26 | Genesis 1:6
6 And God said , “ Let there be a vault h be tween the wa ters to sep a rate wa ter from water .” 7 So God made the vault and sep a rated the wa ter un der the vault from the wa ter above it . i
And it was so . 8 God called the vault “ sky .” And there was eve ning , and there was morning — the second day .
9 And God said , “ Let the wa ter un der the sky be gath ered to one place , j and let dry ground ap pear .” And it was so . 10 God called the dry ground “ land ,” and the gath ered wa ters he called “ seas .” And God saw that it was good .
11 Then God said , “ Let the land pro duce veg e ta tion : k seed-bear ing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it , ac cord ing to their var i ous kinds .” And it was so . 12 The land produced vegetation : plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bear ing fruit with seed in it ac cord ing to their kinds . And God saw that it was good . 13 And there was evening , and there was morning — the third day .
14 And God said , “ Let there be lights l in the vault of the sky to sep a rate the day from the night , and let them serve as signs m to mark sacred times , n and days and years , 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth .” And it was so . 16 God made two great lights — the greater light to gov ern o the day and the lesser light to govern p the night . He also made the stars . q 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth , 18 to gov ern the day and the night , r and to sep a rate light from dark ness . And God saw that it was good . 19 And there was eve ning , and there was morning — the fourth day .
20 And God said , “ Let the wa ter teem with liv ing crea tures , and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky .” 21 So God cre ated the great crea tures of the sea and ev ery liv ing thing with which the wa ter teems and that moves about in it , s according to their kinds , and ev ery winged bird ac cord ing to its kind . And God saw that it was good . 22 God blessed them and said , “ Be fruit ful and in crease in num ber and fill the wa ter in the seas , and let the birds in crease on the earth .” t 23 And there was evening , and there was morning — the fifth day .
24 And God said , “ Let the land pro duce liv ing crea tures ac cord ing to their kinds : the livestock , the crea tures that move along the ground , and the wild an i mals , each accord ing to its kind .” And it was so . 25 God made the wild an i mals u according to their kinds , the live stock ac cord ing to their kinds , and all the crea tures that move along the ground ac cord ing to their kinds . And God saw that it was good .
1:6 h Jer 10:12
1:7 i Job 38:8-11 , 16 ; Ps 148:4
1:9 j Job 38:8-11 ; Ps 104:6-9 ; Pr 8:29 ; Jer 5:22 ; 2Pe 3:5
1:11 k Ps 65:9-13 ; 104:14
1:14 l Ps 74:16 m Jer 10:2 n Ps 104:19
1:16 o Ps 136:8 p Ps 136:9 q Job 38:7 ,
31-32 ; Ps 8:3 ; Isa 40:26
1:18 r Jer 33:20 , 25 1:21 s Ps 104:25‐26 1:22 t ver 28 ; Ge 8:17 1:25 u Jer 27:5
1:6 vault . Has the root idea of a beaten metal plate ; can also be translated “ expanse ” or “ firmament .” The Hebrew noun customarily carries the sense of the heavens or sky , where the sun , moon , and stars are found ( vv . 14 – 17 ; Ps 19:1 ; Dan 12:3 ) and across which the birds fly ( v . 20 ). The heavens also serve as the place where God lives ( Ps 150:1 ) and as what lies above this world but beneath the divine throne ( Ezek 1:22 – 26 ; 10:1 ). At the time Genesis was written , people thought the sky resembled a great dome or vault stretching from horizon to horizon . 1:7 separated . The act of separation on the second day is between “ the water under the vault ” and “ the water above it .” While God will again address the water under the sky , the water above this vault will not recur until 7:11 . 1:9 – 10 water under the sky . . . dry ground . . . “ land ” . . . “ seas .” God creates the second ( land ) and third ( seas ) domains that will support life . gathered . The term emphasizes that the seas and dry ground are distinct . This recalls the destructive power of these waters to flood coastal towns and cities , and the limits that God has imposed . This boundary completes the three separate domains : sky , seas , and land . These are the three arenas in which movement and life take place . 1:11 – 13 These verses describe the last preparations for the coming of animal and human life . Producing the food that the living creatures will consume ( vv . 29 – 30 ) forms the final element in the great landscape that the divine artist has created . 1:11 seed-bearing plants and trees . . . fruit with seed in it . God enables plant life to reproduce . On the one hand , plants bear food not because people use the correct magic rituals to invoke gods of storm ( e . g ., Baal ) and goddesses of fertility ( e . g ., Asherah ). Rather , God creates food with its own power to reproduce within his world , so it does not run out . This envisions abundant food to provide for all the life that God creates ( cf . the garden in chs . 2 – 3 ). according to their various kinds . This may refer either to each species , or “ kind ,” of plant reproducing in accordance with its parent plant ( e . g ., beans do not produce corn ) or to “ many kinds ” of plants and trees ( e . g ., “ many kinds ” in Ezek 47:10 ). 1:14 – 19 The creation of the sun , moon , and stars continues the theme of the first day ( separating day from night ), but here the purpose is “ to mark sacred times , and days and years ” ( v . 14 ). The emphasis now shifts from providing the background domains in which created things can move to filling these domains . Thus , “ fill ” is not used for vegetation in vv . 11 – 13 , but it appears in vv . 22,28 to describe the creation of animals and people . Beginning with the domain that is farthest away , God fills the sky with the sun , moon , and stars . A second purpose is to “ give light on the earth ” ( v . 15 ). 1:16 two great lights . The sun and moon . The ancients worshiped the sun and moon as divine , so this creation account distinguishes the God of the Bible as the one who created and controls the sun and moon . 1:17 set them in the vault of the sky to give light . A further manifestation of God ’ s sovereignty . He controls where they are and what they do . God — not the sun and moon as gods — is responsible for the days , months , and years . 1:20 – 23 It is only on the fifth day , after God produces the necessary backgrounds , that living creatures appear . The fifth day corresponds to the sky and waters on the second day : God fills the sky with birds and the waters with fish . 1:20 teem . It points to a key element of this creation account : life is abundant and fills the world . 1:21 the great creatures of the sea . May refer to snakes ( Exod 7:9 – 12 ) or sea monsters ( Ps 74:13 ; Isa 27:1 ). creatures . Plural in Hebrew , but the rest of ch . 1 collectively uses the Hebrew singular to identify entire groups : plant and tree ( v . 11 ); living creature and bird ( v . 20 ); domestic animal , creature that moves along the ground , and wild animal ( v . 24 ). Perhaps “ creatures ” refers not to a large group but to a few specific animals such as large and more feared sea creatures . God creates them and has complete power over them . according to their kinds . As in vv . 11 – 12 ( see note on v . 11 ), this can describe all kinds of creatures . 1:22 Be fruitful and increase . God creates life and wants it to fill the earth . 1:24 – 25 God creates land animals on the sixth day , which corresponds to dry land appearing on the third day . The animals fit in three categories : “ the livestock , the creatures that move along the ground , and the wild animals ” ( v . 24 ). The first and third categories distinguish domestic and wild animals . The second group includes insects , reptiles , and other animals that remain close to the ground .