Interpretation of Genesis
Day-age creationists differ from young Earth creationists in how they interpret a number of crucial Hebrew words in Genesis, and thus how they interpret the genealogies and creation account contained in it.
They point out that the Hebrew words for father ('ab) and son (ben) can also mean forefather and descendant, respectively, and that the Biblical scripture occasionally "telescopes" genealogies to emphasize the more important ancestors. This, they argue, renders genealogically-based dating of the creation, such as the Ussher chronology, to be inaccurate.
They admit that yom can mean a 24 hour solar day, but argue that it can refer to an indefinitely long period of time. It is in this sense that the word, day-age creationists say, is employed in Genesis 2:4, with a "day" of God's total creation taking place in the course of "days" of creation.
Read more about this topic: Day-age Creationism
Famous quotes containing the words interpretation of and/or genesis:
“It is clear that everybody interested in science must be interested in world 3 objects. A physical scientist, to start with, may be interested mainly in world 1 objects—say crystals and X-rays. But very soon he must realize how much depends on our interpretation of the facts, that is, on our theories, and so on world 3 objects. Similarly, a historian of science, or a philosopher interested in science must be largely a student of world 3 objects.”
—Karl Popper (1902–1994)
“Power is, in nature, the essential measure of right. Nature suffers nothing to remain in her kingdoms which cannot help itself. The genesis and maturation of a planet, its poise and orbit, the bended tree recovering itself from the strong wind, the vital resources of every animal and vegetable, are demonstrations of the self-sufficing and therefore self-relying soul.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)