01-00
The Creation
This title can also be translated as: “About how God made the world” or “How did God make the world?”
01-01
the beginning
This could mean ‘the beginning of all things,’ before anything existed except God.
created
This term here means that God made it from nothing.
the universe
This includes everything that God created on the earth and in the heavens, both visible and invisible things.
the earth
The word earth refers to the whole world that people live on.
dark
It was completely dark. There was no light at all, since God had not yet created light.
empty
God had not yet created anything except for the bare earth covered by water.
he had not yet formed anything in it
There were no distinguishing features–just water covering everything.
God’s Spirit
The Spirit of God, sometimes called the Holy Spirit, was present in the beginning, moving freely over the earth in order to create all that he had planned to do.
01-02
God said
God created light by means of a simple verbal command.
Then God said, “Let there be light!”
This is direct quotation. It can also be stated as an indirect quotation: “Then God said that there should be light.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/BSA/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-quotations/01.md]])
Let there be light!
The result of this command happened immediately because it was spoken by God. It may be more natural to translate this as a statement of certainty that this would definitely happen. For example, you could translate this as: “There shall be light.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/BSA/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-imperative/01.md]])
light
This was a special light that God created. The sun was not created until later.
was good
This phrase is often repeated through the Creation story, and emphasizes that each stage of creation was pleasing to God and accomplished his plan and purpose.
creation
This word is used here to refer to the six-day period during which God brought into being everything that exists.
01-03
the second day
God’s work of creation was orderly, purposeful, and sequential. The things he created each day built upon and depended on the acts of the previous days.
Let there be an expanse above the waters
God created the sky by speaking a command.
sky
This term refers to all of the space above the earth, including the air we breathe and the heavens.
01-04
the third day
The next in the series of orderly days in which God prepared the earth for life
Let the water come together in one place and the dry land appear
God created the dry land by speaking a command.
earth
This word is used here to refer to dirt or soil, which is what dry land is made of.
created
This word is used here in the sense of making something out of nothing.
01-05
Then God said, “Let the earth produce all kinds of trees and plants.”
This is direct quotation. It can also be stated as an indirect quotation: “Then God said that the earth should produce all kinds of trees and plants.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/BSA/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-quotations/01.md]])
God said
God created all vegetation by speaking a command.
Let the earth produce all kinds of trees and plants
The result of this command happened immediately because it was spoken by God. It may be more natural to translate this as a statement of certainty that this would definitely happen. For example, you could translate this as: “The earth will produce all kinds of trees and plants.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/BSA/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-imperative/01.md]])
all kinds
The many different species, or types, of plants and trees.
created
This word is used here in the sense of making something out of nothing.
was good
This phrase is often repeated through the Creation story, and emphasizes that each stage of creation was pleasing to God and accomplished his plan and purpose.
01-06
the fourth day
the next in the orderly series of days in which God created
Let there be lights in the sky
God created the sun, moon, and stars by speaking a command.
light
Shining objects in the sky now provided light for the earth.
day and night, seasons and years
God created different lights to mark days, nights, seasons, and years. He divides time periods which are indicated by the positions of the lights. These periods are cyclical and continue until the end of time.
created
This word is used here in the sense of making something out of nothing.
01-07
the fifth day
God continues his orderly progression of creation that he started during the previous four days.
Let living things fill the waters, and birds fly in the sky
God created water creatures and the birds by speaking a command.
everything that swims
God not only made fish, but every kind of living thing that lives in the waters. Every one exists because God chose to create it.
all the birds
God did not make just one kind of bird, but all of the amazing variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and kinds of birds.
it was good
This phrase is repeated throughout creation to show that every step went exactly according to God’s wise plan and purpose.
blessed them
God speaks his desire that they would prosper and that things would go well for them in the world in which he had placed them.
01-08
the sixth day
the next event in a continuing, orderly progression of days and creative acts
Let there be all kinds of land animals!
The result of this command happened immediately because it was spoken by God. It may be more natural to translate this as a statement of certainty that this would definitely happen. For example, you could translate this as: “There will be all kinds of land animals!” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/BSA/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-imperative/01.md]])
all kinds
This indicates a great variety, but also order.
land animals
Every kind of animal that lived on the land, as opposed to the birds, or animals that live in the seas.
farm animals
The kinds of land animals that commonly live peacefully with people—as in tame, or domesticated, animals.
crawled on the ground
This probably includes reptiles and possibly insects.
wild
The kinds of animals that do not normally live peacefully with people, usually because they are afraid of people, or dangerous to them.
it was good
This phrase is repeated throughout creation to show that every step went exactly according to God’s wise plan and purpose.
01-09
Let us make
This indicates God’s deliberate, willful decision to create man in a particular way for a particular purpose. You could translate this as: “We will make.”
us…our…us
The Bible teaches that there is one God, but the Old Testament word God is a plural form, and God uses plural pronouns when speaking to himself. Some understand this as a special way of speaking that expresses God’s majesty, and others understand this as God the Father speaking to the Son and the Spirit, who are all God. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/BSA/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-pronouns/01.md]])
in our image
An image is a physical representation of someone or something. Humans were made in such a way that we display or represent some of the qualities or traits of God.
in our image to be like us
The two phrases, in our image and like us are a doublet. They means almost the same thing. Together, they emphasize that man was to be very much like God, although not exactly the same. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/BSA/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-doublet/01.md]])
like us
Humans share some of God’s characteristics, but not all of his qualities. This phrase should be translated with words that show man is similar to God, but not equal with him, nor the same as he is.
rule over
God gave people the right and power to manage, guide, and control how the earth and the animals will be used.
01-10
took some soil
God made man from the dust, or dry soil from the ground. This word should probably be different from the general word used for earth.
formed it
This word expresses that God personally fashioned the man in the same way that a person shapes something with his hands. Make sure that a different word from ‘create’ is used. Note that this is very different from how he created everything else through a simple spoken command.
a man
Only the man was made at this time; the woman was made later by a different method.
breathed life
This phrase expresses God’s very personal, intimate action as he transferred life from himself into Adam’s body, comparing this to how a human being breathes out air.
life
In this event, God breathed both physical and spiritual life into the man.
Adam
Adam’s name is the same as the Old Testament word for ‘man,’ and similar to the word for soil, the substance from which he was formed.
a large garden
An area of land planted with trees and plants for a purpose–usually to produce food or to provide beauty.
to care for it
To maintain the garden by preparing soil, planting, tending, and harvesting.
01-11
In the middle
The central location emphasizes the importance of the two trees.
the garden
An area of land planted with trees and plants for a purpose–usually to produce food or to provide beauty.
the tree of life
Anyone who ate fruit from this tree would never die.
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
The fruit of this tree could enable a person to know both good and evil.
knowledge
To know or understand by personal experience.
good and evil
Evil is the opposite of good. Just as good refers to what is pleasing to God, evil refers to everything that is not pleasing to God.
would die
In this instance, he would die both physically and spiritually.
01-12
not good
This is the first time that anything in creation was not good. It means it was ‘not yet good’ because God was not finished with the creation of humans.
alone
Adam was the only human, with no possibility of a relationship with another person, and unable to have children and multiply.
Adam’s helper
There was no one who was similar enough to Adam to join with him to accomplish the task that God gave to him. None of the animals could do this.
01-13
a deep sleep
This was a deeper sleep than normal.
took one of Adam’s ribs and made
The verbs indicate God’s very personal act of removing the rib from Adam and shaping it into a woman.
a woman
She was the first woman, the female version of human beings that was missing until now.
brought her to him
God personally introduced them. He presented the woman to Adam, almost like offering a special gift.
01-14
At last!
Adam’s exclamation indicates that he had been waiting for something like the woman.
like me
The woman was the same type of being as Adam, even though there were important differences between them.
Woman
This word is the feminine form of the word ‘man.’
made from Man
The woman was formed directly from Adam’s own body.
a man leaves
This is stated in the present tense to indicate what would become the normal situation in the future. Adam did not have a mother or father, but all other men would.
becomes one
The husband and wife will share an intimate bond of unity and a commitment to one another that will surpass their relationships to anyone else. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/BSA/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-idiom/01.md]])
01-15
God made
God formed the man and the woman in a very personal way.
in his own image
An image is a physical representation of someone or something. God made people to display or represent some of his qualities and traits, but not to be equal to him.
very good
More intense than the it was good statements on previous days. Very good refers to all of creation, not just the man and the woman. Everything was exactly as God intended it to be.
creation
This word is used here to refer to the six-day period during which God made everything that exists.
01-16
the seventh day
The next day after the six days of creation were completed.
finished all the work that he had been doing
Specifically, God finished the work of creation. He still performs other work.
blessed the seventh day
God had a special, positive plan for the seventh day, and for every seventh day to follow.
made it holy
That is, God ‘set apart’ the day as a special day. It was not to be used in the same way as the other six days of the week.
the universe
This includes everything that God created on the earth and in the heavens, both visible and invisible things.
A Bible story from
These references may be slightly different in some Bible translations.