Genesis 1

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 1:31

Perfection. The first chapter closes with a review of the whole work of the six days. God saw it. Behold, it was very good! I. The SATISFACTION was in the completion of the earthly order in man, the highest earthly being. For God's good is not, like man's good " a compromise, too often, between the really good and the really evil, but the attainment of the highest— the fulfillment of his Divine idea, the top-stone placed upon the temple with shoutings: "Grace, grace unto it."... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Genesis 1:1

- Section I - The Creation- The Absolute Creationראשׁית rḕshı̂̂yt, the “head-part, beginning” of a thing, in point of time Genesis 10:10, or value Proverbs 1:7. Its opposite is אחרית 'achărı̂̂yth Isaiah 46:10. בראשׁית rê'shı̂̂yth, “in the beginning,” is always used in reference to time. Here only is it taken absolutely.ברא bārā', “create, give being to something new.” It always has God for its subject. Its object may be anything: matter Genesis 1:1; animal life Genesis 1:21; spiritual... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Genesis 1:2

- II. The Landהיה hāyah, “be.” It is to be noted, however, that the word has three meanings, two of which now scarcely belong to our English “be.”1. “Be, as an event, start into being, begin to be, come to pass.” This may be understood of a thing beginning to be, אור יהי yehiy 'ôr, “be light” Genesis 1:3; or of an event taking place, ימים מקץ ויהי vayehı̂y mı̂qēts yāmı̂ym, “and it came to pass from the end of days.”2. “Be,” as a change of state, “become.” This is applied to what had a... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Genesis 1:3-5

- III. The First Day3. אמר 'āmar, “say, bid.” After this verb comes the thing said in the words of the speaker, or an equivalent expression. In this respect it corresponds with our English “say.”אור 'ôr, “light.” Light is simply what makes a sensible impression on the organs of vision. It belongs to a class of things which occasionally produce the same effect.ויאמר vayo'mer “then said.” Here we have come to the narrative or the record of a series of events. The conjunction is prefixed to the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Genesis 1:6-8

- IV. The Second Day6. רקיע rāqı̂ya‛, “expanse;” στερέωμα stereōma, רקע rāqa‛, “spread out by beating, as leaf gold.” This expanse was not understood to be solid, as the fowl is said to fly on the face of it Genesis 1:21. It is also described as luminous Daniel 12:3, and as a monument of divine power Psalms 150:1.7. עשׂה ‛āśâh “work on,” “make out of already existing materials.”The second act of creative power bears upon the deep of waters, over which the darkness had prevailed, and by... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Genesis 1:9-13

- V. The Third Day9. קוה qāvâh “turn, bind, gather, expect.”יבשׁה yabāshâh “the dry, the ground.” יבשׁ yabēsh, “be dry.” בושׁ bôsh, “be abashed.”11. דשׁא deshe', “green thing, grass.”עשׂב ‛ēśāb, “herb.”זרע zēra‛, “seed.” זרע zāra‛, “sow,” sero.פרי perı̂y, “fruit.” ברה pārâh, “bear”; φέρω pherō.The work of creation on this day is evidently twofold, - the distribution of land and water, and the creation of plants. The former part of it is completed, named, reviewed, and approved... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Genesis 1:14-19

- VI. The Fourth Day14. מאור mā'ôr, “a light, a luminary, a center of radiant light.”מועה mô‛ēd, “set time, season.”Words beginning with a formative מ musually signify that in which the simple quality resides or is realized. Hence, they often denote place.17. נתן nāthan “give, hold out, show, stretch, hold out.” Latin: tendo, teneo; τείνω teinō.The darkness has been removed from the face of the deep, its waters have been distributed in due proportions above and below the expanse; the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Genesis 1:20-23

- VII. The Fifth Day20. שׁרץ shārats, “crawl, teem, swarm, abound.” An intransitive verb, admitting, however, an objective noun of its own or a like signification.נפשׁ nephesh, “breath, soul, self.” This noun is derived from a root signifying to breathe. Its concrete meaning is, therefore, “that which breathes,” and consequently has a body, without which there can be no breathing; hence, “a breathing body,” and even a body that once had breath Numbers 6:6. As breath is the accompaniment and... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Genesis 1:24-31

- VIII. The Sixth Day24. בהמה behēmâh, “cattle; dumb, tame beasts.”רמשׂ remeś, “creeping (small or low) animals.”חוּה chayâh, “living thing; animal.”חוּת־חארץ chayatô-chā'ārets, “wild beast.”26. אדם 'ādām, “man, mankind;” “be red.” A collective noun, having no plural number, and therefore denoting either an individual of the kind, or the kind or race itself. It is connected in etymology with אדמה 'ădāmâh, “the red soil,” from which the human body was formed Genesis 2:7. It therefore... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Genesis 1

A.M. 1. B.C. 4004. We have three things in this chapter. (1,) A general idea of the work of creation, Genesis 1:1-2 . (2,) A particular account of the several days’ work, distinctly and in order, Genesis 1:3-30 . (3,) The review and approbation of the whole work, Genesis 1:31 . NOTES ON CHAPTER 1. WITH a view to teach us the knowledge of God and his will, the only sure foundation of genuine piety and virtue, and therefore of infinite importance to us, the Holy Scriptures pursue... read more

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 1:31

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Genesis 1:1

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Genesis 1:2

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Genesis 1:3-5

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Genesis 1:6-8

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Genesis 1:9-13

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Genesis 1:14-19

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Genesis 1:20-23

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Genesis 1:24-31

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Genesis 1

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