Genesis 1

The First Creation Account

¹In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

²The earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep and God’s Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.

³God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

⁴God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness.

⁵God called the light “day”, and the darkness he called “night”. There was evening and there was morning, the first day.

⁶God said, “Let there be an expanse in the middle of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”

⁷God made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.

⁸God called the expanse “sky”. There was evening and there was morning, a second day.

⁹God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear;” and it was so.

¹⁰God called the dry land “earth”, and the gathering together of the waters he called “seas”. God saw that it was good.

¹¹God said, “Let the earth yield grass, herbs yielding seeds, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with their seeds in it, on the earth;” and it was so.

¹²The earth yielded grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with their seeds in it, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.

¹³There was evening and there was morning, a third day.

¹⁴God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs to mark seasons, days, and years;

¹⁵and let them be for lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth;” and it was so.

¹⁶God 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.

¹⁷God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light to the earth,

¹⁸and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good.

¹⁹There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

²⁰God said, “Let the waters abound with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.”

²¹God 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.

²²God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”

²³There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

²⁴God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures after their kind, livestock, creeping things, and animals of the earth after their kind;” and it was so.

²⁵God made the animals of the earth after their kind, and the livestock after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind. God saw that it was good.

²⁶God said, “Let’s make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

²⁷God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.

²⁸God 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.”

²⁹God 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.

³⁰To 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.

³¹God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. There was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

Next Genesis 2

Genesis 1 presents the majestic account of God's creation of the universe in six days, establishing the fundamental biblical truth that God is the sovereign Creator of all things. The chapter follows a structured pattern where God speaks creation into existence, evaluates each work as good, and organizes the cosmos from formless chaos into ordered beauty. The narrative culminates with humanity being created in God's image, highlighting their unique role and relationship with the Creator.

Context

This opening chapter establishes the theological foundation for the entire biblical narrative, setting the stage for humanity's relationship with God that will unfold throughout Genesis and beyond.

Key Themes

Outline

1-2
The Beginning State God creates the heavens and earth, which initially exists in formless, dark chaos.
3-5
Day One: Light and Darkness God creates light, separates it from darkness, and establishes the cycle of day and night.
6-8
Day Two: Sky and Waters God creates an expanse to separate the waters above from the waters below.
9-13
Day Three: Land and Vegetation God separates land from seas and creates plants, grass, and fruit trees.
14-19
Day Four: Sun, Moon, and Stars God creates celestial bodies to govern day and night and mark seasons and time.
20-23
Day Five: Sea Creatures and Birds God creates marine life and birds, blessing them with the command to multiply.
24-31
Day Six: Land Animals and Humanity God creates land animals and humanity in His image, giving them dominion over creation.

The First Creation Account

1:1–1:31

narrative narration solemn

God creates the heavens and earth in six days, establishing order from chaos through divine speech. This foundational account establishes God's sovereignty over all creation.

quotation_chain

The Hebrew phrase "bara elohim" (God created) appears exclusively with God as subject throughout the Old Testament, distinguishing divine creation from human making or forming.

Insight Quotation Chain

The Hebrew phrase "bara elohim" (God created) appears exclusively with God as subject throughout the Old Testament, distinguishing divine creation from human making or forming.

Cross-References

Connected passages across Scripture

Genesis 1:2 2 references

Lexicals 2

Jeremiah 4:23 Lexical

I saw the earth and, behold, it was waste and void, and the heavens, and they had no light.

2 shared words

Isaiah 34:11 Lexical

But the pelican and the porcupine will possess it. The owl and the raven will dwell in it. He will stretch the line of c…

2 shared words

Genesis 1:5 5 references

Lexicals 5

Job 17:12 Lexical

They change the night into day, saying ‘The light is near’ in the presence of darkness.

Genesis 1

The First Creation Account

The First Creation Account

Insights

Cross-References

Genesis 1:2 2 references

Genesis 1:5 5 references

Genesis 1:6 1 reference

Genesis 1:8 5 references

Genesis 1:11 3 references

Genesis 1:12 2 references

Genesis 1:14 1 reference

Genesis 1:16 1 reference

Genesis 1:18 3 references

Genesis 1:20 5 references

Genesis 1:21 5 references

Genesis 1:22 5 references

Genesis 1:24 2 references

Genesis 1:25 4 references

Genesis 1:26 5 references

Genesis 1:27 2 references

Genesis 1:28 5 references

Genesis 1:29 2 references

Genesis 1:30 5 references

Interlinear