Contradiction with Genesis 1:16
While Genesis 1:5 suggests the creation of day and night on the first day, Genesis 1:16 describes the creation of the sun, moon, and stars to govern day and night on the fourth day, seemingly suggesting that day and night existed before the celestial bodies.
Genesis 1:16: And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: [he made] the stars also. [to rule the day...: Heb. for the rule of the day, etc.]
Contradiction with Genesis 2:4
Genesis 2:4 provides a summary by stating "in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens," which could imply a single creation timeline, contrasting the sequential six-day account in Genesis 1.
Genesis 2:4: These [are] the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
Paradox #1
Some people point out a possible contradiction between Genesis 1:5 and our understanding of time. The verse mentions "evening" and "morning" on the first day, but the sun, which defines our day and night cycle, is not created until later in the Genesis account. This raises questions about how a day could be measured without the sun. However, many interpretations exist to explain this, ranging from symbolic readings to different understandings of "light" and "day" in this context.
Paradox #2
The potential contradiction involves how "day" is defined before the creation of the sun, which occurs later in Genesis. Some argue that this raises questions about how time was measured or understood in the creation story.
Paradox #3
One potential conflict is the depiction of how a "day" is defined, as the verse talks about "evening and morning" making the first day. This could be seen as inconsistent with the understanding of a 24-hour day, especially since the sun, which marks a typical day, is created later in the Genesis account.
Paradox #4
One potential contradiction in that verse is the implication of a day and night cycle before the creation of the sun, which according to the biblical account, happens later. Scientifically, the cycle of day and night is caused by the Earth's rotation and its exposure to the sun, so having this cycle before the sun exists can be seen as inconsistent with our understanding of astronomy and planetary science.
Paradox #5
The contradiction or inconsistency is that "Genesis 1:5" describes a day as having an evening and a morning, which could be seen as conflicting with our modern understanding of a 24-hour day starting at midnight. This could raise questions about the concept of time and what constitutes a "day" in this context.