Genesis1
New International Version
1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
4God saw that the light was good, and he 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.
6And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.”
7So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so.
8God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
9And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so.
10God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
11Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.
12The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
13And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
14And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years,
15and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so.
16God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.
17God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth,
18to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.
19And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
20And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.”
21So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
22God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.”
23And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
24And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so.
25God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
26Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
28God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
29Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.
30And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Genesis 1.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: God creates heaven and earth. (1, 2). The creation of light. (3–5). God separates the earth from the waters, and makes it fruitful. (6–13). God forms the sun, moon, and stars. (14–19). Animals created. (20–25). Man created in the image of God. (26–28). Food appointed. (29, 30). The work of creation ended and approved. (31).
vv1-2
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. From what we see of heaven and earth, we learn the power of the great Creator. And let our make and place as men, remind us of our duty as Christians, always to keep heaven in our eye, and the earth under our feet. The Son of God, one with the Father, was with him when he made the world; nay, we are often told that the world was made by him, and nothing was made without him. Oh, what high thoughts should there be in our minds, of that great God whom we worship, and of that great Mediator in whose name we pray! And here, at the beginning of the sacred volume, we read of that Divine Spirit, whose work upon the heart of man is so often mentioned in other parts of the Bible. Observe, that at first there was nothing desirable to be seen, for the world was without form, and void; it was confusion, and emptiness. In like manner the work of grace in the soul is a new creation: and in a graceless soul, one that is not born again, there is disorder, confusion, and every evil work: it is empty of all good, for it is without God; it is dark, it is darkness itself: this is our condition by nature, till Almighty grace works a change in us.
vv3-5
God said, Let there be light; he willed it, and at once there was light. Oh, the power of the word of God! And in the new creation, the first thing that is wrought in the soul is light: the blessed Spirit works upon the will and affections by enlightening the understanding. Those who by sin were darkness, by grace become light in the Lord. Darkness would have been always upon fallen man, if the Son of God had not come and given us understanding, 1Jo 5:20. The light which God willed, he approved of. God divided the light from the darkness; for what fellowship has light with darkness? In heaven there is perfect light, and no darkness at all; in hell, utter darkness, and no gleam of light. The day and the night are the Lord's; let us use both to his honour, by working for him every day, and resting in him every night, meditating in his law both day and night.
vv6-13
The earth was emptiness, but by a word spoken, it became full of God's riches, and his they are still. Though the use of them is allowed to man, they are from God, and to his service and honour they must be used. The earth, at his command, brings forth grass, herbs, and fruits. God must have the glory of all the benefit we receive from the produce of the earth. If we have, through grace, an interest in Him who is the Fountain, we may rejoice in him when the streams of temporal mercies are dried up.
Key Words
רֵאשִׁית: the first, in place, time, order or rank (specifically, a firstfruit)
אֱלֹהִים: gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
בָּרָא: (absolutely) to create; (qualified) to cut down (a wood), select, feed (as formative processes)
שָׁמַיִם: the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve)
אֶרֶץ: the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
הָיָה: to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
תֹּהוּ: a desolation (of surface), i.e. desert; figuratively, a worthless thing; adverbially, in vain
בֹּהוּ: a vacuity, i.e. (superficially) an undistinguishable ruin
חֹשֶׁךְ: the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness
עַל: above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
Cross References
Genesis 1Identifies the Word (Jesus Christ) who was 'in the beginning' with God and created all things.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Directly links physical creation of light from darkness to spiritual illumination in the human heart.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Poetic expansion of God creating man slightly lower than angels and granting him dominion over all creatures.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Jesus quotes Gen 1:27 to establish the creation of humanity as male and female from the beginning.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Echoes creation by the Word of Jehovah and the breath/Spirit of His mouth.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Affirms that faith understands the worlds were framed by the word of God out of nothing.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Describes Wisdom present with God 'in the beginning' before the depths and earth were made.
Supported by JFB
Highlights the Spirit of God sent forth to create and renew the face of the earth.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Paul describes the renewal of the believer in knowledge after the image of Him who created him.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The new man is created in righteousness and true holiness, reflecting the original image of God.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Confirms God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Explicitly names Christ as Creator of all things in heaven and on earth.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Declares that God appointed His Son heir of all things, through whom He made the worlds.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Uses the exact Hebrew phrase 'without form, and void' (tohu va-bohu) to describe judgment.
Supported by JFB
Attributes the garnishing of the heavens to the immediate presence and agency of God's Spirit.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Poetically describes the geological process of waters fleeing and land rising at God's rebuke.
Supported by JFB
Describes God shutting up the sea with doors and setting its prescribed bounds.
Supported by JFB
Applies the dominion of Psalm 8 ultimately to Jesus Christ, the ideal Second Adam.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Establishes the penalty for murder based on man being made in the image of God.
Supported by Matthew Poole
God repeats the creation blessing to Noah and his sons after the flood to multiply and fill.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Paul proclaims God who made the world and all things therein to the Athenians.
Supported by JFB
Explains that God did not create the earth in vain ('tohu'), but formed it to be inhabited.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Celebrates the absolute authority of God's command: 'He spake, and it was done.'
Supported by Matthew Poole
Wisdom speaks of God giving the sea His decree that waters should not pass.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Celebrates Him who made great lights, the sun to rule by day, moon by night.
Supported by JFB
Reiterates the historical truth that God created man in the likeness of God.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The dread of man is placed on beasts, reflecting a post-fall continuation of dominion.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Warns against cursing people, who are made in the similitude of God.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Jesus references creation as male and female to teach on marriage permanence.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Affirms that everything created by God is good and to be received with thanksgiving.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Refers to spreading out the sky, which is strong as a molten looking glass.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Applies the 'after his kind' principle to God giving every seed its own body.
Supported by JFB
Warns Israel against worshiping the sun, moon, and stars, which are merely created lights.
Supported by JFB
Celebrates the manifold wisdom of God in creating sea creatures, including leviathan.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Provides the detailed narrative of the creation of woman from man's rib.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
God causes grass to grow for cattle and plants for man's cultivation.
Supported by Matthew Henry