Did animals start eating meat after the fall of man?

Question:

Thank you for the wonderful and comprehensive website with so much Bible-based information.  I'm reading it daily and learning so much. Many thanks.

One question comes to mind that I did not find an answer to, although the Bible does mention that the first animals in creation ate the grasses of the field.  Were all creatures grass-eating animals before the fall of man and then, as a result of the fall, all creation was subject to sin and evil, including animals who became flesh eaters and to this day still stalk and kill each other for food?  Although this is naive, then how would all survive, and would any of them eventually die just of old age? I believe it is understood that Adam and Eve would have eventually died physically, but because of their disobedience died spiritually.

Thank you for your view.

Answer:

At the creation all animals and man were herbivores. "Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so" (Genesis 1:29-30).

The change came after the Flood, not after the fall of man. "The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given.  Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant" (Genesis 9:2-3). While animal diets are not specifically mentioned, it is assumed that theirs changed at this time as well.

Nothing states that the rest of the creation was directly impacted by Adam and Eve's sin other than the mention of weeds. "Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you will eat the plants of the field; by the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return" (Genesis 3:17-19).

Print Friendly, PDF & Email