Genesis 1:25 - Exposition

And God made ( asah , not beta , the principle of life being not now introduced for the first time, as in Genesis 1:21 ) the beast of the earth (the chayyah ) after his kind, and cattle ( behemah ) after their kind, and every thing that creepeth on the earth (literally, every reraes of the ground) after his kind. The order of creation ( Genesis 1:25 ) differs from that in which they were summoned into existence ( Genesis 1:24 ). The latter may be the order of time, the former the order of rank; or there may have been two divisions of the work, in the former of which the herbivora took the lead, and in the latter the carnivora . According to the witness of geology, "the quadrupeds did not all come forth together. Large and powerful herbivore first take the field, with only a few carnivora . These pass away. Other herbivora , with a larger proportion of carnivora , next appear. These also are exterminated, and so with others. Then the carnivora appear in vast numbers and power, and the herbivore also abound. Moreover, these races attain a magnitude and number far surpassing all that now exist. As the mammalian age draws to a close, the ancient carnivora and herbivora of that era all pass away, excepting, it is believed, a few that are useful to man. New creations of smaller size people the groves". And God saw that it was good . As in the third day's work each branch is sealed by the Divine approbation, so in this. The creation of the higher animals completed the earth's preparation for the advent of man; to which, doubtless, the Creator's commendation of his finished work had a special reference. Everything was in readiness for the magnum opus which was to close his creative labor and crown his completed cosmos.