Topical Bible: Man: Gave Names to Other Creatures

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Topical Encyclopedia

In the biblical narrative, the act of naming the creatures is a significant event that underscores the unique role and authority given to man by God. This event is recorded in the Book of Genesis, where Adam, the first man, is tasked with naming the animals. This act is not merely a demonstration of human creativity but is deeply symbolic of man's dominion and stewardship over creation.

Biblical Account

The account of Adam naming the animals is found in Genesis 2:19-20 : "So the LORD God formed out of the ground every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and He brought them to the man to see what he would name each one. And whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field."

This passage highlights several key aspects of man's role in creation:

1. Divine Delegation of Authority: God, the Creator, delegates the authority to name the creatures to Adam. This act of delegation signifies trust and responsibility, as naming in the ancient Near Eastern context often implied authority and understanding over the named.

2. Intellectual Capacity: The task of naming the animals implies a level of intellectual capacity and discernment given to man. Adam's ability to observe, understand, and assign names reflects the image of God in which he was created, as stated in Genesis 1:27.

3. Relational Aspect: The act of naming also suggests a relational aspect between man and the rest of creation. By naming the animals, Adam establishes a connection with them, recognizing their distinctiveness and place within the created order.

4. Stewardship and Responsibility: Naming the creatures is an early indication of man's role as steward of the earth. This stewardship is further emphasized in Genesis 1:28 , where God commands man to "fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth."

Theological Implications

The act of naming the animals carries profound theological implications. It reflects the order and intentionality of God's creation, where each creature has a purpose and place. Man's role in naming is a participation in God's creative work, highlighting the partnership between the Creator and humanity.

Furthermore, this event foreshadows the broader biblical theme of naming as an expression of identity and purpose. Throughout Scripture, names often carry significant meaning, revealing character, destiny, or divine intervention. In this initial act of naming, Adam participates in a divine prerogative, setting a precedent for the importance of names in biblical theology.

Conclusion

The act of naming the creatures is a foundational moment in the biblical narrative, illustrating man's unique position in creation. It underscores the themes of authority, stewardship, and relational connection between humanity and the rest of God's creation. Through this act, Adam exercises the dominion granted by God, fulfilling his role as the steward of the earth.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 2:19,20
And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them: and whatever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Whether the First Man Knew all Things?
... But names should be adapted to the nature of things. ... Yet his knowledge was not different
from ours; as the eyes which Christ gave to the man born blind were ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether the first man knew.htm

Chapter ii
... number of creatures are named, the other difficulty falls ... this giving of names to
the creatures is that ... So the man gave names to all the domestic animals and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter ii.htm

The Constitution of the World and the Disposition of The
... man, and inserted in him a spirit and a soul.[2] This man was called Adam ... to their
kinds, both male and female, to Adam, who gave them those names by which ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 1 the constitution of.htm

Essay
... of life, which is not said of any other animals: it ... and resolving, what to do: that
the man might be ... And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the ...
/.../an essay on the mosaic account of the creation and fall of man/essay.htm

Whether Idolatry is Rightly Reckoned a Species of Superstition?
... things: and to these they referred the names of their gods ... To all these they gave
divine worship, as Augustine ... ii, 20): "Anything invented by man for making and ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether idolatry is rightly reckoned.htm

On Our First Parents and their Fall
... on the second, the firmament, or the heavens, and on the sixth day He created man
and called ... Adam gave all the animals their appropriate names and they ...
/.../kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/lesson 5 on our first.htm

Whether the Cause of Idolatry was on the Part of Man?
... kings, gave the incommunicable name [Vulg.: 'names']," ie of ... and maketh it like the
image of a man . ... failing to consider His excellence men gave divine worship ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the cause of idolatry.htm

Of the Law.
... fear none but Him, nor to admit the names of other ... but for the excess of their
wickedness, "I gave statutes that ... has again set the free-will of man at liberty ...
/.../various/constitutions of the holy apostles/sec iv of the law.htm

Whether Adam in the State of Innocence had Mastership Over the ...
... direction of the angels, to receive their names from him. ... ordinaria on Gn.1:26]:
"God gave man mastership over ... Wherefore, as man, being made to the image of God ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether adam in the state 2.htm

State in which Man was Created. The Faculties of the Soul --The ...
... the spirit returns to God who gave it (Eccles ... in philosophical speculation as to
these names, placing the ... tacit antithesis, as it were, setting man apart from ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 15 state in which.htm