Sacred Scholar

 1. The Text (Genesis 1:1–13)

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
4 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.

6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.”
7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so.
8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so.
10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it.” And it was so.
12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it. And God saw that it was good.
13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

 2. What Happens Here?

This section describes the first three days of creation, which scholars often group together as the “forming” phase of the world. God creates structure where there was none—dividing and organizing chaos into usable space.

• Day 1: Light is separated from darkness → the beginning of time.
  
• Day 2: Sky is separated from the waters → the beginning of space.
  
• Day 3: Land is separated from sea, and plant life begins → the beginning of earth’s ecology.
  

Each act follows a rhythm:

1. God speaks.
   
2. Something happens.
   
3. God names or separates it.
   
4. It is declared “good.”
   
5. The day ends: evening and morning.
   

This isn’t a story of instant magic—it’s careful, layered, and deliberate.

 3. Historical & Cultural Background

Genesis 1 was likely written or compiled during the Babylonian Exile (6th century BCE). During this time, the people of Judah were displaced and surrounded by dominant mythologies like the Enuma Elish, which begins with chaos and ends with gods fighting for control.

The Genesis account takes a radically different approach:

• There is no violence.
  
• There is only one divine voice.
  
• The world unfolds with speech, rhythm, and order.
  

It’s a quiet theological revolution. Instead of gods at war, we see a cosmic architect calmly drawing boundaries. Light and dark, sea and sky, land and vegetation—all are given their place.

For exiled readers in Babylon, this was likely a comfort and a claim: our world was not born from conquest, but from purpose.

 4. Word & Language Notes (Hebrew Focus)

A few key Hebrew terms in these verses are worth exploring:

• “Bereshit” (בְּרֵאשִׁית) — Translated “In the beginning,” but it can also mean “When God began to create…” This phrasing suggests that the story doesn’t describe the absolute beginning of existence, but rather the ordering of a chaotic world.
  
• “Tohu va-bohu” (תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ) — This poetic phrase means “formless and void,” or more vividly, “chaotic and empty.” It describes a raw, undifferentiated state of existence, not a total absence of matter.
  
• “Ruach Elohim” (רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים) — Translated either as “Spirit of God” or “wind of God.” The Hebrew word ruach means wind, breath, or spirit. In this scene, the divine presence is moving like wind over a chaotic sea—hovering, waiting, anticipating.
  

These are not incidental word choices—they shape the entire tone. This isn’t a magic trick. It’s a divine act of engineering, using language as the primary tool.

 5. Key Themes and Questions

Themes:

• Order from chaos: The ancient world feared the sea as the symbol of disorder. This story tames it without a fight.
  
• Language as power: God doesn’t use tools or weapons—just words. Reality obeys.
  
• Separation and structure: Every day brings new boundaries—light from dark, sea from sky, land from water. The world becomes habitable by division.
  
• Goodness: The repeated phrase “God saw that it was good” is crucial. This isn’t just about creation—it’s about value and intentionality.
  

Questions:

• What does it mean for light to exist before the sun is created (Day 4)?
  
• Why is there no “it was good” on Day 2?
  
• Was this meant to be read literally, or is it more like a cosmic poem?
  

 6. Further Reading & Sources

• Robert Alter, The Five Books of Moses — literary and translation insights.
  
• Richard Elliott Friedman, Who Wrote the Bible? — on the Priestly source and structure.
  
• John Walton, The Lost World of Genesis One — ancient cosmology in context.
  
• Sefaria.org, for side-by-side Hebrew and English text.
  
• Bible Odyssey (BibleOdyssey.org), for articles on creation and ancient myth.
  

Next Time…

In the next post, we’ll look at Days 4 through 7—the “filling” of the cosmos, the creation of humanity, and what it means for God to rest.

Disclaimer

This post is written from a non-Christian, scholarly perspective. It is not intended to challenge personal faith but to explore the biblical text through history, language, and literature. If you believe differently, that’s okay—this is a space for curiosity, not conversion.