Explain 9:2-3 then. Especially the word “now”.
Eating and Death are very deep topics.
Death entered the world post fall, long before the flood.
As we know, God made clothes for Adam and Eve, from the skins of animals, sacrificed for this purpose. This is indeed symbolic of how our sins would be covered by blood sacrifice. God could have just have easily used a plant to form a covering for Adam and Eve.
One would assume that Adam and Eve’s offspring also sacrificed animals for coverings (clothing’s) as well (that they did not go naked). Also, recall Abel’s sacrifice, where he separated the fat from the meat (implies mankind was eating meat). Let’s ignore that point for awhile.
Do you suppose post fall, that animals were all vegetarian as well? That they only became meat eaters after the flood?
Well, looking at it from your point of view, I can see your argument holds weight as well, so I must say that I can’t know (determine) for certain IF meat was eaten by animals or man pre-flood or not.
Also there is the issue of what is allowed vs what is practiced (in other words, even if God says they “can” eat mean now, does not imply that SOME men or animals did so before, against God’s law). The fact that Noah was righteous does not imply he was sinless...
Very interesting topic, and it keeps going, considering the “unclean” meats became clean after the ascension!