GEN 1:1 Parallel View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. This view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on the version abbreviation to see the verse in more of its context.

1:1 As per common practice, we use ‘God’ through the Hebrew scriptures for the word ‘elohim’. Note that ‘elohim’ is a Hebrew language plural, and is translated more literally as ‘gods’ in a few places. However the connected Hebrew verb translated ‘created’ here is clearly a singular form, so the singular noun ‘God’ fits better here and everywhere where ‘elohim’ is used with other verbs marked as being singular. The mysterious plurality of God is confirmed in v26 where ‘our’ is used to refer to him/them.

Key: yellow:verbs, blue:Elohim.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BSB § In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

OEB In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth,

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

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

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

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

ESV In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

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

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

1ST At the beginning of God’s creating the heavens and the earth,

WEB In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

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

LSV In [the] beginning God created the heavens and the earth,

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

T4T Long, long ago God created the heavens and the earth.

LEB In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth—

NRSV In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth,

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

BBE At the first God made the heaven and the earth.

MOF No MOF GEN book available

JPS IN THE beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

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

DRA In the beginning God created heaven, and earth.

YLT In the beginning of God's preparing the heavens and the earth —

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

RV In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

WBS In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

KJB In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

BB In the beginnyng GOD created ye heauen and the earth.
(In the beginning GOD created ye/you_all heaven and the earth.)

GNV In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth.
(In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.)

CB In ye begynnynge God created heauen & earth:
(In ye/you_all beginning God created heaven and earth:)

WYC In the bigynnyng God made of nouyt heuene and erthe.
(In the beginning God made of nought/nothing heaven and earth.)

LUT Am Anfang schuf GOtt Himmel und Erde.
(At_the beginning created God heaven and earth.)

CLV In principio creavit Deus cælum et terram.
(In at_the_beginning created God the_sky and the_earth/land.)

NETS In the beginning God made the sky and the earth.

BRN In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth.

BrLXX ἘΝ ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν.
(EN arⱪaʸ epoiaʸsen ho Theos ton ouranon kai taʸn gaʸn.)

TSN Tyndale Study Notes:

1:1–2:3 These verses introduce the Pentateuch (Genesis—Deuteronomy) and teach Israel that the world was created, ordered, and populated by the one true God and not by the gods of surrounding nations.
• God blessed three specific things: animal life (1:22-25), human life (1:27), and the Sabbath day (2:3). This trilogy of blessings highlights the Creator’s plan: Humankind was made in God’s image to enjoy sovereign dominion over the creatures of the earth and to participate in God’s Sabbath rest.

1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth: This statement summarizes the entire creation account (1:3–2:3). Already a key question—Who created the world?—is answered (see also Prov 8:22-31; John 1:1-3). Although the modern naturalistic mindset rejects this question and that of creation’s purpose, Genesis affirms God’s role and purpose in creation.
• The common name for God (Hebrew ’elohim) emphasizes his grand supremacy. The word ’elohim is plural, but the verbs used with it are usually singular, reflecting the consistent scriptural proclamation of a single, all-powerful God.
• created (Hebrew bara’): In the Old Testament, God is always the agent of creation expressed by this verb. It describes the making of something fresh and new—notably the cosmos (1:1, 21; 2:3), humankind (1:27), the Israelite nation (Isa 43:1), and the future new creation (Isa 65:17).
• The heavens and the earth are the entire ordered cosmos.

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

The Creation

The creation account is foundational to the message of the entire Bible. Understanding the early chapters of Genesis is thus crucial to forming a biblical worldview.

These opening chapters deal with fundamental questions: Who created the world, and for what purpose? Why is the world in its present condition? Genesis answers these questions, dispelling the idolatry that Israel had acquired from their pagan masters in Egypt. In the Promised Land, the Israelites would again be surrounded by people who believed in false gods and worshiped created things rather than the Creator. Genesis taught Israel that the one true God created and has absolute authority over all things; he alone is worthy of worship.

God transformed chaos into the present ordered cosmos. In the first three days, he transformed the formless void into the structured universe—the heavens, the water and sky, and the earth. In the second three days, he populated each realm. The seventh day, God’s day of rest, provides the weekly pattern for human activity and points forward to the rest that God promised to those who live by faith in him (see Heb 3:7–4:11).

The creation account teaches that as God made the world, it was “very good” (Gen 1:31). In this environment, humans enjoyed unbroken fellowship with their Creator until their rebellion severed that fellowship and implanted evil in human hearts (see Gen 3–6). The world’s evil does not come from some defect in creation; rather, it stems from rebellion to God’s design and purposes.

Since that first rebellion, humans have been alienated from the Creator and are prone to not recognize his presence and authority. This alienation results in shame, fractured relationships with God and other humans, estrangement from the rest of creation, and death (3:7-19). Since that time, God has been working purposefully in history to restore humans to fellowship with him, which he is doing through Jesus Christ. Restored humans are a new creation (see Gal 6:15); through Jesus, eternal life is open to all and God will one day renew all things (see Isa 65:17-25; Rom 8:19-22). The whole cosmos will be made new (Rev 21:1).

Passages for Further Study

Gen 1:1–2:3; Ps 33:6-9; Prov 3:19; 8:22-31; Isa 40:26-28; 45:11-12, 18-19; Jer 10:11-16; John 1:1-4; Rom 8:18-25; 2 Cor 5:17; Col 1:15-20; Rev 4:11; 21:1-5

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

בְּ⁠רֵאשִׁ֖ית

in=beginning

The first chapter of Genesis is a true historical narrative (which is indicated by the Hebrew language structures that are used throughout the chapter), and verse 1 records the first event in that history. This is confirmed by the wider context of the Scriptures, which teach us that God created everything out of nothing at the very beginning of the world (Psalm 33:6, 9; Hebrews 11:3). Some languages must use a verb (“began”) in verse 1 rather than an abstract noun (beginning). Do what is best in your language. Alternate translation: “At the beginning of time”

Note 2 topic: translate-key-terms

אֱלֹהִ֑ים

ʼElhīmv

Translate the title God in a way that refers to the Supreme Being who created everything, who has complete power, who knows everything and is present everywhere. He is the only true God and has always existed.

Note 3 topic: translate-key-terms

בָּרָ֣א

he/it_created

In the Hebrew Bible, the verb “create” refers to an activity that only God does, and it often implies (as it does here) that he made something out of nothing. Also, the forms of the verbs in the Hebrew text (and the conjunctions) show that chapter 1 is a narrative that tells about true history and events in the order that things actually happened. Make sure that your translation does the same thing. Alternate translation: “made”

Note 4 topic: translate-key-terms

אֵ֥ת הַ⁠שָּׁמַ֖יִם

DOM the=heavens

This phrase refers here to the region where all the stars and planets would later exist. Keep that in mind as you translate this term. Alternate translation: “the sky”

Note 5 topic: translate-key-terms

וְ⁠אֵ֥ת הָ⁠אָֽרֶץ

and=DOM the=earth/land

This phrase refers to the planet earth.

Parallel GEN 1:1