- 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 _'achărı̂̂yth_ Isaiah 46:1. בראשׁית _rê'shı̂̂yth_, “in the beginning,” is always used in reference to time.... [ Continue Reading ]
- II. The Land היה _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 _y__e__hiy_ _'ôr_, “... [ Continue Reading ]
- III. The First Day 3. 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... [ Continue Reading ]
- IV. The Second Day 6. 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... [ Continue Reading ]
- V. The Third Day 9. 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 _p__e_ [ Continue Reading ]
- VI. The Fourth Day 14. מאור _mā'ôr_, “a light, a luminary, a center of radiant light.” מועה _mô‛ēd_, “set time, season.” Words beginning with a formative מ _m_usually signify that in which the simple quality resides or is realized. Hence, they often denote place. 17. נתן _nāthan_ “give, h... [ Continue Reading ]
- VII. The Fifth Day 20. 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, “... [ Continue Reading ]
- VIII. The Sixth Day 24. בהמה _b__e__hēmâh_, “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 plura... [ Continue Reading ]