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Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Genesis 1:29-31

God gave man authority and responsibility to regulate nature and to advance civilization. Nature was to serve man, not vice versa. This does not give man the right to abuse nature, however. [Note: See Gina Hens-Piazza, "A Theology of Ecology: God’s Image and the Natural World," Biblical Theology Bulletin 13:4 (October 1983):107-110.] Neither does it justify giving animals and plants the "rights" of human beings."Man is the climax of creation, and instead of man providing the gods with food, God... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 1:1-31

The Creation'The foundation of foundations and pillar of all wisdom is to know that the First Being is, and that He giveth existence to everything that exists! 'Thus wrote Moses Maimonides, a Jewish scholar of the 12th cent, a.d., concerning whom the Jewish proverb runs: 'From Moses to Moses there arose none like Moses.' He had in his mind the opening chapter of the Bible, the object of which is to lay this foundation; to declare the existence of the One God; to teach that the Universe was... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Genesis 1:1-31

EXCURSUS B: ON THE NAMES ELOHIM AND JEHOVAH-ELOHIM.Throughout the first account of creation (Genesis 1:1 to Genesis 2:3) the Deity is simply called Elohim. This word is strictly a plural of Eloah, which is used as the name of God only in poetry, or in late books like those of Nehemiah and Daniel. It is there an Aramaism, God in Syriac being Aloho, in Ohaldee Ellah, and in Arabic Allahu—all of which are merely dialectic varieties of the Hebrew Eloah, and are used constantly in the singular... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - Genesis 1:1-31

The Creation Genesis 1:2 Every writing must be judged by the object the writer has in view. If the object of the writer of these chapters was to convey physical information, then certainly it is imperfectly fulfilled. But if his object was to give an intelligible account of God's relation to the world and to man, then it must be owned that he has been successful in the highest degree. Intimate communion with God, a spirit trained to discern spiritual things, a perfect understanding and zeal... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Genesis 1:1-31

THE CREATIONGenesis 1:1-31; Genesis 2:1-25 IF anyone is in search of accurate information regarding the age of this earth, or its relation to the sun, moon, and stars, or regarding the order in which plants and animals have appeared upon it, he is referred to recent textbooks in astronomy, geology, and palaeontology. No one for a moment dreams of referring a serious student of these subjects to the Bible as a source of information. It is not the object of the writers of Scripture to impart... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Genesis 1:1-31

Analysis and Annotations I. THE CREATION ACCOUNT The manner in which the book of Genesis begins leaves no doubt that it is the revelation of God. The creation account is historical truth. The question is how was it given? An answer to this question claims that the Jews obtained the account from the records of other nations concerning the origin of the universe and that they altered it according to their own religious ideas. This is an impossibility. The ancient heathen nations considered God... read more

L.M. Grant

L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 1:1-31

In our human nature is a thirst to know about origins. God has given us this nature and God supplies the answer to our desire simply and decisively in the first statement of His own revelation to mankind. He goes no further back than to the beginning of the history of the created heavens and earth. Anyone who has faith understands this, "that the worlds were formed by the word of God" (Hebrews 11:3). some may question and reason as to how God could create so tremendous a universe, but faith... read more

James Gray

James Gray's Concise Bible Commentary - Genesis 1:1-31

CREATION OF THE WORLD CREATION OF HEAVEN AND EARTH (Genesis 1:1 ) Here are three facts. What was done? Who did it? When did it occur? Two words require explanation: “created” and “beginning.” Does the former mean that heaven and earth were created out of nothing? The word (bara, in Hebrew) does not necessarily mean that, but its peculiar use in this chapter suggests that it means that here. It occurs three times, here in (Genesis 1:1 , at the introduction of life on the fifth day, and at... read more

Joseph Parker

The People's Bible by Joseph Parker - Genesis 1:26-31

The Making of Man Gen 1:26-31 There is surely no bolder sentence in all human speech. It takes an infinite liberty with God! It is blasphemy If it is not truth. We have been accustomed to look at the statement so much from the human point that we have forgotten how deeply the Divine character itself is implicated. To tell us that all the signboards in Italy were painted by Raphael is simply to dishonour and bitterly humiliate the great artist. We should resent the suggestion that Beethoven or... read more

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