בְּרֵשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ 1:1
Gene. 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth,
This may not be obvious to the casual reader, but this verse and the next are introductory to the remainder of this chapter. A style that is repeated often throughout much of the bible, it offers one or two verses to provide a summary statement and that may set initial conditions. Following this, we encounter statements to complete the picture in more detail. Recognizing this style is requisite to understanding that the process of Creation actually begins with v. 1:3.
וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁך עַל־פְּנֵי תְהוֹם וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל־פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם 1:2
Gene. 1:2 and the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the water.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי־אוֹר 1:3
Gene. 1:3 Then God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light.
וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאוֹר כִּי טוֹב וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹהִים בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ 1:4
Gene. 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good. Then God made a distinction between the light and the dark.
וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לָאוֹר יוֹם וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ קָרָא לָיְלָה וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יוֹם אֶחָד 1:5
Gene. 1:5 And God called the light day and He called the dark night, so it was evening and it was morning, period one.
The Hebrew word yom (next-to-last word), most often translated as “day,” I translate as one of its many meanings related to elapsed time, namely “period,” because the “day” has not yet been created.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי רָקִיעַ בְּתוֹךְ הַמָּיִם וִיהִי מַבְדִּיל בֵּין מַיִם לָמָיִם 1:6
Gene. 1:6 Then God said, “Let a firmament exist in the midst of the water, that it be a distinction between waters and waters.”
וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָרָקִיעַ וַיַּבְדֵּל בֵּין הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר מִתַּחַת לָרָקִיעַ וּבֵין הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר מֵעַל לָרָקִיעַ 1:7
וַיְהִי־כֵן
Gene. 1:7 Thus God made the firmament and divided the water that was beneath the firmament from the water that was beyond the firmament, and it was so.
וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לָרָקִיעַ שָׁמָיִם וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יוֹם שֵׁנִי 1:8
Gene. 1:8 And God called the firmament heaven. And it was evening and it was morning, period two.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יִקָּווּ הַמַּיִם מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמַיִם אֶל־מָקוֹם אֶחָד וְתֵרָאֶה הַיַּבָּשָׁה וַיְהִי־כֵן 1:9
Gene. 1:9 And God said, “Let the water beneath the heaven be gathered in one place and let the dry land appear.” And it was so.
וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לַיַּבָּשָׁה אֶרֶץ וּלְמִקְוֵה הַמַּיִם קָרָא יַמִּים וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים כִּי־טוֹב 1:10
Gene. 1:10 And God called the dry land Earth and the gathering together of the water He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים תַּדְשֵׁא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא עֵשֶׂב מַזְרִיעַ זֶרַע עֵץ פְּרִי עֹשֶׂה פְּרִי לְמִינוֹ אֲשֶׁר 1:11
זַרְעוֹ־בוֹ עַל־הָאָרֶץ וַיְהִי־־כֵן
Gene. 1:11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout grass, herbs yielding seed, trees of fruit, bearing fruit after its kind by which the seed is upon the earth.” And it was so.
וַתּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא עֵשֶׂב מַזְרִיעַ זֶרַע לְמִינֵהוּ וְעֵץ עֹשֶׂה־פְּרִי אֲשֶׁר זַרְעוֹ־בוֹ לְמִינֵהוּ וַיַּרְא 1:12
אֱלֹהִים כִּי־טוֹב
Gene. 1:12 Thus the earth sprouted grass, herbs yielding seed after its kind, and trees bearing fruit by which is the seed after its kind. And God saw that it was good.
וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יוֹם שְׁלִישִׁי 1:13
Gene. 1:13 And it was evening and it was morning, period three.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם לְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין הַיּוֹם וּבֵין הַלָּיְלָה וְהָיוּ לְאֹתֹת 1:14
וּלְמוֹעֲדִים וּלְיָמִים וְשָׁנִים
Gene. 1:14 Then God said, “Let there be a source of light in the expanse of the heavens to divide between the day and the night, and they shall be for signs and for seasons and for days and years.”
וְהָיוּ לִמְאוֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם לְהָאִיר עַל־הָאָרֶץ וַיְהִי־כֵן 1:15
Gene. 1:15 “And they shall be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so.
וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים אֶת־שְׁנֵי הַמְּאֹרֹת הַגְּדֹלִים אֶת־הַמָּאוֹר הַגָּדֹל לְמֶמְשֶׁלֶת הַיּוֹם וְאֶת־־הַמָּאוֹר 1:16
הַקָּטֹן לְמֶמְשֶׁלֶת הַלַּיְלָה וְאֵת הַכּוֹכָבִים
Gene. 1:16 Thus God made the two great lights, the brighter light to rule the day, and the dimmer light to rule the night, and the stars.
וַיִּתֵּן אֹתָם אֱלֹהִים בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמָיִם לְהָאִיר עַל־־הָאָרֶץ 1:17
Gene. 1:17 And God set them throughout the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth,
וְלִמְשֹׁל בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה וּלְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים כִּי־טוֹב 1:18
Gene. 1:18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide between the light and the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יוֹם רְבִיעִי 1:19
Gene. 1:19 And it was evening and it was morning, period four.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם שֶׁרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה וְעוֹף יְעוֹפֵף עַל־הָאָרֶץ עַל־פְּנֵי רְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמָיִם 1:20
Gene. 1:20 Then God said, “Let the water multiply a living creature swarm, and let fowl fly above the earth upon the open expanse of sky.”
וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הַתַּנִּינִם הַגְּדֹלִים וְאֵת כָּל־נֶפֶשׁ הַחַיָּה הָרֹמֶשֶׂת אֲשֶׁר שָׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם: 1:21
לְמִינֵהֶם וְאֵת כָּל־עוֹף כָּנָף לְמִינֵהוּ וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים כִּי־טוֹב
Gene. 1:21 Thus God created the great sea monsters, and every living creeping creature that swarmed the water, after their kind, and every winged fowl after its kind. And God saw that it was good.
וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם אֱלֹהִים לֵאמֹר פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת־הַמַּיִם בַּיַּמִּים וְהָעוֹף יִרֶב בָּאָרֶץ 1:22
Gene. 1:22 And God blessed them saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters throughout the seas, and let fowl multiply throughout the earth.”
וַיְהִי־־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יוֹם חֲמִישִׁי 1:23
Gene. 1:23 And it was evening and it was morning, period five.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה לְמִינָהּ בְּהֵמָה וָרֶמֶשׂ וְחַיְתוֹ־אֶרֶץ לְמִינָהּ וַיְהִי־כֵן 1:24
Gene. 1:24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle and creeping thing and the beast of the earth after its kind.” And it was so.
וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים אֶת־חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ לְמִינָהּ וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָה לְמִינָהּ וְאֵת כָּל־־רֶמֶשׂ הָאֲדָמָה לְמִינֵהוּ 1:25
וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים כִּי־טוֹב
Gene. 1:25 Thus God made the beast of the earth after its kind, and the cattle after its kind, and every thing creeping upon the earth after its kind. And God saw that it was good.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם 1:26
וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבְכָל־הָאָרֶץ וּבְכָל־הָרֶמֶשׂ הָרֹמֵשׂ עַל־הָאָרֶץ
Gene. 1:26 Then God said. “Let Us make humankind in Our image after Our likeness, so that they have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing creeping upon the earth.”
This verse should make it clear to us that God knows that the humans will be expelled from the garden.
וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בָּרָא אֹתָם 1:27
Gene. 1:27 Thus God created the human in His image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם אֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם אֱלֹהִים פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁהָ וּרְדוּ 1:28
בִּדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבְכָל־חַיָּה הָרֹמֶשֶׂת עַל־הָאָרֶץ
Gene. 1:28 And 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 fowl of the air and over every living thing creeping on the earth.”
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת־כָּל־עֵשֶׂב זֹרֵעַ זֶרַע אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי כָל־הָאָרֶץ וְאֶת־כָּל־הָעֵץ 1:29
אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ פְרִי־־עֵץ זֹרֵעַ זָרַע לָכֶם יִהְיֶה לְאָכְלָה
Gene. 1:29 Then God said, “Behold, I give you every herb yielding seed which is upon all the surface of the earth, and every tree on which the fruit of the tree yields seed; it shall be for your food;
וּלְכָל־חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ וּלְכָל־עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּלְכֹל רוֹמֵשׂ עַל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה אֶת־כָּל־יֶרֶק 1:30
עֵשֶׂב לְאָכְלָה וַיְהִי־כֵן
Gene. 1:30 and to every beast of the earth and to every fowl of the air and to every thing creeping upon the earth wherein there is a living soul, every green herb for food.” And it was so.
וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וְהִנֵּה־־טוֹב מְאֹד וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי 1:31
Gene. 1:31 And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And it was evening and it was morning, period six.
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