[shubi]

"Why can't all of Gen 2 be one day?"

Up until about verse 5, the first section of Gen 2 refers back to the 7 yoms of creation. After that, it starts into the Adam and Eve narrative, which is a separate creation story from Gen 1 to Gen 2:4. Much of the Genesis 2 narrative is drawn from earlier pagan stories.

This would have been a good way to make people comfortable culturally, when instructing them in a new religion. Paul did the same thing with the unknown god.

[derheimwill]

Hebrew poetry often does this. Take as example the story of Bathsheeba. The story is preceded by a summary description of a period of wartime. But the Bathsheeba events happen during the war. Gen 1:1 gives an overall summary - kind of like a title. Then, more detail is given in the seven-day-story. All of this is then backdrop for the Eden description. 2:4 is not an event. The Eden description end with the description of Adam and Eve. Then, in chapter 3, we beging moving in time again with the story of the Fall. The yom you spoke of in verse 4 is actually a b-yom: in that day.