CreationAccount
Genesis 1:1–31 (NASB95) – The Creation
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
4 God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.
5 God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
6 Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”
7 God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.
8 God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.
9 Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so.
10 God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good.
11 Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them”; and it was so.
12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.
13 There was evening and there was morning, a third day.
14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate 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 the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so.
16 God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.
17 God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,
18 and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.
19 There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
20 Then God said, “Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.”
21 God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and 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 Then 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 God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule 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 the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
29 Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;
30 and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so.
31 God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Genesis 1:1-2(ESV)
1In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
2The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
“In the beginning” –
“to bring into existence, to cause something to be,”
“The earth was without form and void,”
(a) as two separate descriptive terms connected by “and”; for example, “void and vacant” (Mft), “unformed and void” (niv), “waste and gloomy” (gecl);
(b) as a main word with an added descriptive term; for example, “a great emptiness” (frcl), “formless void” (njb), “formless wasteland” (nab), “formless waste” (Speiser), and “had no form” (spcl).[1]
“..darkness was over the face of the deep.”
A formless waste….
“..the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters”
That God was giving it His attention… “hovering” “moving” – about over the face of the earth…
Day 1
Genesis 1:3(ESV)
3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
God spoke or God commanded the ‘light’ to appear!
Genesis 1:4& 5(ESV)
4And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
God was pleased! God was showing the ‘light’ was a good thing. He took pleasure in ‘light’.
Separated the light by giving night and day. We now have light in some places and a darkness in other places on the earth.
The use of an evening and a morning to signify one day. (The Jews started the new day at sun down.)
Stating the end of the 1st day had occurred….
Day 2
Genesis 1:6-8(ESV)
6And God said, “Let there be an expanse£ in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”
7And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so.
8And God called the expanse Heaven.£ And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
“Let there be an expanse” – or firmament in some translations – refers to the parallel of the heavens.
Note: Earth as “firmament” used as the Hebrew sense…. And “Heaven” as sky….
Ezekiel 1:22 (NASB95)- Vision of Divine Glory
22 Now over the heads of the living beings there was something like an expanse, like the awesome gleam of crystal, spread out over their heads.
Ezekiel 1:22(ESV)
22Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads.
God explains “expanse” or “firmament” In Verse 8: “And God called the expanse Heaven”
The purpose is stated to separate the waters above…..” and let it separate the waters from the waters.”
Day 3
Verses 9–13 describe the events in the creation of seas, dry land, and vegetation
Genesis 1:9-13(ESV)
9And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so.
10God called the dry land Earth,£ and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
11And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants£ yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so.
12The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
13And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
V. 9 “Let the waters …gather together into one place… let the dry land appear….”
V.10 – can call the dry land “Earth” and the water as “seas”
V.11 –Let the earth put forth vegetation:
Vegetation would be all the things that have leaves or all the green things that grow. There are two major division of those yielding seed and those bearing fruit with the seed in the fruit.
Plant classifications have been greatly increased today, but for then it was the two basic groups. It still means that the earth can grow many different kinds of trees, grasses, and food plants. Still they are ‘according to its kind’.
God saw it was GOOD!
Day 4
Verses 14–19 describe events of the fourth day with the creation of the sun, moon, and stars; however, the words “sun” and “moon” are avoided.
Genesis 1:14-19(ESV)
14And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons,£ and for days and years,
15and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so.
16And God made£ the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars.
17And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,
18to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
19And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
Lights (sun, moon and stars) – signs for seasons – for days and years – in the expanse to rule the day or night.
The Jewish history was filled with events around the ‘seasons’ and would match the creation and God’s plan.
Day 5
The fifth day of creation brings into existence water creatures and birds.
Genesis 1:20-23(ESV)
20And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds£ fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.”
21So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
22And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”
23And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
Created the sea animals – every kind of fish and animal that lives in the water – everything that swims or moves in the water – covers the entire group of animals that live in the water.
He created the Birds that fly above the earth – every winged bird according to its kind.
V. 22 – first time “And God bless them” – be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters and earth….
Day 6
The living things on the earth… and mankind….
Genesis 1:24-31(ESV)
24And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so.
25And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
26Then 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 livestock 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 he created him; male and female he created them.
28And 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 birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
29And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.
30And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
God created the beasts of the earth and creeping things of the earth. Then he creates man in His image…. Himself and his heavenly court. (Some view it as the concept of the ‘trinity’.) However, the context would support speaking with His heavenly host.
In verse 28 where God speaks about “MAN” and blessed them. That blessing told them to go forth and reproduce – to fill the earth and subdue it…
Man created in our image – Man given power and dominion over the fish – birds – every living thing that moves on the earth….
God created Man and Women according to their kind.
God gives Man and Women everything on the earth for them. “all the plants that produce food in the ground, and all those that produce food above [the ground]”
God provided for the Man and Woman He created….
Then God said it was VERY good, not just ‘good’ as previously….”31And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”
[1] Reyburn, W. D., & Fry, E. M. (1998). A handbook on Genesis (p. 30). New York: United Bible Societies.