1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
1 In the beginning H7225 God H430 created H1254 H853 the heaven H8064 and H853 the earth. H776
2 And the earth H776 was H1961 without form, H8414 and void; H922 and darkness H2822 was upon the face H6440 of the deep. H8415 And the Spirit H7307 of God H430 moved H7363 upon H5921 the face H6440 of the waters. H4325
3 And God H430 said, H559 Let there be H1961 light: H216 and there was light. H216
4 And God H430 saw H7200 H853 the light, H216 that H3588 it was good: H2896 and God H430 divided H914 H996 the light H216 from H996 the darkness. H2822
5 And God H430 called H7121 the light H216 Day, H3117 and the darkness H2822 he called H7121 Night. H3915 And the evening H6153 and the morning H1242 were the first H259 day. H3117
6 And God H430 said, H559 Let there be a firmament H7549 in the midst H8432 of the waters, H4325 and let it divide H914 the waters H4325 from the waters. H4325
7 And God H430 made H6213 the firmament, H7549 and divided H914 the waters H4325 which H834 were under H8478 the firmament H7549 from the waters H4325 which H834 were above H5921 the firmament: H7549 and it was so. H3651
8 And God H430 called H7121 the firmament H7549 Heaven. H8064 And the evening H6153 and the morning H1242 were the second H8145 day. H3117
9 And God H430 said, H559 Let the waters H4325 under the heaven H8064 be gathered together H6960 unto H413 one H259 place, H4725 and let the dry H3004 land appear: H7200 and it was so.
10 And God H430 called H7121 the dry H3004 land Earth; H776 and the gathering together H4723 of the waters H4325 called H7121 he Seas: H3220 and God H430 saw H7200 that it was good. H2896
11 And God H430 said, H559 Let the earth H776 bring forth H1876 grass, H1877 the herb H6212 yielding H2232 seed, H2233 and the fruit H6529 tree H6086 yielding H6213 fruit H6529 after his kind, H4327 whose H834 seed H2233 is in itself, upon the earth: H776 and it was so.
12 And the earth H776 brought forth H3318 grass, H1877 and herb H6212 yielding H2232 seed H2233 after his kind, H4327 and the tree H6086 yielding H6213 fruit, H6529 whose seed H2233 was in itself, after his kind: H4327 and God H430 saw H7200 that it was good. H2896
13 And the evening H6153 and the morning H1242 were the third H7992 day. H3117
14 And God H430 said, H559 Let there be lights H3974 in the firmament H7549 of the heaven H8064 to divide H914 the day H3117 from the night; H3915 and let them be for signs, H226 and for seasons, H4150 and for days, H3117 and years: H8141
15 And let them be for lights H3974 in the firmament H7549 of the heaven H8064 to give light H215 upon the earth: H776 and it was so.
16 And God H430 made H6213 two H8147 great H1419 lights; H3974 the greater H1419 light H3974 to rule H4475 the day, H3117 and the lesser H6996 light H3974 to rule H4475 the night: H3915 he made the stars H3556 also.
17 And God H430 set H5414 them in the firmament H7549 of the heaven H8064 to give light H215 upon the earth, H776
18 And to rule H4910 over the day H3117 and over the night, H3915 and to divide H914 the light H216 from the darkness: H2822 and God H430 saw H7200 that it was good. H2896
19 And the evening H6153 and the morning H1242 were the fourth H7243 day. H3117
20 And God H430 said, H559 Let the waters H4325 bring forth abundantly H8317 the moving creature H8318 that hath H5315 life, H2416 and fowl H5775 that may fly H5774 above H5921 the earth H776 in the open H6440 firmament H7549 of heaven. H8064
21 And God H430 created H1254 great H1419 whales, H8577 and every living H2416 creature H5315 that moveth, H7430 which the waters H4325 brought forth abundantly, H8317 after their kind, H4327 and every winged H3671 fowl H5775 after his kind: H4327 and God H430 saw H7200 that it was good. H2896
22 And God H430 blessed H1288 them, saying, H559 Be fruitful, H6509 and multiply, H7235 and fill H4390 the waters H4325 in the seas, H3220 and let fowl H5775 multiply H7235 in the earth. H776
23 And the evening H6153 and the morning H1242 were the fifth H2549 day. H3117
24 And God H430 said, H559 Let the earth H776 bring forth H3318 the living H2416 creature H5315 after his kind, H4327 cattle, H929 and creeping thing, H7431 and beast H2416 of the earth H776 after his kind: H4327 and it was so.
25 And God H430 made H6213 the beast H2416 of the earth H776 after his kind, H4327 and cattle H929 after their kind, H4327 and every thing that creepeth H7431 upon the earth H127 after his kind: H4327 and God H430 saw H7200 that it was good. H2896
26 And God H430 said, H559 Let us make H6213 man H120 in our image, H6754 after our likeness: H1823 and let them have dominion H7287 over the fish H1710 of the sea, H3220 and over the fowl H5775 of the air, H8064 and over the cattle, H929 and over all the earth, H776 and over every creeping thing H7431 that creepeth H7430 upon the earth. H776
27 So God H430 created H1254 man H120 in his own image, H6754 in the image H6754 of God H430 created H1254 he him; male H2145 and female H5347 created H1254 he them.
28 And God H430 blessed H1288 them, and God H430 said H559 unto them, Be fruitful, H6509 and multiply, H7235 and replenish H4390 the earth, H776 and subdue it: H3533 and have dominion H7287 over the fish H1710 of the sea, H3220 and over the fowl H5775 of the air, H8064 and over every living thing H2416 that moveth H7430 upon the earth. H776
29 And God H430 said, H559 Behold, H2009 I have given H5414 you every herb H6212 bearing H2232 seed, H2233 which is upon the face H6440 of all the earth, H776 and every tree, H6086 in the which is the fruit H6529 of a tree H6086 yielding H2232 seed; H2233 to you it shall be H1961 for meat. H402
30 And to every beast H2416 of the earth, H776 and to every fowl H5775 of the air, H8064 and to every thing that creepeth H7430 upon the earth, H776 wherein there is life, H2416 H5315 I have given every green H3418 herb H6212 for meat: H402 and it was so.
31 And God H430 saw H7200 every thing that H834 he had made, H6213 and, behold, it was very H3966 good. H2896 And the evening H6153 and the morning H1242 were the sixth H8345 day. H3117
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.
9 And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
11 And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, `and' fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good.
13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years:
15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made the two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: `he made' the stars also.
17 And God set them in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth,
18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
19 And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
20 And God said, Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
21 And God created the great sea-monsters, and every living creature that moveth, wherewith the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind: and God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.
23 And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind, cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their kind: and it was so.
25 And God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the ground after its kind: and God saw that it was good.
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food:
30 and to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the heavens, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, `I have given' every green herb for food: and it was so.
31 And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
1 In the beginning of God's preparing the heavens and the earth --
2 the earth hath existed waste and void, and darkness `is' on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God fluttering on the face of the waters,
3 and God saith, `Let light be;' and light is.
4 And God seeth the light that `it is' good, and God separateth between the light and the darkness,
5 and God calleth to the light `Day,' and to the darkness He hath called `Night;' and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day one.
6 And God saith, `Let an expanse be in the midst of the waters, and let it be separating between waters and waters.'
7 And God maketh the expanse, and it separateth between the waters which `are' under the expanse, and the waters which `are' above the expanse: and it is so.
8 And God calleth to the expanse `Heavens;' and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day second.
9 And God saith, `Let the waters under the heavens be collected unto one place, and let the dry land be seen:' and it is so.
10 And God calleth to the dry land `Earth,' and to the collection of the waters He hath called `Seas;' and God seeth that `it is' good.
11 And God saith, `Let the earth yield tender grass, herb sowing seed, fruit-tree (whose seed `is' in itself) making fruit after its kind, on the earth:' and it is so.
12 And the earth bringeth forth tender grass, herb sowing seed after its kind, and tree making fruit (whose seed `is' in itself) after its kind; and God seeth that `it is' good;
13 and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day third.
14 And God saith, `Let luminaries be in the expanse of the heavens, to make a separation between the day and the night, then they have been for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years,
15 and they have been for luminaries in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth:' and it is so.
16 And God maketh the two great luminaries, the great luminary for the rule of the day, and the small luminary -- and the stars -- for the rule of the night;
17 and God giveth them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth,
18 and to rule over day and over night, and to make a separation between the light and the darkness; and God seeth that `it is' good;
19 and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day fourth.
20 And God saith, `Let the waters teem with the teeming living creature, and fowl let fly on the earth on the face of the expanse of the heavens.'
21 And God prepareth the great monsters, and every living creature that is creeping, which the waters have teemed with, after their kind, and every fowl with wing, after its kind, and God seeth that `it is' good.
22 And God blesseth them, saying, `Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and the fowl let multiply in the earth:'
23 and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day fifth.
24 And God saith, `Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after its kind:' and it is so.
25 And God maketh the beast of the earth after its kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, and God seeth that `it is' good.
26 And God saith, `Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the heavens, and over cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that is creeping on the earth.'
27 And God prepareth the man in His image; in the image of God He prepared him, a male and a female He prepared them.
28 And God blesseth them, and God saith to them, `Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the heavens, and over every living thing that is creeping upon the earth.'
29 And God saith, `Lo, I have given to you every herb sowing seed, which `is' upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which `is' the fruit of a tree sowing seed, to you it is for food;
30 and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the heavens, and to every creeping thing on the earth, in which `is' breath of life, every green herb `is' for food:' and it is so.
31 And God seeth all that He hath done, and lo, very good; and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day the sixth.
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 And the earth was waste and empty, and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light. And there was light.
4 And God saw the light that it was good; and God divided between the light and the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening, and there was morning -- the first day.
6 And God said, Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it be a division between waters and waters.
7 And God made the expanse, and divided between the waters that are under the expanse and the waters that are above the expanse; and it was so.
8 And God called the expanse Heavens. And there was evening, and there was morning -- a second day.
9 And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together to one place, and let the dry [land] appear. And it was so.
10 And God called the dry [land] Earth, and the gathering together of the waters he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
11 And God said, Let the earth cause grass to spring up, herb producing seed, fruit-trees yielding fruit after their kind, the seed of which is in them, on the earth. And it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, herb producing seed after its kind, and trees yielding fruit, the seed of which is in them, after their kind. And God saw that it was good.
13 And there was evening, and there was morning -- a third day.
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens, to divide between the day and the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years;
15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens, to give light on the earth. And it was so.
16 And God made the two great lights, the great light to rule the day, and the small light to rule the night, -- and the stars.
17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens, to give light on the earth,
18 and to rule during the day and during the night, and to divide between the light and the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
19 And there was evening, and there was morning -- a fourth day.
20 And God said, Let the waters swarm with swarms of living souls, and let fowl fly above the earth in the expanse of the heavens.
21 And God created the great sea monsters, and every living soul that moves with which the waters swarm, after their kind, and every winged fowl after its kind. And God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply on the earth.
23 And there was evening, and there was morning -- a fifth day.
24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth living souls after their kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth, after their kind. And it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the earth after its kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing of the ground after its kind. And God saw that it was good.
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over the whole earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth on the earth.
27 And God created Man in his image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over every animal that moveth on the earth.
29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb producing seed that is on the whole earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree producing seed: it shall be food for you;
30 and to every animal of the earth, and to every fowl of the heavens, and to everything that creepeth on the earth, in which is a living soul, every green herb for food. And it was so.
31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning -- the sixth day.
1 In the beginning God{After "God," the Hebrew has the two letters "Aleph Tav" (the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet) as a grammatical marker.} created the heavens and the earth.
2 Now the earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep. God's Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.
3 God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
4 God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness.
5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. There was evening and there was morning, one day.
6 God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters."
7 God made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse, and it was so.
8 God called the expanse sky. There was evening and there was morning, a second day.
9 God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear," and it was so.
10 God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters he called Seas. God saw that it was good.
11 God said, "Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with its seed in it, on the earth," and it was so.
12 The earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with its seed in it, after their kind: and God saw that it was good.
13 There was evening and there was morning, a third day.
14 God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years;
15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of sky to give light on the earth," and it was so.
16 God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He also made the stars.
17 God set them in the expanse of sky to give light to the earth,
18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good.
19 There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
20 God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of sky."
21 God created the large sea creatures, and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. God saw that it was good.
22 God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."
23 There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
24 God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind, cattle, creeping things, and animals of the earth after their kind," and it was so.
25 God made the animals of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind. God saw that it was good.
26 God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
27 God created man in his own image. In God's image he created him; male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them. God said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
29 God said, "Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food.
30 To every animal of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food." And it was so.
31 God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. There was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
1 At the first God made the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was waste and without form; and it was dark on the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God was moving on the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4 And God, looking on the light, saw that it was good: and God made a division between the light and the dark,
5 Naming the light, Day, and the dark, Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
6 And God said, Let there be a solid arch stretching over the waters, parting the waters from the waters.
7 And God made the arch for a division between the waters which were under the arch and those which were over it: and it was so.
8 And God gave the arch the name of Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven come together in one place, and let the dry land be seen: and it was so.
10 And God gave the dry land the name of Earth; and the waters together in their place were named Seas: and God saw that it was good.
11 And God said, Let grass come up on the earth, and plants producing seed, and fruit-trees giving fruit, in which is their seed, after their sort: and it was so.
12 And grass came up on the earth, and every plant producing seed of its sort, and every tree producing fruit, in which is its seed, of its sort: and God saw that it was good.
13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the arch of heaven, for a division between the day and the night, and let them be for signs, and for marking the changes of the year, and for days and for years:
15 And let them be for lights in the arch of heaven to give light on the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made the two great lights: the greater light to be the ruler of the day, and the smaller light to be the ruler of the night: and he made the stars.
17 And God put them in the arch of heaven, to give light on the earth;
18 To have rule over the day and the night, and for a division between the light and the dark: and God saw that it was good.
19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
20 And God said, Let the waters be full of living things, and let birds be in flight over the earth under the arch of heaven.
21 And God made great sea-beasts, and every sort of living and moving thing with which the waters were full, and every sort of winged bird: and God saw that it was good.
22 And God gave them his blessing, saying, Be fertile and have increase, making all the waters of the seas full, and let the birds be increased in the earth.
23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
24 And God said, Let the earth give birth to all sorts of living things, cattle and all things moving on the earth, and beasts of the earth after their sort: and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the earth after its sort, and the cattle after their sort, and everything moving on the face of the earth after its sort: and God saw that it was good.
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, like us: and let him have rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every living thing which goes flat on the earth.
27 And God made man in his image, in the image of God he made him: male and female he made them.
28 And God gave them his blessing and said to them, Be fertile and have increase, and make the earth full and be masters of it; be rulers over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing moving on the earth.
29 And God said, See, I have given you every plant producing seed, on the face of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit producing seed: they will be for your food:
30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the air and every living thing moving on the face of the earth I have given every green plant for food: and it was so.
31 And God saw everything which he had made and it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 1
Commentary on Genesis 1 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 1
Ge 1:1, 2. The Creation of Heaven and Earth.
1. In the beginning—a period of remote and unknown antiquity, hid in the depths of eternal ages; and so the phrase is used in Pr 8:22, 23.
God—the name of the Supreme Being, signifying in Hebrew, "Strong," "Mighty." It is expressive of omnipotent power; and by its use here in the plural form, is obscurely taught at the opening of the Bible, a doctrine clearly revealed in other parts of it, namely, that though God is one, there is a plurality of persons in the Godhead—Father, Son, and Spirit, who were engaged in the creative work (Pr 8:27; Joh 1:3, 10; Eph 3:9; Heb 1:2; Job 26:13).
created—not formed from any pre-existing materials, but made out of nothing.
the heaven and the earth—the universe. This first verse is a general introduction to the inspired volume, declaring the great and important truth that all things had a beginning; that nothing throughout the wide extent of nature existed from eternity, originated by chance, or from the skill of any inferior agent; but that the whole universe was produced by the creative power of God (Ac 17:24; Ro 11:36). After this preface, the narrative is confined to the earth.
2. the earth was without form and void—or in "confusion and emptiness," as the words are rendered in Isa 34:11. This globe, at some undescribed period, having been convulsed and broken up, was a dark and watery waste for ages perhaps, till out of this chaotic state, the present fabric of the world was made to arise.
the Spirit of God moved—literally, continued brooding over it, as a fowl does, when hatching eggs. The immediate agency of the Spirit, by working on the dead and discordant elements, combined, arranged, and ripened them into a state adapted for being the scene of a new creation. The account of this new creation properly begins at the end of this second verse; and the details of the process are described in the natural way an onlooker would have done, who beheld the changes that successively took place.
Ge 1:3-5. The First Day.
3. God said—This phrase, which occurs so repeatedly in the account means: willed, decreed, appointed; and the determining will of God was followed in every instance by an immediate result. Whether the sun was created at the same time with, or long before, the earth, the dense accumulation of fogs and vapors which enveloped the chaos had covered the globe with a settled gloom. But by the command of God, light was rendered visible; the thick murky clouds were dispersed, broken, or rarefied, and light diffused over the expanse of waters. The effect is described in the name "day," which in Hebrew signifies "warmth," "heat"; while the name "night" signifies a "rolling up," as night wraps all things in a shady mantle.
4. divided the light from darkness—refers to the alternation or succession of the one to the other, produced by the daily revolution of the earth round its axis.
5. first day—a natural day, as the mention of its two parts clearly determines; and Moses reckons, according to Oriental usage, from sunset to sunset, saying not day and night as we do, but evening and morning.
Ge 1:6-8. Second Day.
6. firmament—an expanse—a beating out as a plate of metal: a name given to the atmosphere from its appearing to an observer to be the vault of heaven, supporting the weight of the watery clouds. By the creation of an atmosphere, the lighter parts of the waters which overspread the earth's surface were drawn up and suspended in the visible heavens, while the larger and heavier mass remained below. The air was thus "in the midst of the waters," that is, separated them; and this being the apparent use of it, is the only one mentioned, although the atmosphere serves other uses, as a medium of life and light.
Ge 1:9-13. Third Day.
9. let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place—The world was to be rendered a terraqueous globe, and this was effected by a volcanic convulsion on its surface, the upheaving of some parts, the sinking of others, and the formation of vast hollows, into which the waters impetuously rushed, as is graphically described (Ps 104:6-9) [Hitchcock]. Thus a large part of the earth was left "dry land," and thus were formed oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers which, though each having its own bed, or channel, are all connected with the sea (Job 38:10; Ec 1:7).
11. let the earth bring forth—The bare soil was clothed with verdure, and it is noticeable that the trees, plants, and grasses—the three great divisions of the vegetable kingdom here mentioned—were not called into existence in the same way as the light and the air; they were made to grow, and they grew as they do still out of the ground—not, however, by the slow process of vegetation, but through the divine power, without rain, dew, or any process of labor—sprouting up and flourishing in a single day.
Ge 1:14-19. Fourth Day.
14. let there be lights in the firmament—The atmosphere being completely purified, the sun, moon, and stars were for the first time unveiled in all their glory in the cloudless sky; and they are described as "in the firmament" which to the eye they appear to be, though we know they are really at vast distances from it.
16. two great lights—In consequence of the day being reckoned as commencing at sunset—the moon, which would be seen first in the horizon, would appear "a great light," compared with the little twinkling stars; while its pale benign radiance would be eclipsed by the dazzling splendor of the sun; when his resplendent orb rose in the morning and gradually attained its meridian blaze of glory, it would appear "the greater light" that ruled the day. Both these lights may be said to be "made" on the fourth day—not created, indeed, for it is a different word that is here used, but constituted, appointed to the important and necessary office of serving as luminaries to the world, and regulating by their motions and their influence the progress and divisions of time.
Ge 1:20-23. Fifth Day. The signs of animal life appeared in the waters and in the air.
20. moving creature—all oviparous animals, both among the finny and the feathery tribes—remarkable for their rapid and prodigious increase.
fowl—means every flying thing: The word rendered "whales," includes also sharks, crocodiles, &c.; so that from the countless shoals of small fish to the great sea monsters, from the tiny insect to the king of birds, the waters and the air were suddenly made to swarm with creatures formed to live and sport in their respective elements.
Ge 1:24-31. Sixth Day. A farther advance was made by the creation of terrestrial animals, all the various species of which are included in three classes: (1) cattle, the herbivorous kind capable of labor or domestication.
24. beasts of the earth—(2) wild animals, whose ravenous natures were then kept in check, and (3) all the various forms of creeping things—from the huge reptiles to the insignificant caterpillars.
26. The last stage in the progress of creation being now reached—God said, Let us make man—words which show the peculiar importance of the work to be done, the formation of a creature, who was to be God's representative, clothed with authority and rule as visible head and monarch of the world. In our image, after our likeness—This was a peculiar distinction, the value attached to which appears in the words being twice mentioned. And in what did this image of God consist? Not in the erect form or features of man, not in his intellect, for the devil and his angels are, in this respect, far superior; not in his immortality, for he has not, like God, a past as well as a future eternity of being; but in the moral dispositions of his soul, commonly called original righteousness (Ec 7:29). As the new creation is only a restoration of this image, the history of the one throws light on the other; and we are informed that it is renewed after the image of God in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness (Col 3:10; Eph 4:24).
28. Be fruitful, &c.—The human race in every country and age has been the offspring of the first pair. Amid all the varieties found among men, some black, some copper-colored, others white, the researches of modern science lead to a conclusion, fully accordant with the sacred history, that they are all of one species and of one family (Ac 17:26). What power in the word of God! "He spake and it was done. He commanded and all things stood fast" [Ps 33:9]. "Great and manifold are thy works, Lord God Almighty! in wisdom hast thou made them all" [Ps 104:24]. We admire that wisdom, not only in the regular progress of creation, but in its perfect adaptation to the end. God is represented as pausing at every stage to look at His work. No wonder He contemplated it with complacency. Every object was in its right place, every vegetable process going on in season, every animal in its structure and instincts suited to its mode of life and its use in the economy of the world. He saw everything that He had made answering the plan which His eternal wisdom had conceived; and, "Behold it was very good" [Ge 1:31].