Please read my disclaimer to these study notes first. This is how I start my studies. I do a read through first in one translation – most likely Kings James Version. I do not look at the original language yet. The purpose of this first reading is to see what the scriptures say first. Below is the result of my first read through.
Study Notes for Genesis 1-2:1-3
In the Beginning (Genesis 1:1-2)
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And 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.
My Notes
- Heaven created
- Earth created
- Without form
- Void
- Darkness on face of deep
- Spirit of God moved on face of waters
My Questions
- What was created in the heaven?
- What’s the difference between the face of the deep and the face of the waters?
My Thoughts
The heaven was created before the earth because it comes first in the list of things created. I wonder what everything looked like in the beginning.
First Day (Genesis 1:3-5)
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
My Notes
- Light created
- Divided from darkness
- Called Day
- Was good
- Darkness called Night
- Evening and morning = first day
My Questions
- If evening and morning equaled one day, how does this equal 24 hours?
- Was the original time equal to 12 hour shifts?
- What type of light was called into being because the moon, sun, and stars weren’t created until later?
- Because God spoke light into existence did that mean some of the darkness’ molecules changed into light?
- Could this be why God had to divide the light from the darkness?
My Thoughts
Day and Night are personal pronouns. Light was considered good, but nothing was said about the darkness. God called light into the midst of darkness then divided it out. I need to look up what makes up light and darkness from a scientific view point.
Second Day (Genesis 1:6-8)
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7 And 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. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
My Notes
- Firmament in midst of waters
- Purpose: divide waters from waters
- God actually makes it
- Divided waters from above and below
- Called Heaven
- Evening and morning = second day
My Questions
- Why was this day not called good?
- What is a firmament?
- Why did God make the firmament after he said for it to be?
My Thoughts
This day was not called good. Although God said for there to be a firmament, he actually turned around in the next verse and made the firmament. When he spoke for light to come into existence it happened without him making anything further.
Third Day (Genesis 1:9-13)
9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. 11 And 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. 12 And 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. 13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.
My Notes
- Waters under heaven gathered together in one place
- Called Seas
- Dry land appears
- Called Earth
- Produces grass, herb yielding seed, fruit tree yielding seed
- Seas and Earth and what Earth brought forth was good
- Evening and morning = third day
My Questions
- Was there just one giant land mass in the beginning?
- How did we get separated land masses (continents)?
My Thoughts
When God spoke these things into existence they were so. The items with seeds are supposed to yield after its kind. That means it doesn’t produce something its seed wasn’t created to do. An apple tree is produces apples, not oranges. There was to be no cross breeding of seeds.
Fourth Day (Genesis 1:14-19)
14 And 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: 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 16 And 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. 17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. 19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
My Notes
- Lights in the firmament
- Purpose: to divide day from night
- For signs, seasons, days, years
- To give light upon earth
- Sun, moon, stars
- Two great lights made
- Greater light to rule day
- Lesser light to rule night
- To divide light from darkness
- Stars made
- Was good
- Evening and morning = fourth day
My Questions
- Earlier the firmament was called heaven. Now it says the firmament of the heaven. What is the difference?
- Is there more than one heaven?
My Thoughts
Based on the wording of this passage it makes me wonder if there is more than one heaven and Genesis 1:1 was not translated wrong by listing only one heaven instead of many. I believe the greater and lesser lights are the sun and moon. Concepts that keep coming up is dividing and separating light from darkness. I need to look up the Hebrew words for light, darkness, earth, firmament, and heaven to gain a better understanding of what is being said.
Fifth Day (Genesis 1:20-23)
20 And 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. 21 And 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. 22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. 23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
My Notes
- God tells the waters to bring forth moving creatures that have life
- God creates
- Great whales
- Every living creature that moves
- Every winged fowl
- Fowl fly above earth in open firmament of heaven
- Was good
- God blessed them
- Be fruitful
- Multiply
- Fill the seas
- Fowls multiple in earth
- Evening and morning = fifth day
My Questions
- What are moving creatures?
- Are there moving creatures that don’t have life?
- What does it mean to have life? How does God define this?
- What is an open firmament?
My Thoughts
God tells the living to be fruitful and multiply. This is the first use of this terminology. He didn’t tell the sun, moon, stars, earth, and grass to do this. The seed bearing herbs and trees didn’t need to be told this because it is in their cycle of life automatically. They go through a process automatically in the place they were created in. Living creatures have a choice whether or not be multiply. They move about from place to place.
Sixth Day (Genesis 1:24-31)
24 And 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. 25 And 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.
26 And 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. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And 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.
29 And 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. 30 And 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. 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
My Notes
- Living creatures after its kind
- God spoke it first then made them
- Cattle
- Creeping thing
- Beast of earth
- Was good
- Human begins created – male and female
- In God’s (his) image
- After God’s likeness
- Dominion over fish, fowl, cattle, all the earth, creeping thing
- God blessed them
- Be fruitful
- Multiply
- Replenish the earth
- Subdue the earth
- Have dominion over fish, fowl, every living thing that moves on earth
- God tells them what their food consists of:
- Every herb bearing seed on all the earth
- Every fruit of a tree yielding seed
- Green herb?
- God gives every green herb for food to:
- Every beast
- Fowl
- Creeping thing
- Whatever has life
- Everything he made was very good
- Evening and morning = sixth day
My Questions
- What’s the difference between an image and a likeness?
- Who is “us” and “our”?
- Do humans get to eat green herbs because they have life in them?
- What’s the difference between the terms “create” and “made”?
- Does the statement “everything he made was very good” apply to all six days or just to the sixth day’s creations?
- Was this day extra good because mankind was created in his image?
My Thoughts
God speaks to others and make the request to make human beings in their image. Yet, the next verse says that God created man in his own image. God did not say day two was good so I don’t think “everything he made was good” should apply to all six days instead of just the sixth day.
Seventh Day (Genesis 2:1-3)
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
My Notes
- Heavens and earth finished
- All their host finished
- God ended his work
- God rested from all his work
- God blessed this day
- God sanctified this day
My Questions
- Why does Genesis 1:1 say heaven while Genesis 2:1 say heavens?
- Does the Hebrew use the same word in both instances?
- If so, then why are the words translated differently?
- Does it really matter if one says heaven and the other says heavens?
- What are considered “host”?
- Does the term “host” apply to both heavens and earth?
- What does it mean for this day to be sanctified?
My Thoughts
I am really curious as to what the Hebrew says concerning the term for heaven(s). God distinguished this day out of the others by blessing and sanctifying it. I need to look up some terms in the dictionary and cross reference the term “host” to see what it really means.