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Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

Genesis 1:1-5

Beginnings

Genesis 1:1

All beginnings must begin with God. Always put God first. The first stone in every building, our first thought every morning, the first aim and purpose of all activity. Begin the book of the year with God, and you will end it with the glory of the New Jerusalem. At first, as in the physical creation, your heart and life may seem to be “without form and void.” Do not be discouraged, the Spirit of God is within you, brooding amid the darkness, and presently His Light will shine through. It is the blessed presence of the Lord Jesus that stirs in your heart and will presently rule your life, John 1:4. His Presence divides between the good and evil. You must distinguish between Christ and self. Follow the gleam, and you shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. God's days begin in evenings, and always end in mornings.

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See also Genesis 1:1-5 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    THE FIRST BOOK OF MOSES CALLED GENESIS -Year before the common era of Christ, 4004. -Julian Period, 710. -Cycle of the Sun, 10. -Dominical Letter, B. -Cycle of the Moon, 7. -Indiction, 5....

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    - Section I - The Creation - The Absolute Creation ראשׁית _rḕshı̂̂yt_, the “head-part, beginning” of a thing, in point of time Genesis 10:1, or value Proverbs 1:7. Its opposite is אחרית '

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    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 questio...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    A. THE PRIESTLY STORY OF CREATION. This section belongs to the Priestly Document (P). This is shown by the use of several of its characteristic terms, by the constant repetition of the formulæ, and by...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    Since the formula These are the generations of is usually placed by P at the beginning of a section, whereas here it occurs at the end (Genesis 2:4_a_), it is thought by many that its present position...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The Beginning of all Things, and the First Creation Day 1. _In the beginning B'rêshîth_: LXX ἐν ἀρχῇ : Lat. _in principio_. This opening word expresses the idea of the earliest time imaginable. It co...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    This verse may be understood as a general introduction to the account of the creation, which Moses is about to give; asserting, in confutation of all who held the eternity or fortuitous formation of t...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PART FIVE: THE BEGINNING OF THE BEGINNINGS Genesis 1:1 _In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth_. 1. What is the relation of this verse to the Creation Narrative as a whole? (1) It co...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH._ In the beginning God. The Hebrew word х_ 'ELOHIYM_ (H430)], from its derivation and use, signifies 'strong,' 'mighty;' and hence, though other...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    1:1 God (a-4) Heb. _ Elohim_ , the plural of _ Eloah_ , 'the Supreme'. It is Deity in the absolute sense. _ Elohim_ will, in the text, appear only in the name of _ Jehovah Elohim_ ; moreover, when _...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    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...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    ‘The sky and the earth’ means everything. God made the sky and the earth out of nothing. Before he did that, only God existed. ‘To create’ means to make something that is completely new. This chapter...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ ABOUT GENESIS Many people think that Moses wrote Genesis. If he did, other people probably helped him. And if he did, he may have used some of the words o...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    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,...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THE CREATIVE WEEK (Genesis 1:1 to Genesis 2:3). (1) IN THE BEGINNING. — Not, as in John 1:1, “from eternity,” but in the beginning of this sidereal system, of which our sun, with its attendant planets...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    בְּ רֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַ שָּׁמ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE CREATION Genesis 1:1; Genesis 2:1 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 plan...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The opening sentence of the Book of Genesis is an interpretation of the fact "that what is seen hath not been made out of things which do appear" Hebrews 11:3), and accounts for the things which are s...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    "GOD CREATED" It should be noted the writer of this account is not concerned with science. However, no proven fact of science contradicts any scripture. The expression "and God" is used 28 times in Ge...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    In the (a) beginning God created the heaven and the earth. The Argument - Moses in effect declares three things, which are in this book chiefly to be considered: First, that the world and all things i...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Beginning. As St. Matthew begins his Gospel with the same title as this work, the Book of the Generation, or Genesis, so St. John adopts the first words of Moses, in the beginning; but he considers a...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. In the beginning; - that is the beginning of time; for from eternity, Jehovah himself subsisted in his threefold character of Persons, revealed i...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    There is one characteristic of divine revelation to which attention may be profitably called as a starting point. We have to do with facts. The Bible alone is a revelation of facts, and, we can add (n...

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _THE BEGINNING_ ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’ Genesis 1:1 I. WHAT IS MEANT BY CREATION? The giving being to that which before was not. The expression, ‘the heavens and t...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    1._In the beginning. _To expound the term “beginning,” of Christ, is altogether frivolous. For Moses simply intends to assert that the world was not perfected at its very commencement, in the manner i...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Let us examine then the contents of this book in order. First, we have the creation creation in which man is found placed on earth as centre and head. We have first the WORK of God, and then the REST...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH. By the heaven some understand the supreme heaven, the heaven of heavens, the habitation of God, and of the holy angels; and this being made perfe...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Ver. 1. _In the beginning._] A BEGINNING there was then, whatever Aristotle _a_ fancied of the world's eternity. So true is that of a learned It...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    [THE CREATION OF THE WORLD.] 1 The creation of Heauen and Earth, 3 of the light, 6 of the firmament, 9 of the earth separated from the waters, 11 and made fruitfull, 14 of the Sunne, Moone, and...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The Creation of Chaos and Light...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. In the beginning, Cf John 1:1, that is, when time first began, when time was first measured; for as long as God alone existed, there was no time....

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    THE GENESIS OF THE WORLD AND OF THE PRIMITIVE TIME OF THE HUMAN RACE, AS THE GENESIS OF THE PRIMITIVE RELIGION UNTIL THE DEVELOPMENT OF HEATHENDOM, AND OF ITS ANTITHESIS IN THE GERMINATING PATRIARCHAL...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    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 mank...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1,2 The first verse of the Bible gives us a satisfying and useful account of the origin of the earth and the heavens. The faith of humble Christians understands this better than the fancy of the most...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    _ BC 4004_ IN THE BEGINNING, to wit, of time and things, in the first place, before things were distinguished and perfected in manner hereafter expressed. Or the sense is this, The beginning of the w...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    There is something peculiarly striking in the manner in which the Holy Ghost opens this sublime book. He introduces us, at once, to God, in the essential fullness of His Being, and the solitariness of...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Genesis 1:1 beginning H7225 God H430 created H1254 (H8804) H853 heavens H8064 and H853 earth H776...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.' GOD CREATES THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM (GENESIS 1:1; GENESIS 2:1 A). “In the beginning”. This phrase is signifying the...

  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

    NOTE: For Index to Scofield Materials (_ See Scofield) - (Hosea 4:9); (Hosea 5:14). _ GOD "Elohim" (sometimes "El" or "Elah"), English form "God," the first of the three primary names of Deity, is...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Genesis 1 It is possible that God made at first only one kind of matter, the germ of all the universe. Indeed, Scripture seems to hint this in the sublime record of the origin of light: "And God said...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Genesis 1:1 I. What is meant by creation? The giving being to that which before was not. The expression, "the heavens and the earth," is the most exhaustive phrase the Hebrews could employ to name the...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Genesis 1:1. _In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth._ When that «beginning» was, we cannot tell. It may have been long ages before God fitted up this world for the abode of man, but i...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Original creation and the renovating of earth for habitation of man. Creation of animal and human life. CHARACTERS: God, Genesis 1:1. Spirit, Genesis 1:2. Christ, Genesis 1:26 (See...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth_ THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF CREATION In considering the subject of creation we see, first of all, that a distinction must be drawn between what...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 1:1 Primeval History. Genesis 1:1 surveys the history of the world before Abraham, while chs....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— Genesis 1:1. In the beginning] Or, “at first,” “originally,” “to start with:” Sept. _en archê_ (εν αρχῃ) as in John 1:1. GOD] Heb. _’Elohim_ (אֱלֹהִים): w. ref. to this frequent and...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION I. THAT this initial section is not _history _is apparent from the circumstance that the occurrences it describes belong to a period of time which antedates the dawn of history. That it is...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Shall we now turn in our Bibles to Genesis chapter one, verse one? The word Genesis in Hebrew means "beginning." And so, it is "the book of the beginnings", and in Genesis we find the beginning of the...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    beginning. Proverbs 8:22 Proverbs 16:4 Mark 13:19 John 1:1 Hebrews 1:10...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    THE ALPHA AND OMEGA OF CREATION Genesis 1:1; _Revelation 21:1_ INTRODUCTORY WORDS 1. Genesis and Revelation contrasted. The Book of Genesis is commonly known as the Book of beginnings. It is there t...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    IN THE BEGINNING GOD Genesis 1:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS In these days of humanizing God, we need to give more time to the study of God's eternity. The Bible opens with the expression, "In the beginning...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT Genesis 1:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS We have a very interesting study to set before you today. Most of us realize how vital a part the Holy Spirit plays in our own exp...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Observe here. 1. The effect produced, The heaven and the earth — That is, the world, including the whole frame and furniture of the universe. But 'tis only the visible part of the creation that Moses...

  • When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties, Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe, 1960

    How can the universe have a “beginning” when modern science says energy is eternal? PROBLEM: According to the First Law of Thermodynamics, “Energy can neither be created nor destroyed.” If this is so,...

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