Topical Encyclopedia
In the context of the Bible, the concept of "species" as understood in modern biological taxonomy is not explicitly addressed. However, the Scriptures do provide insights into the diversity of living creatures, their creation, and their roles within God's creation.
Creation and DiversityThe Book of Genesis provides the foundational account of the creation of living beings.
Genesis 1:11-12 states, "Then God said, 'Let the earth bring forth vegetation, seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, each bearing fruit with seed according to its kind.' And it was so. The earth produced vegetation, seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good." This passage introduces the concept of "kinds," which can be understood as a biblical precursor to the modern idea of species, emphasizing the distinct and ordered creation of life forms.
Further,
Genesis 1:20-25 describes the creation of animals: "And God said, 'Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.' So God created the great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters teemed, according to their kinds, and every bird of flight according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, 'Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.' And it was so." This passage highlights the diversity and orderliness of God's creation, with each creature made according to its kind.
Dominion and StewardshipThe Bible also speaks to humanity's relationship with the various species of the earth.
Genesis 1:26-28 states, "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.' So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and 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.'" This passage establishes humanity's role as stewards of God's creation, tasked with the responsibility to care for and manage the earth and its creatures.
The Fall and Its ImpactThe fall of man, as described in
Genesis 3, brought about significant changes to the natural world.
Romans 8:20-22 reflects on the impact of sin on creation: "For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time." This passage suggests that the fall introduced a state of corruption and decay affecting all species, awaiting redemption.
Symbolism and LessonsThroughout the Bible, various species are used symbolically to convey spiritual truths. For example, the lion often represents strength and majesty (
Proverbs 30:30), while the lamb symbolizes innocence and sacrifice, most notably in reference to Jesus Christ as the "Lamb of God" (
John 1:29). The ant is used as an example of diligence and wisdom in
Proverbs 6:6-8 : "Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways and be wise. Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food at harvest."
ConclusionThe Bible, while not a scientific text, provides a framework for understanding the diversity and purpose of species within God's creation. It emphasizes the order, intentionality, and beauty of the natural world, as well as humanity's responsibility to steward it wisely.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A biological grouping of similar organisms able to breed among themselves; a conception subordinated to another conception, called a genus, or generic conception, from which it differs in containing or comprehending more attributes, and extending to fewer individuals. Thus, man is a species, under animal as a genus; and man, in its turn, may be regarded as a genus with respect to European, American, or the like, as species.
2. (n.) Visible or sensible presentation; appearance; a sensible percept received by the imagination; an image.
3. (n.) In science, a more or less permanent group of existing things or beings, associated according to attributes, or properties determined by scientific observation.
4. (n.) A sort; a kind; a variety; as, a species of low cunning; a species of generosity; a species of cloth.
5. (n.) Coin, or coined silver, gold, or other metal, used as a circulating medium; specie.
6. (n.) A public spectacle or exhibition.
7. (n.) A component part of compound medicine; a simple.
8. (n.) An officinal mixture or compound powder of any kind; esp., one used for making an aromatic tea or tisane; a tea mixture.
9. (n.) The form or shape given to materials; fashion or shape; form; figure.
Greek
1040. bussos -- byssus (aspecies of flax), also (the) linen (made...... byssus (a
species of flax), also (the) linen (made from it). Part of Speech: Noun,
Feminine Transliteration: bussos Phonetic Spelling: (boos'-sos) Short
...1491. eidos -- appearance, fashion, shape, sight.
... Spelling: (i'-dos) Short Definition: visible form, shape, appearance, kind Definition:
visible form, shape, appearance, outward show, kind,species, class....
1016. bous -- an ox, a cow
... ox. Probably from the base of bosko; an ox (as grazing), ie An animal of thatspecies
("beef") -- ox. see GREEK bosko. (boas) -- 2 Occurrences....
5449. phusis -- nature
... Origin from phuo Definition nature NASB Word Usage instinctively (1), natural (1),
natural* (1), nature (7), physically (1), race (1),species (1), unnatural...
4807. sukaminos -- the mulberry tree, the sycamine
... Luke the (see at Lk 17:6). [4807 () then seems to be a distinctspecies
from 4809 ().]. 4807 ("mulberry tree") is deciduous, yields...
Strong's Hebrew
4327. min -- kind,species... kind,
species. Transliteration: min Phonetic Spelling: (meen) Short Definition:
kind.
... From an unused root meaning to portion out; a sort, ie
Species -- kind.
...3581a. koach -- a small reptile (of unknownspecies)
koach or koach. 3581, 3581a. koach or koach. 3581b . a small reptile (of unknown
species). Transliteration: koach or koach Short Definition: crocodile....
8321a. soreq -- (choicespecies of) the vine
... 8321, 8321a. soreq. 8321b . (choicespecies of) the vine. Transliteration:
soreq Short Definition: vine. Word Origin from the same...
3581. koach -- a small reptile (of unknownspecies)
... 3580, 3581. koach. 3581a . a small reptile (of unknownspecies). Transliteration:
koach Phonetic Spelling: (ko'-akh) Short Definition: ability....
8321. soreq -- (choicespecies of) the vine
... 8320, 8321. soreq. 8321a . (choicespecies of) the vine. Transliteration: soreq
Phonetic Spelling: (so-rake') Short Definition: choicest. choicest, noble wine...
8227. shaphan -- hyrax
... coney; aspecies of rock-rabbit From saphan; aspecies of rock-rabbit (from its
hiding), ie Probably the hyrax -- coney. see HEBREW saphan. 8226, 8227....
6632. tsab -- a litter
... From an unused root meaning to establish; a palanquin or canopy (as a fixture);
also aspecies of lizard (probably as clinging fast) -- covered, litter...
8377. teo -- antelope
... wild bull ox. And towt (the original form) {toh}; from ta'ah; aspecies of antelope
(probably from the white stripe on the cheek) -- wild bull (ox)....
8645. tirzah -- (a tree) perhaps cypress
... cypress. Probably from razah; aspecies of tree (apparently from its slenderness),
perhaps the cypress -- cypress. see HEBREW razah. 8644, 8645. tirzah. 8646...
8464. tachmas -- male ostrich
... disease, grievous, that are sickness. From chamac; aspecies of unclean bird (from
its violence), perhaps an owl -- night hawk. see HEBREW chamac. 8463, 8464...
Library
Whether the Angels Differ inSpecies?
... TREATISE ON THE ANGELS (QQ -64)OF THE SUBSTANCE OF THE ANGELS ABSOLUTELY CONSIDERED
(FIVE ARTICLES) Whether the angels differ inspecies?...
Whether the Soul is of the SameSpecies as an Angel?
... TREATISE ON MAN (QQ -102)OF MAN WHO IS COMPOSED OF A SPIRITUAL AND A CORPOREAL
SUBSTANCE: AND IN THE Whether the soul is of the samespecies as an angel?...
Whether the SacramentalSpecies are Broken in this Sacrament?
... OF THE ACCIDENTS WHICH REMAIN IN THIS SACRAMENT (EIGHT ARTICLES) Whether the
sacramentalspecies are broken in this sacrament? Objection...
Whether theSpecies Derived from the End is Contained under the...
... OF THE GOOD AND EVIL OF HUMAN ACTS, IN GENERAL (ELEVEN ARTICLES) Whether thespecies
derived from the end is contained under thespecies derived from the object...
Species is Produced bySpecies in Succession.
... Book XI. Chapter 9."Species is Produced bySpecies in Succession. 16.
In this arrangement, then, while we begin from the bodily...
Whether Heresy is aSpecies of Unbelief?
... OF HERESY (FOUR ARTICLES) Whether heresy is aspecies of unbelief? Objection
1: It would seem that heresy is not aspecies of unbelief....
Whether the IntelligibleSpecies are Derived by the Soul from...
... HOW THE SOUL WHILE UNITED TO THE BODY UNDERSTANDS CORPOREAL THINGS BENEATH IT (EIGHT
ARTICLES) Whether the intelligiblespecies are derived by the soul from...
The Origin ofSpecies.
... XII. THE ORIGIN OFSPECIES. Mr. Darwin's long-standing and well-earned
scientific eminence probably renders him indifferent to that...
Whether Sacrilege Can be aSpecies of Lust?
... OF THE PARTS OF LUST (TWELVE ARTICLES) Whether sacrilege can be aspecies of lust?
Objection 1: It would seem that sacrilege cannot be aspecies of lust....
Whether theSpecies of Sacrilege are Distinguished According to...
... OF SACRILEGE (FOUR ARTICLES) Whether thespecies of sacrilege are
distinguished according to the sacred things? Objection 1: It...
Thesaurus
Species (1 Occurrence)... Thus, man is a
species, under animal as a genus; and man, in its turn, may be regarded
as a genus with respect to European, American, or the like, as
species.
...Sheep (413 Occurrences)
... Are of different varieties. Probably the flocks of Abraham and Isaac were of the
wildspecies found still in the mountain regions of Persia and Kurdistan....
Acacia (28 Occurrences)
... Its wood is called shittim wood (Exodus 26:15, 26; 25:10, 13, 23, 28, etc.). This
species (A. seyal) is like the hawthorn, a gnarled and thorny tree....
Wormwood (10 Occurrences)
... The name by which the Greeks designated it, absinthion, means "undrinkable." The
absinthe of France is distilled from aspecies of this plant....
Wolf (4 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (a.) Any one of severalspecies of wild and savage
carnivores belonging to the genus Canis and closely allied to the common dog....
Turtledove (5 Occurrences)
... Threespecies are found in Palestine, (1) the turtle-dove (Turtur auritus), (2)
the collared turtle (T. risorius), and (3) the palm turtle (T. Senegalensis)....
Tamarisk (5 Occurrences)
... asal. Sevenspecies of this tree are found in Palestine.... (n.) Any shrub or tree of
the genus Tamarix, thespecies of which are European and Asiatic....
Snail (2 Occurrences)
... 11:30). This was probably the sand-lizard, of which there are manyspecies
in the wilderness of Judea and the Sinai peninsula. (2...
Serpent (40 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary (Hebrews nahash; Gr. ophis), frequently noticed in
Scripture. More than fortyspecies are found in Syria and Arabia....
Ass (95 Occurrences)
... Of the domesticatedspecies we read of,.... (Matthew 21:5, RV). Of wild asses twospecies
are noticed, (1) that called in Hebrew 'arod, mentioned Job 39:5 and Dan....
Resources
How did Noah fit all the animals on the Ark? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the theory of punctuated equilibrium? | GotQuestions.orgHow does the fact that human beings possess some Neanderthal DNA impact creationism? | GotQuestions.orgSpecies: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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