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24.Let the earth bring forth He descends to the sixth day, on which the animals were created, and then man. ‘ the earth,’ he says, ‘ forth living creatures.’ But whence has a dead element life? Therefore, there is in this respect a miracle as great as if God had begun to create out of nothing those things which he commanded to proceed from the earth. And he does not take his material from the earth, because he needed it, but that he might the better combine the separate parts of the world with the universe itself. Yet it may be inquired, why He does not here also add his benediction? I answer, that what Moses before expressed on a similar occasion is here also to be understood, although he does not repeat it word for word. I say, moreover, it is sufficient for the purpose of signifying the same thing, (79) that Moses declares animals were created ‘ to their species:’ for this distribution carried with it something stable. It may even hence be inferred, that the offspring of animals was included. For to what purpose do distinct species exist, unless that individuals, by their several kinds, may be multiplied? (80)
Cattle (81) Some of the Hebrews thus distinguish between “” and “ of the earth,” that the cattle feed on herbage, but that the beasts of the earth are they which eat flesh. But the Lord, a little while after, assigns herbs to both as their common food; and it may be observed, that in several parts of Scripture these two words are used indiscriminately. Indeed, I do not doubt that Moses, after he had named Behemoth, (cattle,) added the other, for the sake of fuller explanation. By ‘’ (82) in this place, understand those which are of an earthly nature.
(79) Namely, that God’ benediction was virtually added, though no expressed in terms. See verse 22. — Ed.
(80) The reader is referred to Note 1, p. 81, for another mode of interpreting these verses; and also to Poole’ Synopsis on verse 24, where the opinion of Pichrellus is fully stated, namely, that verses 24, 25, contain part of the work of the fifth day. — Ed.
(81) Cattle, בהמה, (Behemah); plural, בהמות, (Behemoth).
(82) “” In the English version, “ things,” the same expression which occurs in verse 20. But the Hebrew word is different. In the twentieth verrse it is שרף, (sharetz,) in the twenty-fourth it is רמש, (remes). The latter word is generally, (though not always,) as here, referred to land animals. — Ed