Bible Studies

Genesis 1 Commentary

by Murray J Peat
01/21/20
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Genesis 1:1 – 2: 3

Commentary

Gen 1:1  In the beginning Elohiym created the Sky and the Land.

This is an introduction and summary of what follows. We know that because the sky and land aren't made until v8-10.  This chapter has nothing to say about the creation of our Planet which pre-existed this chapter. This chapter is about the creation of some land and sky for a particular group of people who will speak Hebrew. We know that from what follows and from passages in other places of scripture, including the New Testament.

Moses (an Israelite) wrote this history to give the people of Israel understanding of how Elohiym came to create their race and why. (Cf Exod 17:14 Elohiym commanded Moses to write about the war between Moses and Amalek.) Genesis is primarily the account of the “beginning” of a particular group of people and the land and seas which they would be a part of. Elohiym was the Elohiym of Israel because he brought these people into being. There are 2301 references to Israel in the bible and 345 references to Jacob. The Bible does not address the formation of others lands and peoples because it's not about them. Right through to Revelation 21, Israel is the focus. Jesus came to Israel and lived there throughout his life and stated, "I only came for the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Math 15:24)

“Elohiym” is the plural of god (El.) It means gods or great judges or supreme authorities. The bible doesn't tell us why Elohiym is in the plural. Most bibles translate Elohiym as God singular, though technically it would be Gods. I prefer to use the Hebrew word Elohiym rather than the English. After the account of the creation in 6 days, it says “Elohiym rested on the 7^th day” (Gen 2:2-3). This is followed by the summary statement once again in v4.

In Gen 2:5 we learn that the Elohiym are self-existent – “Yahweh Elohiym.” Yahweh (or Jehovah) means self-existent or 'I am.' There are 2247 Elohiym verses in the Old Testament of which 325 are in Psalms. Genesis chapters 2 and 3 specify Yahweh Elohiym. Then from Genesis chapter 4, Moses reverts to simply Elohiym again and only occasionally mentions Yahweh Elohiym (eg chapter Gen 24). Occasionally Moses refers to other “strange elohiym” whom they are not to follow, such as in Gen 35:2-4. Gen 46:3 says “I am El, the Elohiym (of your) father.” The New Testament Greek makes no distinction between El and Elohiym, calling them both Theos (God.)

When the New Testament talks about creation (Greek ktisis), it is referring to people not things. For example, Jesus said, “Preach the gospel to all creatures/creation” (Mark 16:15) and he meant people not things. Col 1:15 “Jesus is the firstborn of all creatures/creation.” (Not of things creation but people creation.)The Colossians 1 passage refers to people not to things as 'things' is not in the Greek. eg Col 1:16 “By Him were all created” (not all things created) and then Paul says whether they be thrones or dominions or powers etc showing this is only about people. So to Col 1:20 “by the cross to reconcile all to Himself.” That is, to reconcile people not things. Paul then says in Col 1:23 “the gospel which you heard which was preached to every creature under heaven.” Here Paul states that everyone who was to hear this gospel has heard it. This means that Jesus could return since the great commission had been fulfilled and so the end of the age could end in his generation. Peter too preached to Judeans "from every nation under heaven" in Acts 2:5 which shows that the nations Jesus commanded them to go to were only those nations which regularly came to Jerusalem for the festivals. In other words, only those nations where the children of Israel were living at that time.

We shall look at the meaning of sky (heaven) and land when we get to verse 8 since that's when they come into being. Suffice to say that v10 says that “Elohiym called the dry ground, Land.” So I will continue to use Land representing the dry ground not Earth (which though earth also means dry ground is confused by being associated with the planet Earth.)

Gen 1:2  And the land was without form and void, and darkness over the face of the deep watery abyss, and the Breath of Elohiym shook over the surface of the waters. 

The land was “tohu and bohu” in the Hebrew. Tohu variously means nothing, without form, vanity, wilderness. Bohu means to be empty, like a vacuum, void. So the land existed but not in its dry vegetated state. The rest of this verse suggests that it lay in the waters and Gen 1:9-10 will confirm this.

No light could get down to the bottom of the watery abyss nor to the land that lay there waiting to see the light of day. So the waters pre-existed the heaven and the land of v8-10. This shows us that our planet was already in existence. Furthermore we are going to see that the planet already exists because Day One is about to happen before he makes the sun appear in that sky and land that is yet to appear. A dusk and dawn need a planet to be revolving and it is and has been. Day One refers to the creation of the new sky/land about to be formed. Days already exist.

The fact that darkness began at the face (surface) of the water suggests that something lay over the surface – perhaps algae – Moses doesn't say. It was necessary for Elohiym to remove whatever prevented light from getting down.

Elohiym then blows his Breath (ru-akh) over the surface of the deep watery abyss. Ruach means wind or breath and comes from a root word meaning to blow a breath. The Greek equivalent is Pneuma (English pneumatic has its origin)also meaning wind or breath. I shall use Breath instead of Spirit in all instances of the Hebrew Breath of Elohiym and Greek Holy Breath.

When Elohiym spoke, Breath came out of his mouth, and his Word was carried on that Breath. These indicate the three – Holy Father, Holy Word (Son) and Holy Breath. After his resurrection, Jesus breathed on them (10 of His apostles) and said, “Receive the Holy Breath.” (John 20:22) (Judas and Thomas were not there.)

Gen 1:3  And Elohiym said, “Light exist” and light existed. 

Now we see the connection between the moving of theBreath of Elohiym in verse 2 and what Elohiym said in verse 3. As the Breath of Elohiym moved over the surface of the deep abyss, the Breath then spoke light to the depths.

Virtually every other reference of light in the bible is to sunlight and so it is here too. Is it a problem that Elohiym doesn't create the sun and moon until verse 16? No, because the sun and moon already exist for our planet but as yet they don't exist for the sky/land beneath the water. The sun and moon pre-existed Gen 1:1. As noted before, that's why Day One can happen before Elohiym brings the sun to the Land beneath the water.

Sunlight cannot reach the depths of some oceans and they are in perpetual darkness, scientists tell us. So how does Elohiym get sunlight down into the watery abyss? By His Breath. The wind of His Breath blew light down by agitating the water. (Perhaps he blew away the algae – the bible doesn't say.) Later he blew “a blast from his nostrils” (Exod 15:8) and caused a strong east wind that drew apart the waters of the Red Sea for the people of Israel to cross safely.

Gen 1:4  And Elohiym saw the light do good, and Elohiym separated the light from the darkness. 

Elohiym saw that the (sun) light had achieved its purpose of bringing light to the depths of the water. In future that land that lay buried beneath would experience the revolutions of the planet by the light and dark passing across it. As yet it couldn't see the sun and moon because the land still lay beneath the waters – but it could now at least experience the partial light.

Gen 1:5  And Elohiym called the light, "Day" and the darkness, "Night." And the dusk and the dawn were one day. 

For the people of the Land that were coming soon, Elohiym needed Hebrew words to describe these 2 phenomena and communicate with his new people in their Hebrew language so Elohiym called them "Yom" (Yome/Day) and "Layil Leyl Layelah" (Night.)

Thus Adam was to speak Hebrew and he was alive for 9 generations missing meeting Noah by one generation but alive for 59 years with Lamech (Noah's father.) The Hebrew language was thus carried through those generations. Noah likewise lived through 10 generations and lived concurrently with Abraham for 57 years. Abraham passed on the Hebrew language to his grandson Jacob whose name was also Israel.

Together the dusk and dawn comprised one day. It was the first day for the abyss below, which was to shortly bring out the new sky and land meant for the Hebrew speaking race that began with Adam, passed on through Noah and Abraham and Jacob-Israel and down to Jesus (Yeshua.) Adam was the first of that Hebrew-speaking race chosen and overseen by Yahweh Elohiym and Jesus was the last.

The age began with Adam and ended with Jesus. Jesus' generation would usher in a new creation on a New Land (with no sea) and Sky with a New Jerusalem where there would be no more sin or death. He would take the remnant of believers to this place to be where he and Elohiym lived. The old Land and Sky and Jerusalem would remain after its judgement and burning, but Elohiym's covenant would move to the New. The New Testament testifies to these matters.

Gen 1:6  And Elohiym said, “Expanse, exist in the centre of the waters, and separate the waters from the waters.” Gen 1:7 And Elohiym made the expanse, and separated the waters under the expanse from the waters above the expanse and it was so.

Elohiym spoke to the expanse and separated the waters by putting a huge oxygen-filled space in the water where there wasn't one before. The result was that Elohiym pushed up the waters (and perhaps the land beneath too) so that some water was now in the sky above (as clouds) and some beneath the sky (as sea.)

Gen 1:8  And Elohiym called the expanse, “Sky.” And the dusk and the dawn were a second day. 

The phrase Elohiym used for Sky was Shamayim Shameh. We know it is Sky and not Outer Space because there was water above the sky. Also the birds in Gen 1:26-30 flew in the sky (below the clouds.) “Moses stretched his rod towards the Sky and Yahweh sent thunder and hail” (Exod 9:23) hence the Sky is not in outer space. So the expanse lay between the clouds and the sea below.

Another day passed because the sun and moon already existed but were still unknown to the dry Land beneath the sea.

Gen 1:9  And Elohiym said, “Waters from under the Sky, gather together into one locality, and dry ground appear”, and it was so. 

Elohiym spoke to the waters under the Sky. All the remainder of the water that had been in the deep watery abyss now came together into one location, namely the ocean.

The dry ground now rises or comes out of the sea, perhaps as geological uplift, perhaps simply because the water ran off it to the ocean.

Gen 1:10  And Elohiym called the dry ground, “Land” and the gathering together of the waters, “Seas” and Elohiym saw good resulted. 

Finally the dry ground appears and Elohiym calls this Land (Eh-rets) (because it is dry) in contrast to the Seas (Yawm) which are not dry. There are over 1000 uses of Ehrets as Land in the Old Testament, particularly in reference to places like the Land (Ehrets) of Egypt and the Land (Ehrets) of Canaan, etc.

There is no justification for ever calling it Earth meaning planet Earth because the surface of our planet is mostly ocean. Scripture often uses Land in contrast to Sea. In Gen 8:7-8 it states that when the flood waters had abated they were “dried up off the Land” (not off the Earth) and “off the face of the soil.” This shows that Ehrets is not the planet because if the water had dried up off the planet, we would no longer have any oceans. Finally in Gen 8:14 “the Land was dried.” Noah was then instructed to “replenish the Land” (not the Sea because it didn't need replenishing) Gen 9:1.

Gen 1:11  And Elohiym said, “Land sprout grass, green plant bear seed, fruit tree yield fruit of its species which seed is on the Land;” and it was so. Gen 1:12  And the Land sprouted grass, green plants bore seed of its species, and the tree yielded fruit which was seed of its species; and Elohim saw good resulted. Gen 1:13  And dusk and dawn were the third day. 

On the 3^rd day Elohiym set about ensuring that grass, green plants and trees came forth on the new Land. Elohim didn't create these out of nothing. They were already in the soil for the Land sprouted these. Any new land given water, light, oxygen and soil will bring forth plant life. Elohim spoke that natural process into being and saw that it was all good.

Where did the seeds that were on the Land come from? From other lands that pre-existed this Land, swept by the waters into the abyss waiting for the right soil conditions to sprout life. When a new island came up out of the sea near Iceland several years ago, it was only a short time before it was covered in vegetation. Where did the vegetation come from? From seeds carried by the sea and buried long before in the soil waiting for that land to see the light of day.

The whole land of Auckland city (and province) where I live in New Zealand was once completed covered by sea to a depth of 3 kilometres. This was followed by land uplift and the oceans dropped, and dry land appeared and huge forests grew. How? Out of the seeds carried and planted formerly in the soil and rocks. Subsequently the oceans rose and the land was eroded down and where there were huge forests before for 200 kilometres out past Great Barrier Island, we now have ocean which we call the Hauraki Gulf. In parts of the Hauraki Gulf near the shore (eg at the west end of Takapuna Beach) you can see the petrified remains of a former forest.

So land goes up and comes down, and up and down, and seeds are carried so that the dry land is regenerated each time. Genesis is describing this natural process which Elohiym oversees by deciding when and where it happens. The Land of Genesis 1 is one such pocket of land. The land of Auckland province is another.

Gen 1:14  And Elohiym said, “Lights exist in the expanse of Sky to divide the day from the night; and exist for signs, seasons, days and years.”

Having brought the dry ground out into the sunlight, Elohiym states that the lights (sunlight, moonlight and starlight) through this new Sky would divide the day from the night, and indicate signs, seasons and times.

Gen 1:15  “Lights exist in the expanse of Sky to give light upon the Land” and it was so. Gen 1:16  And Elohiym made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night, also the stars. 

Elohim put the sunlight and moonlight in the Sky, along with the stars. It was their light that was in the Sky not their physical matter. (You can't fit the sun under the clouds) and it definitely states that the Sky was between the 2 bodies of water.

Gen 1:17  And Elohiym set them in the expanse of the Sky to give light upon the Land, Gen 1:18  And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and Elohiym saw good resulted. Gen 1:19  And the dusk and the dawn were the fourth day. 

Elohiym made sure it happened well.

Gen 1:20  And Elohiym said, “Waters abound with swarms of living creatures, and birds fly above the Land over the surface expanse of the Sky.” 

Elohiym told the waters to abound with life and the birds to fly in the lower portion of the Sky. The waters included the rivers and lakes.

Gen 1:21  And Elohiym created great marine creatures and every living creature that glided, which the waters abounded with after their kind, and every winged fowl after its kind: and Elohiym saw good resulted. 

Elohiym made sure it happened well.

Gen 1:22  And Elohiym blessed them saying, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters in the Seas, and let fowl multiply on the Land.” Gen 1:23  And the dusk and the dawn were the fifth day. 

Elohiym made sure it happened well. End of the 5^th day.

Gen 1:24  And Elohiym said, “Let the Land bring out living breathing animals after their species - cattle, reptiles and strong animals of the Land after their species: and it was so. Gen 1:25  And Elohiym made the strong animal of the Land after its species, and cattle after their species, and all reptiles upon the Land after their species: and Elohiym saw good resulted. 

Again it is from the Land that Elohim causes the 3 types of land animals to come, not out of nothing. The word for 'made' here is asah (aw-saw) meaning make or do or accomplish. Elohiym saw that it happened so that the Land was alive with animals.

Gen 1:26  And Elohiym said, “Make Adam (aw-dawm) in our resemblance, our shape, for dominion over the fish of the Sea, and over the birds of the Sky, and over the cattle and over all the Land, and over all reptiles that crawl on the Land.” 

The word for make is asah (aw-saw') meaning make or do or accomplish.

The word for resemblance is tselem (tseh'-lem) meaning to shade, or resemblance or image. The word for shape is demuth (dem-ooth') meaning in the shape or model of, resembling, or image. The Adam species would resemble Elohim would resemble Elohim,

Elohiym istranslated as plural in this verse in most bibles – "let us make" and "in our likeness." This shows that Elohiym are plural in being.

The word dominion is radah (raw-daw') meaning to tread down, to subjugate, to rule over and control. The chief task of the Adamic race was to govern the living creatures of their Land and Sky.

Gen 1:27  So Elohiym created Adam in his image, in the image of Elohiym created male and created female.  

The word for created is bara (baw-raw) meaning to create or select. Elohiym didn't create Adam out of the Land or Sea. Elohiym simply created them.

The word Adam (aw-dawm') means 'ruddy' or 'show blood red in the face.'

The word male is zakar (zaw-kawr') meaing to mark to be recognised and remembered. The word female is neqebah (nek-ay-baw') meaning to make a hole in (as to perforate a fabric.) It's possible that Elohiym are also male and female since he created them in their resemblance.

Gen 1:28  And Elohiym knelt and Elohiym said, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the Land, and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the Sea, and over the birds of the Sky, and over every reptile that moves on the Land.”  

The word knelt is barak (baw-rak') and means to kneel and to bless. Elohiym knelt down to Adam's level to bless them, and gave them the task of having kids and subjugating other creatures on their Land.

Elohiym told them to fill their Land so they were not to leave it nor go to other lands. This is why Adam and Noah were living on the same Land.

After the Flood (Gen 10:5), "the Land was subdivided into lands according to each family and nation." And why Yahweh Elohim eventually told Abram, "Leave the land (ehrets) of your father and go to a land (ehrets) that I will show you" (Gen 12:1) to the land of Canaan (Israel) (v5) where Noah's grandson Canaan had settled.

Noah's descendants lived in lands (ehrets) that stretched from the Persian Gulf (south Iraq) near Ur (where Abraham lived) to Sidon (Israel) to south-west Turkey to Ethiopia, and included the island of Cyprus. These people groups became nations (goy goy) in those lands.

Gen 1:29  And Elohiym said, “Behold, I have given you every green plant bearing seed, which is on the surface of all the Land, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; to you it shall be for food. 

The Adams wee to eat grains and fruit off the Land.

Gen 1:30  And to every animal of the Land, and to every bird of the Sky, and to all that crawls upon the Land, wherein there is life, I have given every yellowy plants for food” and it was so. 

Other Land creatures were to eat other plants that the Adams didn't eat.

Gen 1:31  And Elohiym saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And the dusk and dawn were the 6th day. 

The word for 'made' here is asah (aw-saw) meaning make or do or accomplish. Elohiym has accomplished all that was planned and has completed it in 6 days.

Gen 2:1  And the Sky and the Land were accomplished, and all the mass.

The mass means mass of people.

Gen 2:2  And on the 7th day Elohiym ended His work which He had made. And He rested on the 7th day from all His work which He had made. Gen 2:3  And Elohiym blessed the 7th day and made it (morally) clean, because He had rested from all His work which Elohiym created and made.

The 7^th day of the week (which later came to be called Saturday in English) was made morally clean (qadash) by Elohiym. Later he would command his people Israel to honour Him on this day by resting on it from their work as he had done. Jesus commanded His followers to keep the commandments (Math 5:19.) Jesus said to his apostles that when they saw Jerusalem surrounded to flee into the hills and to "pray this would not be on a Sabbath day" (Math 24:20.) This is how we know that the 7^th day Sabbath continued on after His resurrection and ascension.

The 1^st day of the week (Sunday) was the day Elohiym began his new creation. The 1^st day of the week was the day Jesus rose as a new creation from the dead. Both days had special significance -the 1^st day for the start of the new creations; the 7^th day sabbath rest to honour Elohiym's creation rest.