Genesis Chapter 1

Updated: September 14, 2025

The Beginning

(John 1:1-5)

1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

The First Day: Light

3And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 5And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

The Second Day: Firmament

6And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. 8And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

The Third Day: Dry Ground

9And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. 10And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. 11And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. 12And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 13And the evening and the morning were the third day.

The Fourth Day: Sun, Moon, Stars

14And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 15And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 16And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. 17And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 18And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. 19And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

The Fifth Day: Fish and Birds

20And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. 21And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 22And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. 23And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

The Sixth Day: Creatures on Land

24And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 25And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

26And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them 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 that creepeth upon the earth. 27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish 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 that moveth upon the earth. 29And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 30And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. 31And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

The Creation
(John 1:1–5; Hebrews 11:1–3)

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep. God’s Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.

The First Day

3 God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” There was evening and there was morning, one day.

The Second Day

6 God said, “Let there be an expanse in the middle of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” 7 God made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. 8 God called the expanse “sky.” There was evening and there was morning, a second day.

The Third Day

9 God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear;” and it was so. 10 God called the dry land “earth,” and the gathering together of the waters he called “seas.” God saw that it was good. 11 God said, “Let the earth yield grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with its seed in it, on the earth;” and it was so. 12 The earth yielded grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with its seed in it, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. 13 There was evening and there was morning, a third day.

The Fourth Day

14 God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of sky to give light on the earth;” and it was so. 16 God 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. 17 God set them in the expanse of sky to give light to the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good. 19 There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

The Fifth Day

20 God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of sky.” 21 God 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. 22 God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

The Sixth Day

24 God 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. 25 God 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.

26 God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and 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.” 27 God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God 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.” 29 God 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. 30 To 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. 31 God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. There was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

The Creation
(John 1:1–5; Hebrews 11:1–3)

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

2 Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

The First Day

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” a and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.”

And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. b

The Second Day

6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse c between the waters, to separate the waters from the waters.” 7 So God made the expanse and separated the waters beneath it from the waters above. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse “sky.”

And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

The Third Day

9 And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land “earth,” and the gathering of waters He called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, each bearing fruit with seed according to its kind.” And it was so. 12 The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

The Fourth Day

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to distinguish between the day and the night, and let them be signs to mark the seasons and days and years. 15 And let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth.” And it was so.

16 God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. And He made the stars as well.

17 God set these lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth, 18 to preside over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

The Fifth Day

20 And God said, “Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.” 21 So God created the great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters teemed according to their kinds, and every bird of flight after its kind. And God saw that it was good.

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

23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

The Sixth Day

24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, land crawlers, and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that crawls upon the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself d and every creature that crawls upon it.”

27 So God created man in His own image;

in the image of God He created him;

male and female He created them. e

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.”

29 Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and every bird of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth—everything that has the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.

31 And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good.

And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Footnotes:

3 a Cited in 2 Corinthians 4:6
5 b Literally day one
6 c Or a canopy  or a firmament  or a vault ; also in verses 7, 8, 14, 15, 17, and 20
26 d MT; Syriac and over all the beasts of the earth
27 e Cited in Matthew 19:4 and Mark 10:6

The Beginning

(John 1:1-5)

1In the beginning of God's preparing the heavens and the earth -- 2the earth hath existed waste and void, and darkness is on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God fluttering on the face of the waters,

The First Day: Light

3and God saith, 'Let light be;' and light is. 4And God seeth the light that it is good, and God separateth between the light and the darkness, 5and God calleth to the light 'Day,' and to the darkness He hath called 'Night;' and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day one.

The Second Day: Firmament

6And God saith, 'Let an expanse be in the midst of the waters, and let it be separating between waters and waters.' 7And God maketh the expanse, and it separateth between the waters which are under the expanse, and the waters which are above the expanse: and it is so. 8And God calleth to the expanse 'Heavens;' and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day second.

The Third Day: Dry Ground

9And God saith, 'Let the waters under the heavens be collected unto one place, and let the dry land be seen:' and it is so. 10And God calleth to the dry land 'Earth,' and to the collection of the waters He hath called 'Seas;' and God seeth that it is good. 11And God saith, 'Let the earth yield tender grass, herb sowing seed, fruit-tree (whose seed is in itself) making fruit after its kind, on the earth:' and it is so. 12And the earth bringeth forth tender grass, herb sowing seed after its kind, and tree making fruit (whose seed is in itself) after its kind; and God seeth that it is good; 13and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day third.

The Fourth Day: Sun, Moon, Stars

14And God saith, 'Let luminaries be in the expanse of the heavens, to make a separation between the day and the night, then they have been for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years, 15and they have been for luminaries in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth:' and it is so. 16And God maketh the two great luminaries, the great luminary for the rule of the day, and the small luminary -- and the stars -- for the rule of the night; 17and God giveth them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth, 18and to rule over day and over night, and to make a separation between the light and the darkness; and God seeth that it is good; 19and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day fourth.

The Fifth Day: Fish and Birds

20And God saith, 'Let the waters teem with the teeming living creature, and fowl let fly on the earth on the face of the expanse of the heavens.' 21And God prepareth the great monsters, and every living creature that is creeping, which the waters have teemed with, after their kind, and every fowl with wing, after its kind, and God seeth that it is good. 22And God blesseth them, saying, 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and the fowl let multiply in the earth:' 23and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day fifth.

The Sixth Day: Creatures on Land

24And God saith, 'Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after its kind:' and it is so. 25And God maketh the beast of the earth after its kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, and God seeth that it is good.

26And God saith, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the heavens, and over cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that is creeping on the earth.' 27And God prepareth the man in His image; in the image of God He prepared him, a male and a female He prepared them. 28And God blesseth them, and God saith to them, 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the heavens, and over every living thing that is creeping upon the earth.' 29And God saith, 'Lo, I have given to you every herb sowing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree sowing seed, to you it is for food; 30and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the heavens, and to every creeping thing on the earth, in which is breath of life, every green herb is for food:' and it is so. 31And God seeth all that He hath done, and lo, very good; and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day the sixth.

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The F.O.G Commentary

When God Rolled Up His Sleeves and Got Creative

What’s Genesis 1 about?

Genesis 1 is the grand opening scene of Scripture – God creating everything from nothing in six days and resting on the seventh. But it’s not just about what God made; it’s about how He made it: through His word, with perfect order, and calling it all “very good.”

The Full Context

Genesis 1:1-31 opens the Torah with the most audacious claim imaginable: that everything we see, touch, and experience came from the creative word of one God. Written during Israel’s formative period (likely during or after the Babylonian exile), this wasn’t just theology – it was revolutionary. While surrounding cultures told stories of gods battling chaos monsters and creating humans as slave labor, Genesis presents creation as the deliberate, joyful work of a sovereign God who speaks reality into existence. Moses (traditional authorship) wrote this for Israelites who needed to understand their identity and their God’s supremacy over the deities of Egypt and Babylon.

The literary structure is breathtaking in its symmetry. Day 1 corresponds to Day 4 (light and luminaries), Day 2 to Day 5 (sky/seas and birds/fish), Day 3 to Day 6 (land/vegetation and land animals/humans). This isn’t scientific journalism – it’s theological artistry designed to show that their God, unlike the chaotic pantheons around them, creates with purpose, order, and delight. The Hebrew word bara (to create) appears only with God as subject, emphasizing that this kind of creation – bringing something from nothing – belongs to Him alone.

What the Ancient Words Tell Us

The very first word of Hebrew Scripture, Bereshit, means “in the beginning” – but there’s something deeper here. The root word suggests “headship” or “first principle.” God isn’t just starting a timeline; He’s establishing His authority over everything that follows.

Then comes that famous phrase: “the earth was tohu wabohu” – formless and void. Picture the most chaotic, empty wasteland you can imagine, then multiply it by infinity. These Hebrew words paint a picture of complete disorder, the kind of chaos that makes your skin crawl. But here’s what’s beautiful: God doesn’t panic. He doesn’t fight cosmic monsters or negotiate with rival deities. He simply speaks.

Grammar Geeks

The Hebrew verb bara (create) in verse 1 is used exclusively with God as the subject throughout Scripture. When humans “make” something, Hebrew uses different verbs. This word choice immediately signals that what’s happening here is categorically different from human creativity.

“Let there be light” – yehi or. In Hebrew, this is just two words, but they pack the power of nuclear fusion. The word or doesn’t just mean light; it carries connotations of order, revelation, and divine presence. When God speaks light into existence, He’s not just solving a lighting problem – He’s establishing the fundamental principle that His word has absolute creative power.

What Would the Original Audience Have Heard?

The F.O.G Bible Project

This page has a unique origin story and vision. Find out why your visit today is about more than words.

What is the F.O.G?

Imagine you’re an Israelite who’s spent decades in Babylonian captivity, surrounded by creation myths where Marduk battles the chaos-dragon Tiamat, where gods are born from primordial waters, where humans are accidents of divine warfare. Then you hear Genesis 1.

Your God doesn’t battle anyone. He doesn’t emerge from chaos – He commands it. The “waters” that were divine beings in Babylonian mythology? God separates them like a contractor organizing a construction site. The sun and moon that other cultures worshiped as deities? God creates them as functional lights and calls them “good” – useful, not sacred.

This wasn’t just theology; it was liberation theology. Your ancestors weren’t accidents or slaves – they were made in God’s image to rule creation as His representatives. The rhythms of work and rest weren’t arbitrary cultural traditions – they were built into the fabric of reality itself.

Did You Know?

The phrase “evening and morning” appears with each day, but this follows the Hebrew understanding that a day begins at sunset. This wasn’t just about timekeeping – it meant that each new creative act began in the darkness and moved toward light, mirroring the very first day when light conquered chaos.

But Wait… Why Did They…?

Here’s something that puzzles many readers: why does God create light on Day 1 but not create the sun, moon, and stars until Day 4? Isn’t that backwards?

This isn’t a scientific oversight – it’s brilliant theology. Ancient Near Eastern cultures worshiped the sun as the source of light and life. By separating light from the luminaries, Genesis is making a radical statement: light doesn’t depend on the sun. The sun depends on the God who made light before He made light-bearers.

It’s like God is saying, “You think the sun is divine? Watch this.” He creates the sun’s function before He creates the sun, demonstrating that He’s the true source of everything these cosmic objects represent.

Wrestling with the Text

The refrain “and God saw that it was good” appears seven times, with the final “very good” on Day 6. The Hebrew word tov means more than aesthetically pleasing – it means functional, fitting, exactly as it should be. God isn’t an artist stepping back from a painting; He’s an architect confirming that each system works perfectly for its intended purpose.

But here’s where it gets fascinating: the only day without “it was good” is Day 2, when God separates the waters above from the waters below. Some Jewish commentators suggest this is because separation – even necessary separation – introduces the possibility of division, which reaches its tragic climax when humans choose separation from God.

Wait, That’s Strange…

God creates by speaking in Days 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6, but on Day 2 (separating waters) and the second part of Day 6 (forming humans), He “makes” and “forms.” The Hebrew suggests more hands-on involvement. Why the change in method for water-separation and human-creation?

The creation of humans breaks the pattern entirely. Instead of “Let there be,” we get divine consultation: “Let us make man in our image.” Whether this hints at the Trinity or uses a plural of majesty, it signals that human creation is categorically different. We’re not just spoken into existence – we’re carefully crafted with divine breath.

How This Changes Everything

Genesis 1 rewrites everything about how we see reality. Work isn’t a curse – it’s God-like creativity. Rest isn’t laziness – it’s recognition that you’re not the one holding the universe together. The physical world isn’t evil or illusory – God called it “very good.”

Most revolutionary of all: you bear God’s image. Not pharaohs, not kings, not priests – every human being carries the divine likeness and the mandate to rule creation as God’s representatives. This makes every person sacred, every culture significant, every act of stewardship worship.

“When God speaks, reality listens – and when you speak in faith, you’re participating in the same creative power that brought everything into existence.”

The rhythm of creation and rest establishes something profound: even omnipotence observes sabbath. If God builds rest into the fundamental structure of reality, maybe our culture’s addiction to constant productivity isn’t just unhealthy – it’s actually anti-creational.

Key Takeaway

Genesis 1 reveals that you live in a God-spoken universe where your words, work, and rest all matter because you’re made in the image of the One who creates through speaking, works with purpose, and rests with satisfaction.

Genesis Chapter 1

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God's Word is too vast for a single perspective. We all have a story, and as believers we all carry the Holy Spirit who is the Revealer. With this in mind - I would love to read your comments.