Why do the first two chapters of Genesis give two very different accounts of creation?

A sceptical approach is to say that they are contradictory, and therefore neither can be relied on as divinely inspired.

Among believers, an attempt is quite often made to fit the two together by making the account in chapter 2 part of the events of Day 6 as recorded in chapter 1.

Another approach is to regard the narrative in chapter 2 as introductory to the longer narrative about the Fall:

‘Many writers have sought to find a second creation story in Gn. 2 which is said to have a different chronological order from that in Gn. 1. Such a view is not necessary if we regard Gn. 2 as part of the fuller narrative Gn. 2 and 3, in which Gn. 2 merely forms an introduction to the temptation story, and provides the setting without any attempt to give a creation story, and certainly not to give any sort of chronological sequence of events.’ (NBD)

Asked ‘Why are there two creation stories’ John Goldingay replies:

‘For the same reason as there are two versions of the story of the monarchy and four Gospels.  An important story needs telling more than once so you can see what it says in different contexts for different sorts of people.’ (Student Questions on the Pentateuch, online)

Quite compelling is the argument that Gen 1:1 – 2:3 forms the prologue to the entire book of Genesis, with the rest of chapter 2 beginning the account of what became of that original creation.

(Source)

Seen this way,

‘What may seem like two disjointed creation narratives turns out to be a strategic arrangement serving the book as a whole.

‘The fact that God inspired the text in such a way that these two distinct creation accounts appear side by side strongly indicates that the chronology of creation is not the main focus of these texts. Together, they give us a fuller theological picture of God’s work in creation.’

Enns and Byas (Genesis For Normal People) espouse the view that Genesis 2 is the older account, dating back to the monarchy and telling the story of Israel through the lens of Adam and Eve.  Genesis 1, although less ancient, serves as the ‘grand introduction’: the Godof Israel is the creator of all things, the great chaos-tamer.