How do we know Genesis was intended to be a metaphor?

[Justin108]

Other than our current understanding of science clearly contradicting Genesis, what reason is there to believe Genesis was written as a metaphorical account of creation?

[JehovahsWitness]

You know this repeats for all of the days strangely enough. Yes the word day is a flexible one that's why we look to the context and here Gen 1 clearly defines it repeatedly.

Well reasonably, if the "day" is figurative, the parts of it (its "morning" and its "evening") would naturally be figurative as well.

JW

[JehovahsWitness]

But since the "stars" are mentioned as coming about on day four we can safely conclude that is not what is being referred to.

Well that would depend on what you mean by the stars "coming about" as you put it (Genesis 1:14-18); what in these verses leads you to conclude that what happened in day four negates "the heavens" referred to in Genesis 1:1 as including the stars?

JW

That is an inference the heavens can also simply refer to the sky. It is not explicit in stating that this includes the universe, stars planets, etc.

Possibly. But since the "sky" is mentioned as coming about on day two we can safely conclude that that is not what is being referred to.

[DanieltheDragon]

You know this repeats for all of the days strangely enough. Yes the word day is a flexible one that's why we look to the context and here Gen 1 clearly defines it repeatedly.

Well reasonably, if the "day" is figurative, the parts of it (its "morning" and its "evening") would naturally be figurative as well.

JW

If they are figurative what does it figuratively represent?

[Willum]

[Replying to post 250 by JehovahsWitness]

Firstly I doubt if there is conclusive evidence that this is the case and even if there were, whether this contradicted the bible would depend on how you read (understand) the text.

Yeah, there is conclusive evidence... that is if you believe in a silly thing like physical evidence.

[DanieltheDragon]

[Replying to post 252 by JehovahsWitness]

Well that would depend on what you mean by the sky "coming about" as you put it (Genesis 1:6-8); what in these verses leads you to conclude that what happened in day two negates "the heavens" referred to in Genesis 1:1 as the sky?

[JehovahsWitness]

You know this repeats for all of the days strangely enough. Yes the word day is a flexible one that's why we look to the context and here Gen 1 clearly defines it repeatedly.

Well reasonably, if the "day" is figurative, the parts of it (its "morning" and its "evening") would naturally be figurative as well.

JW

If they are figurative what does it figuratively represent?

Evening would represent "the end" of a period and "morning" the beginning.

[DanieltheDragon]

[Replying to post 256 by JehovahsWitness]

That doesn't make sense because the verses of each day already specify the beginning and and of a period. It is redundant to do so again. They also define morning and evening as a period of daylight and darkness. This in turn defines the total period of each day as day and night.

Your interpretation is illogical and unreasonable.

[JehovahsWitness]

Your interpretation is illogical and unreasonable.

I don't see why you say that, (see below)

[JehovahsWitness]

Well reasonably, if the "day" is figurative, the parts of it (its "morning" and its "evening") would naturally be figurative as well.

That doesn't make sense because the verses of each day already specify the beginning and and of a period. It is redundant to do so again.

At the end of each set of activities there is the statement "There was evening, there was morning, a # day; there is no repetition or redundancies since these statements are always found at the end not the beginning of activity. Thus for example at the end of day #1, (Gen1:5) we read "there came to be evening" (ie "that day ends) "there came to be morning" (ie the next day will begin) "...a first day" (ie thus we have one full day which is the first in this series).

There is no "redundancy" because the "signature" starts at the end of each day (and signals the beginning of the next) not at the beginning. Thus we have nothing at the beginning of day #1 that says "okay, the first day is beginning" and then a (redundant) repetition at the end of day #1 saying okay that first day began ... and now it's ending.

Perhaps you would like to explain which parts of the above you consider redundant.

They also define morning and evening as a period of daylight and darkness.

Where is this?

This in turn defines the total period of each day as day and night.

Ditto

Your interpretation is illogical and unreasonable.

See Above

[alexxcJRO]

[Replying to JehovahsWitness]

Genesis 1:11-13New Living Translation (NLT)
“11 Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.� And that is what happened. 12 The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.
13 And evening passed and morning came, marking the third day.�

Genesis 1:11-13English Standard Version (ESV)

“11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants[a] yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.� And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.�
Genesis 1:11-13King James Version (KJV)

“11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.�

Genesis 1:11-13Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
“11 And God saith, `Let the earth yield tender grass, herb sowing seed, fruit-tree (whose seed [is] in itself) making fruit after its kind, on the earth:' and it is so.
12 And the earth bringeth forth tender grass, herb sowing seed after its kind, and tree making fruit (whose seed [is] in itself) after its kind; and God seeth that [it is] good;
13 and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day third.�

Genesis 1:11-13English Standard Version (ESV)

“11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants[a] yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.� And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.�




“The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind.�

“12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind�

“12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit,

“12 And the earth bringeth forth tender grass, herb sowing seed after its kind, and tree making fruit (whose seed [is] in itself)�

“12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed�

http://biblehub.com/interlinear/genesis/1-12.htm

וַתּוֹצֵ֨� - wat·t�·w·ṣê


wat·t�·w·ṣê — 3 Occurrences
Genesis 1:12
HEB: וַתּוֹצֵ֨� הָ�ָ֜רֶץ דֶּ֠שֶ��
NAS: The earth brought forth vegetation,
KJV: And the earth brought forth grass,
INT: brought the earth vegetation

Ruth 2:18
HEB: �ֲשֶ�ר־ לִקֵּ֑טָה וַתּוֹצֵ�֙ וַתִּתֶּן־ לָ֔הּ
NAS: she had gleaned. She also took [it] out and gave
KJV: what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave
INT: what had gleaned took and gave what

Jeremiah 32:21
HEB: וַתֹּצֵ֛� �ֶת־ עַמְּךָ֥
NAS: You brought Your people Israel
KJV: And hast brought forth thy people
INT: brought your people Israel

Hebrew:ותוצ�

From תוצ�.

Verb, reverse imperfect, 3rd person, sing., fem.: (Strong 3318)

brought forth
was brought forth (HOPAL)
delivered (HOPAL)

Verb, imperfect, 2nd person, sing., masc.: (Strong 3318)

brought forth
was brought forth (HOPAL)
delivered (HOPAL)

"https://withoutvowels.org/wiki/Hebrew:ותוצ�"




In the second part, things are different.
The text clearly says that it already happened(past tense). The vegetation/grass/ plants , specifically plants with seeds(Gymnosperms) and plants with fruits (Angiosperms) already grew before the period “third day� was finished.

It's like this :
I have gone to the shop and bought(past tense) boozes, specifically beer, wine.

So I don’t know what nonsense are you peddling.