Genesis 1

Genesis 1 is the first chapter of the Book of Genesis and of the entire Bible. It contains the account of the Creation, in which God makes the world over six days. The account of the seventh day of rest continues in Genesis 2:1–3.

Outline

• Verses 1–2 In the beginning God creates the heavens and the earth. The earth is without form and void, and the Spirit of God moves upon the face of the waters. (The Korean Revised Version reads sin for "Spirit," while the New Korean Revised Version reads yeong.)
• Verses 3–5 The first day. God makes light, divides the light from the darkness, and calls them Day and Night.
• Verses 6–8 The second day. God makes the firmament (the broad expanse that forms the sky), divides the waters above it from the waters below it, and calls it Heaven.
• Verses 9–13 The third day. God gathers the waters into one place, separating the dry land from the seas, and causes grass, herbs, and trees to spring up from the earth.
• Verses 14–19 The fourth day. God sets two great lights and the stars in place to rule over the day and the night.
• Verses 20–23 The fifth day. God creates fish and birds and blesses them to be fruitful and multiply.
• Verses 24–31 The sixth day. God makes the land animals, then creates male and female in His own image, blesses them, gives them dominion, and appoints their food. Everything He has made is "very good."

Key Verses

• Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." The first sentence of the Bible presents God as the Creator of all things.
• Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in his own image." This verse is the basis for the doctrine of the image of God and for affirmations of human dignity.
• Genesis 1:31 "And, behold, it was very good." This verse shows that the created world was originally made good.

Characters and Places

• God The original text uses the name Elohim. God makes the world by His word.
• The Spirit of God The Spirit moves upon the face of the waters; Christian tradition commonly reads this in connection with the Holy Spirit.
• Humankind Human beings are created male and female. No personal names appear in this chapter; the narrative later continues with Adam and Eve.
• No specific place names appear.

Points for Reflection

• The meaning of "day" Interpretations include reading the days as literal 24-hour days, as long ages, or as a literary framework that arranges the work of creation in an orderly way. Views differ even within the same denomination. The relationship to science is discussed in Creation and Evolution.
• "Us" (verse 26) Many, including the Church Fathers and the Reformers, have read this as an intimation of the Trinity. Other views take it as a reference to a heavenly council or as a plural of majesty (an expression in which an exalted person refers to himself in the plural).
• "Have dominion" (verse 28) This is often interpreted as the responsibility of stewardship, that is, caring for the natural world entrusted to humanity.
• Connections with the New Testament John 1 begins with "In the beginning" and speaks of creation through the Word (Logos), and Hebrews 11:3 likewise recalls creation by the word of God.

In the Korean Church

In Sunday schools, lessons and activities that teach what was made on each of the six days are common, and Genesis 1:1 is a widely memorized verse. It is also the first chapter in read-through-the-Bible programs that begin with Genesis. Churches that observe the Season of Creation in the church calendar sometimes read this chapter in connection with the care of creation.