Contradiction with Genesis 1:11-12
These verses describe the creation of plant life on the third day, contradicting Genesis 2:5, which suggests plants had not yet grown due to the lack of rain and a man to till the ground.
Genesis 1:11-12: 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. [grass: Heb. tender grass]
Paradox #1
Genesis 2:5 might seem to contradict Genesis 1 where plants appear to be created before humans. In Genesis 2, it suggests no plant was there before humans because God hadn't sent rain and there was no one to work the ground. This can appear inconsistent with the timeline.
Paradox #2
Genesis 2:5 could be seen as inconsistent with the sequence of creation events described in Genesis 1. In Genesis 1, plants are created on the third day, while humans are created on the sixth day. However, Genesis 2 suggests that there were no plants before humans existed, implying a different order of creation. This discrepancy can appear as a contradiction between the two accounts of creation in the Bible.