Genesis [Origin]
B'resheet [In the Beginning]
Context: Written by Moses as an account of history, combined from God’s dictation from Mount Sinai and Hebrew oral history. This is one of the oldest, the longest recorded span of time, and most reliable accounts of ancient history of the Mesopotamian region, the Middle Eastern area. Note, Abraham is a contemporary with Job; two of the richest people in their time. This record establishes that God has design and order to creation, God’s relationship with humans, and marking the linage of faith that will become the Chosen People of God.
Parashah 1: B'resheet ·In The Beginning· 1:1-6:8
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1 B'resheet Elohim bara' ·In the beginning of the beginning, God created from nothingness· את the heavens את and the earth. 2 Earth was tohu v'bohu ·void and chaos·. *Darkness was on the surface of the deep and Ruach Elohim ·Spirit, Breath of God· was hovering over the surface of the waters.
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, the first yom ·period of time, 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 “shamayim ·sky, heavens·”. † There was evening and there was morning, a second yom ·period of time, 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 “sea”. God saw that it was good. 11 God said, “Let the earth yield grass, herbs yielding seeds, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with their seeds 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 their seeds in it, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. ‡ 13 There was evening and there was morning, a third yom ·period of time, day·.
(A:2) 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 to mark seasons and appointed times, 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 'yom ·period of time, day·.
20 God said, “Let the waters abound with 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 'yom ·period of time, day·.
(A:3) 24 God said, “Let the earth produce nefesh chai ·soul 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 a 'adam ·human· in our image, after our likeness: and let them have authority ‡ 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 likeness. § In God’s image he created him; zachar ·male· and n'keivah ·female· * he created them. 28 †
God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and bring it into subjection, subdue it. Have authority 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 m'ohd tov ·exceedingly good·. There was evening and there was morning, a sixth 'yom ·period of time, day·.
* 1:2 . MPr: The expression, “Spirit of God,” (Gen 1:2) is explained as “the Spirit of the King Messiah” (Is 11:2). In the phrase “moving on the face of the deep,” the deep waters represent repentance (Lam 2:19). (Mishnah 2, Mishnah 8, and Midrash Leviticus 14). (Matt 23:31-39; Luke 19:41-44) † 1:3 . MP: Light from God. (John 3:19-20; 1 John 3:8) ‡ 1:3 This light that separates the darkness, God spoke the light of Messiah to be our redemption out from darkness even before the foundations of the world. (Col 1:12-17) says we were called out of Satan’s darkness into God’s light thru Messiah’s redemption. § 1:5 Day 1: God creates the division of shamayim ·sky, heaven· and 'aretz ·earth·; then God separates 'owr ·light· out of the choshek ·darkness·. The 'owr ·light· part of the day is called yom ·period of time, daytime, day· and the dark part of the day is called layil ·night·. * 1:5 The Hebrew word yom can be translated in five different ways. Daylight (12 hours), a single day (24 hours), a year, or an indefinite amount of time pointing to a day or event, such as Psalm 27:5 “in that day”. † 1:8 Day 2: God divides the mayim ·waters· creating the earth water and the shamayim ·sky, heavens· or literally ·above waters·. Scientifically this shows there is a water cycle. Also, the sky includes water; atmosphere is water, dust, and gas. ‡ 1:12 Day 3: God separates the yam ·sea· and the 'aretz ·earth·. Plants being to grow. § 1:18 Day 4: God separates day and night with sun and moon called ma'or ·lights· and the chochavi'm ·stars·; this gives us 'owr ·light·. These lights help identify the mo'adim ·seasons, appointed times·. God’s calendar has both the harvest schedule and special feast days called mo'adim ·seasons, appointed times· (see Lev. 23). * 1:22 Day 5: God populates the above and below waters, the mayim ·waters· and shamayim ·heavens / sky·, with creatures that possess a nefesh chai ·soul living·. The animals are told to multiply. † 1:25 Day 6a: God populates the earth with creatures that possess a nefesh chai ·soul living·. God creates various plants to populate the earth. ‡ 1:26 Hebrew radah ·dominion, authority· is like unto a king and his kingdom leadership. The resources of the kingdom is in chavash ·subjection to· the king. The king is to govern wisely, not abusing the resources, but rather to use resources to grow the kingdom healthy and strong; the king takes responsibility for his kingdom. § 1:27 . Quoted in James 3:9 * 1:27 . Quoted in Matt 19:4; Mark 10:6 † 1:28 . Gen 1:28 (#7.432): T. To be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth and kavash ·subdue it / bring into submission / conquer it· and radah ·rule over / have dominion over· the creatures / R. To have children with one’s wife T. Note: Kavash ·subdue / conquer· or radah ·to have dominion / rule over· in Hebrew is understood as to have dominion as a king who is both tender and firm who rightly controls his subjects ‡ 1:30 Day 6b: God creates 'adam ·human being· in his own likeness, this is unique to all other creation. Representing all of God’s spectrum, he creates both zachar ·male· and n'keivah ·female·; representing his unity oneness, God establishes marriage as a oneness and marital intimacy as a bond (Gen 2:24-25). Humans are given both work and sustenance.