1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved on 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 middle 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 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 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, on 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 on 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 on 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 has 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 moves, 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 creeps on 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 creeps on 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 to 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 moves on the earth.

29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is on 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 creeps on 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.

"THE WORLD THAT THEN WAS" ( 2Pe 3:5, 2Pe 3:6). See Structure shown in Genesis Book comments. Creation in eternity past, to which all Fossils and "Remains" belong.

God. Hebrew. Elohim, plural. First occurrence connects it with creation, and denotes, by usage, the Creator in relation to His creatures. See App-4. The Hebrew accent Athnach places the emphasis, and gives pause, on "God" as being Himself the great worker, separating the Worker from His work.

created (singular) Occurs 6 times in this Introduction. Other acts 46 times. See App-5. Perfection implied. Deu 32:4. 2Sa 22:31. Job 38:7. Psalm 111; Psa 147:3-5. Pro 3:19. Ecc 3:11-14. [Even the Greek Cosmos = ornament. Exo 33:4-6. Isa 49:18. Jer 4:30. Eze 7:20. 1Pe 3:3.]

the heaven and the earth. With Hebrew Particle ’eth before each, emphasizing the article "the", and thus distinguishing both from Gen 2:1. "Heavens" in Hebrew, always in plural. See note on Deu 4:26.

And. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton (App-6), by which, in the 34 verses of this Introduction, each one of 102 separate acts are emphasized; and the important word "God" in Gen 1:1 is carried like a lamp through the whole of this Introduction ( Gen 1:1 Gen 2:3).

the earth. Figure of speech Anadiplosis. See App-6.

was = became. See Gen 2:7; Gen 4:3; Gen 9:15; Gen 19:26. Exo 32:1. Deu 27:9. 2Sa 7:24, &c. Also rendered came to pass Gen 4:14; Gen 22:1; Gen 23:1; Gen 27:1. Jos 4:1; Jos 5:1. 1Ki 13:32. Isa 14:24, &c. Also rendered be (in the sense of become) Gen 1:3, &c, and where the verb "to be" is not in italic type. Hence, Exo 3:1, kept = became keeper, quit = become men, &c. See App-7.

without form = waste. Hebrew. tohu va bohu. Figure of speech Paronomasia. App-6. Not created tohu ( Isa 45:18), but became tohu ( Gen 1:2. 2Pe 3:5, 2Pe 3:6). " An enemy hath done this" ( Mat 13:25, Mat 13:28, Mat 13:39. Compare 1Co 14:33.) See App-8.

was. This is in italic type, because no verb "to be" in Hebrew. (App-7). In like manner man became a ruin ( Genesis 3; Psa 14:1-3; Psa 51:5; Psa 53:1-3. Ecc 7:20. Rom 7:18).

face. Figure of speech Pleonasm. App-6.

the Spirit of God moved (see App-9) = The beginning of "the heavens and earth which are now" ( 2Pe 3:7). It is even so in the New Creation. The Spirit moves ( Joh 3:3-8. Rom 8:5, Rom 8:9, Rom 8:14. Gal 1:4, Gal 1:29. 2Co 5:17, 2Co 5:18).

deep; waters = Job 38:29-30

God said (occurs 10 times in Introduction). This begins each day: 3rd day twice; 6th day four times. The second act is also of God ( 1Pe 1:23-25). App-5.

be light = become light (as in Gen 1:2), not the verb "to be". Light not located till 4th day.

was = became, as in Gen 1:2. It is even so in the New Creation: His Word enters and gives light ( Psa 119:130. 2Co 4:6).

saw. Occurs 7 times in Introduction. App-5.

good = beautiful ( Ecc 3:11).

divided. Occurs twice. App-5. Each day’s work called "good", except the 2nd, because nothing created on that day: only division made.

called. Occurs 5 times. App-5.

evening . . . morning. Figure of speech Synecdoche (of the Part), App-6. Put for a full day. The beginning and end of anything is put for the whole of it. Compare Ecc 3:11; Ecc 10:13; Ecc 11:6. Psa 92:2. Isa 41:4; Isa 44:6; Isa 48:12. Rev 1:8, Rev 1:11, Rev 1:17; Rev 2:8; Rev 21:6; Rev 22:13.

first. For spiritual significance see App-10.

first day = day one. The word "day" may refer to a prolonged period when used without any qualifying words. But when qualified with a numeral (cardinal or ordinal) it is defined and limited by it to a day of 24 hours. It is further limited here by its boundaries "evening and morning", as well as by the 7th day. Compare Exo 20:9, Exo 20:11. See App-11.

firmament = expanse. Something spread out.

made. Occurs 7 times. App-5.

Heaven = Hebrew high, lofty.

after his kind. Occurs 10 times (verses: Gen 1:11, Gen 1:12, Gen 1:12, Gen 1:21, Gen 1:21, Gen 1:24, Gen 1:24, Gen 1:25, Gen 1:25, Gen 1:25). See App-10. Evolution has no answer to this.

seed is in itself. Hebrew. seeding seed. Figure of speech Polyptoton, App-6. First the herb, then seed. First tree, then fruit.

third day = day three.

lights. Hebrew. m’aor = lightholders or luminaries ( Exo 25:6; Exo 27:20; Exo 35:14, &c. Compare Gen 1:3).

signs. Hebrew. ’oth = things to come ( Jer 10:2).

seasons. Hebrew. mo’ed, appointed times (from y’ed, to appoint). Occurs only 3 more times in Genesis. See Gen 17:21; Gen 18:14; Gen 21:2.

two = the two.

the stars also. See App-12.

fourth day = day four. See note on Gen 1:5.

life = soul. Hebrew. nephesh, as in verses: Gen 1:21, Gen 1:24, Gen 1:30; Gen 2:7, Gen 2:19; Gen 9:4, Gen 9:5, Gen 9:5, Gen 9:10, Gen 9:12, Gen 9:15, Gen 9:16. Lev 11:46, &c. See App-13.

whales = great sea-creatures.

creature = soul. Hebrew. nephesh. Compare Gen 1:20 and App-13.

blessed. See on Gen 1:1. Note the threefold blessing at Creation ( Gen 1:22, Gen 1:28; Gen 2:3).

evening . . . morning. See on Gen 1:5

fifth. The No. of grace (App-10). No blessing till the 5th day, when there was living soul to bless. fifth day, or "day five". See note on Gen 1:5.

creature = soul. Hebrew. nephesh. See App-13.

Let us. The Divine purpose is here stated. The Divine act not described till Gen 2:7, Gen 2:21-24.

man. Hebrew. ’adam (no Art.) = mankind.

image . . . likeness. Figure of speech Hendiadys. App-6. One thing, not two = "In the likeness of our image", viz. of Elohim (not Jehovah), the 2nd person, who had taken creature form in order to create ( Col 1:15. Heb 1:3. Rev 3:14; compare Pro 8:22-31, and 1Co 11:3-11). Refers only to outward form, not to attributes. So He afterward took human form in order to redeem ( Joh 1:14). Compare Rev 4:11 with Rev 5:9. In any case the "image and likeness" is physical, not moral. Man fell and is a moral ruin, but some physical likeness to ’elohim still remains. Compare Gen 9:6. 1Co 11:7. Jas 3:9. No indication that that similitude was ever lost. Gen 5:3. See note on Gen 3:7.

and. Note Figure of speech Polysyndeton (App-6) here, and throughout the Introduction (see Gen 1:2), emphasizing the Divine purpose.

God. The Hebrew accent (Pasek) places the emphasis on God, the Carrier-out of His purpose.

created: i.e., when He did create. The description of the act postponed till Gen 2:7, Gen 2:21-24. See note on Gen 1:26. The Tosephta (contemporary with the Mishna, about A.D. 200) translate Sanhedrin, viii. 7: "Why was man created last? That the heretics might not say there was a companion with Him in the work": i.e. lest man should have claimed a share in it.

man. Here the Hebrew ’adam has the article, and the demonstrative Hebrew. ’eth, to indicate that the man Adam created in Gen 2:7 was the "man" here purposed.

own. Wrongly supplied by Authorized Version and Revised Version.

image. Figure of speech Anadiplosis (App-6) for emph.

him. Emphasized by Hebrew accent (Athnach).

them. Emph. Here, in purpose. But, Gen 2:7, Gen 2:21-24, in historical act and fact.

them. Emph. Figure of speech Prolepsis (App-6). The actual building of Eve not till Gen 2:20-23.

replenish = fill, as Gen 1:22 and nearly every occurrence.

have dominion. Compare Psalm 8. Heb 2:6-8. "But now . . . not yet. "

bearing seed . . . yielding seed. Heb, "seeding seed". Figure of speech Polyptoton (App-6) for emph.

for meat. Not flesh till after the Flood ( Gen 9:3).

life = soul. Hebrew. nephesh. Compare Gen 1:20; Gen 2:7 and App-18.

I have given. Figure of speech Ellipsis (App-6. a) correctly supplied from Gen 1:29.

the sixth day. Here, with Art. "the"; unlike the other five days. Six, the Number of man. See App-10.