What are the most prominent attributes of God in Genesis 1 ("The Beginning") and Genesis 2 ("Adam and Eve")?

Almost all scholars of the Bible agree that Genesis 1:1-2:3 and Genesis 2:4 onward were written by two different authors and then placed together in the same book at a much later time. The two different authors present creation differently and also present God somewhat differently. They even refer to God with different names: the author of Genesis 1 uses the Hebrew word elohim, which simply means “God,” while the author of Genesis 2 uses God’s proper name Yahweh (which is often translated “LORD”).

The differences do not stop at the names of God, however. In Genesis 1, creation is presented as the triumph of order over chaos, and God is the creator of order. He operates according to a well-structured and well-thought-out plan, by which he creates the world and everything in it in six days and rests on the seventh. God in Genesis 1 is cosmic and all-powerful. He controls the whole universe, and he creates the world by merely speaking. After he has created it, he is pleased by what he has created.

To fully understand how the writer of Genesis 1 was portraying God, it is helpful to look at other ancient creation stories that the author may have read or known about, such as the Babylonian creation myth. Many scholars believe that the author of Genesis 1 is trying to show that the God of the Bible is much more powerful than Marduk, the chief god of Babylon. Marduk is also the champion of order over chaos, but in his case he must fight an epic battle with the monster Tiamat (who is also his grandmother) in order to create order in the world. In contrast, the God of Genesis 1 is completely supreme. There is no challenge to his kingship of the universe or his ability to dictate its events. 

In Genesis 2, God appears much more personal and local. He creates the man and personally commands him to take care of the garden, and not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (verses 7-17). His plan is not nearly as well-considered as that of Genesis 1, since he only thinks to make the woman after he sees that the man should not be alone (verses 18-24). This god is much more a god of the earth than a god of the cosmos. He is close and personal, rather than far-off and removed.