Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/131

Rh single pair of each kind was originally produced" (Ben.); the language rather suggests that whole species, in something like their present multitude, were created.

24, 25. Seventh work: Terrestrial animals.—24. Let the earth bring forth living creatures] (again coll.) is here a generic name for land animals, being restricted by what precedes—'living animals that spring from the earth.' Like the plants (v.$12$), they are boldly said to be produced by the earth, their bodies being part of the earth's substance (2$7. 19$); this could not be said of fishes in relation to the water, and hence a different form of expression had to be employed in v.$20$.—The classification of animals (best arranged in v.$25$) is threefold: (1) wild animals, (roughly, carnivora); (2) domesticated animals, (herbivora); (3) reptiles,, including perhaps creeping insects and very small quadrupeds (see Dri. DB, i. 518). A somewhat similar threefold division appears in a Babylonian tablet—'cattle of the field, beasts of the field and creatures of the city' (Jen. KIB, vi. 1, 42 f.; King, Cr. Tab. 112 f.).—25. God saw that it was good] The formula distinctly marks the separation of this work from the creation of man, which follows on the same day. The absence of a benediction corresponding to

Lv. 11$10$; though without art. is really determined by (but see Dri. T. § 209 (1)).—], acc. of definition, as in v.$20$.—22. ] highly characteristic of P (only 3 times elsewhere).

24. The distinctions noted above are not strictly observed throughout the OT. (from a root signifying 'be dumb'—Ar. and Eth.) denotes collectively, first, animals as distinguished from man (Ex. 9$19$ etc.), but chiefly the larger mammals; then, domestic animals (the dumb creatures with which man has most to do), (Gn. 34$23$ 36$6$ etc.). Of wild animals specially it is seldom used alone (Dt. 32$24$, Hab. 2$17$), but sometimes with an addition which marks the unusual reference. As a noun of unity, Neh. 2$12. 14$. See BDB, s.v.—] an archaic phrase in which represents the old case ending of the nom., u or um (G-K, § 90 n). So Ps. 79$2$; in other combinations Is. 56$9$, Zeph. 2$14$, Ps. 104$11$; Ps. 50$10$ 104$20$. In sense it is exactly the same as the commoner 1$25. 30$ 9$2. 10$ etc.), and usually denotes wild animals, though sometimes animals in general—(🇬🇷).— and  naturally overlap; but the first name is derived from the manner of movement, and the second from the tendency to swarm (Dri. l.c.).