillah.
Gen 6.2 …the sons of heaven saw how beautiful the daughters of man were, and so they took for their wives as many of them as they chose.

I don’t hang my hat on the NAB translation but it serves to show the point.

Hope this helped.
Peter K.

 

[cephas161619]

Julia,
That is not accurate. Polygamy existed before the flood.
Gen 4.19 NAB. Lamech took two wives; the name of the first was Adah, and the name of the second Zillah.
Gen 6.2 …the sons of heaven saw how beautiful the daughters of man were, and so they took for their wives as many of them as they chose.

I don’t hang my hat on the NAB translation but it serves to show the point.

Lamech was also a descendant of Cain (see Gen 4:17-18), the ‘evil line’. (See also the comment to Gen 6:2 drbo.org/chapter/01006.htm)

In Gen 6:5, immediately after talking about how they took multiple wives, it seems to link this with God’s view of their actions as evil, bringing on the flood.

As to the NAB, after reading recently how they change the text to fit their own interpretations, I put even less stock in their ‘translation’ than before.

 

[PeterK]

As to the NAB, after reading recently how they change the text to fit their own interpretations, I put even less stock in their ‘translation’ than before.

One feature I will praise the NAB above RSV, Navarre series, and Douey-Rheims is their extensive verse cross referencing. They seem to go several verses beyond most. I don’t get too excited about translations - I read them, consider them and then make up my own mind. They all seem to have different agendas when creating the editions. So it’s hard to compare.

Hope this helped,
Pete

 

[Omyo12]

One feature I will praise the NAB above RSV, Navarre series, and Douey-Rheims is their extensive verse cross referencing. They seem to go several verses beyond most. I don’t get too excited about translations - I read them, consider them and then make up my own mind. They all seem to have different agendas when creating the editions. So it’s hard to compare.

Hope this helped,
Pete

This is true, whenever I come across a difficult passage, I always seem to go to the NAB for the any cross references.