The Bible

 

Genesis 2:19

Study

       

19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

Commentary

 

Explanation of Genesis 2:19

By Brian David

This wall-painting, in the Sucevita Monastery in Romania, shows God creating Adam and Adam being alone, which led to the naming of the animals.

The people of the Most Ancient Church had begun wanting to lead themselves and think from themselves instead of from the Lord. The Lord knew it would be their downfall, and sought to fulfill them through the spiritual gifts they already had in their celestial state.

Here we see the Lord showing them the presence in themselves (the ground) of all the beautiful things of their state: affections springing from love to the Lord (the beasts of the field), thoughts inspired by mutual love (fowl of the air) and all other spiritual activity filled with life from the Lord (living creatures). And theses things were gifts; the fact that the people were invited to name the animals means they were shown the nature of all those wonderful things.

(References: Arcana Coelestia 142, 143, 144, 145)