Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

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What does Genesis 1:1 mean?

The first verse of the Bible gives us a satisfying and useful account of the origin of the earth and the heavens. The faith of humble Christians understands this better than the fancy of the most learned men.

Key themes

FaithHopeHumilityCreation

Read with

Keep this verse inside Genesis 1:1-2 and alongside a few nearby related passages.

Genesis 1:2 Hebrews 11:1 Romans 10:17 Romans 8:24

Commentary on Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. - Section I-- The Creation - The Absolute Creation reshyt, the "head-part, beginning" of a thing, in point of time Genesis 10:10 , or value Proverbs 1:7 . Its opposite is 'acharyth Isaiah 46:10 . re'shyth, "in the beginning," is always used in reference to time. Here only is it taken absolutely. bara', "create, give being to something new." It always has God for its subject. Its object may be anything: matter Genesis 1:1 ; animal life Genesis 1:21 ; spiritual life Genesis 1:27 . Hence, creation is not confined to a single point of time.

Key words

the earth: the earth. 3.
The heavens: The heavens. 4.
The heavens: The heavens. 5.

Context in Genesis 1

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Genesis 1 belongs to the opening movement of the book, especially the section often described as primeval history from creation to Babel. Genesis opens the whole Bible with creation, fall, flood, Babel, and the long patriarchal story that carries the reader from Eden to Egypt. Read this chapter with the wider themes of creation, fall, and covenant in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

creationfallcovenantpromise