GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 1:1 Primeval History. Genesis 1:1 surveys the history of the world before Abraham, while chs. Genesis 12:1 focus on one main family. There are no real parallels to chs. Genesis 12:1 in the literature of other ancient civilizations. However, other ancient stories do exist abou... [ Continue Reading ]
GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 1:2 Before the first actual day of creation (vv. Genesis 1:3), the EARTH was WITHOUT FORM AND VOID (compare Jeremiah 4:23), implying that it lacked order and content. The reference to DARKNESS... OVER THE FACE OF THE DEEP points to the absence of light. THE SPIRIT OF GOD WAS... [ Continue Reading ]
GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 1:3 AND GOD SAID. God’s absolute power is seen in that he merely speaks and things are created. Each new section of ch. Genesis 1:1 is introduced by God’s speaking. Everything that God speaks into being is GOOD (vv. Genesis 1:10, Genesis 1:12, Genesis 1:18, Genesis 1:21,... [ Continue Reading ]
GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 1:6 As light was separated from darkness, so the WATERS are separated to form an EXPANSE, which God calls HEAVEN. It is difficult to find a single English word that accurately translates the precise meaning of this Hebrew term (see esv footnote). In this context, it refers to... [ Continue Reading ]
GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 1:9 God organizes two further regions: the DRY LAND, forming EARTH; and the WATERS, forming SEAS (vv. Genesis 1:9). God then instructs the earth to bring forth VEGETATION (vv. Genesis 1:11). The creation of distinctive locations in days 1–3, along with vegetation, prepares fo... [ Continue Reading ]
GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 1:14 These verses, describing the fourth day, correspond with the separating of light and darkness on the first day (vv. Genesis 1:3). Here is the creation of LIGHTS that will govern time, as well as provide LIGHT UPON THE EARTH (v. Genesis 1:15). By referring to them as the... [ Continue Reading ]
GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 1:16 AND THE STARS. The immense universe that God created (see note on Isa. 40:25–26) is mentioned here only briefly, almost as an afterthought. The focus of Genesis 1:1 is on the earth. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length... [ Continue Reading ]
GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 1:20 This section, on day 5, describes how the WATERS and the EXPANSE OF THE HEAVENS are filled with various kinds of creatures. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 1:21 The Hebrew term for GREAT SEA CREATURES can mean large serpents, dragons, or crocodiles, as well as whales or sharks. Some have suggested that this could also refer to extinct creatures such as dinosaurs. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var... [ Continue Reading ]
GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 1:24 LIVESTOCK AND CREEPING THINGS AND BEASTS OF THE EARTH. These terms group the land-dwelling animals into three broad categories, probably reflecting the way nomadic shepherds would experience them. This list is not intended to be exhaustive, and it is hard to know in whic... [ Continue Reading ]
GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 1:26 LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE. Some have suggested that God may be addressing the members of his heavenly court, whom the OT elsewhere calls “sons of God” (e.g., Job 1:6) and the NT calls “angels.” But man is not made in the image of angels (see Genesis 1:27), and the Bib... [ Continue Reading ]
GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 1:27 The term IMAGE OF GOD can be seen as describing the ways in which man is different from all other created beings. It describes how humans resemble God in their ability to think, to communicate, to understand right and wrong, to be creative, and to experience relationship... [ Continue Reading ]
GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 1:28 Although the word “covenant” does not occur in the Bible until Genesis 6:18, many consider Genesis 1:28 along with Genesis 2:16 to be God’s covenant with Adam. See Hosea 6:7 and note. Adam receives this covenant on behalf of the rest of mankind. Thus, in the NT, Paul vie... [ Continue Reading ]
GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 1:31 One final occurrence of BEHOLD, IT WAS VERY GOOD invites the reader to imagine seeing creation through God’s eyes. Despite the invasion of sin (ch. Genesis 3:1), the material creation retains its basic goodness (see 1 Timothy 4:4). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElement... [ Continue Reading ]