Did Adam name all the animals on the sixth day of creation before Eve was created? How could he name them all in one day? — Erin Shadduck, age 7, Desoto, MO

Dear Erin:

On the sixth day of creation, everything was good except that Adam was alone (Genesis 2:18). God decided to make a helper suitable for Adam. This could not be just any helper. It would have to be a creature that would be a good fit or match.

God brought the beasts of the field and birds for Adam to name. Read verse 19. Notice that He did not bring all the animals. He did not bring the sea creatures that He created on Day 5, or the creeping things He created on Day 6. Also, remember that Adam was not trying to give a name to millions of species. The Bible was written before man invented this way of naming living things. Adam probably only had to name groups of birds and animals. These could have been general names like "pigeon," "cow," "dog," or "mole," not special names like "arctic fox" or "pig-nosed softshell turtle." In just an hour, Adam could have named hundreds of birds and animals.