Genesis 1:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so.

NIV: So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so.

NASB: God made the expanse, and separated the waters that were below the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse; and it was so.

CSB: So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above the expanse. And it was so.

NLT: And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens.

KJV: And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

NKJV: Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.

In the previous verse, God spoke words of creation, and in this verse He fulfills those words exactly. Throughout the Bible, God speaking a thing and doing a thing are inseparable. In this case, that created thing is the atmosphere, or sky, or vault, or heaven, depending on the translation, which is placed between the seas below and some layer of "waters" above. The Hebrew term used in both verses is rā'qi'a, implying something which lifts or supports. The image of Hebrew thinking was waters below, and waters above, separated by the "firmament" of the sky. Scholars have offered various interpretations of what the waters above the firmament are meant to represent.

The ability of God to create is understated here using the Hebrew phrase wa yehi kēn, literally meaning, "and it was so." As much as God's existence is treated as obvious and necessary (Exodus 3:14), His power and ability is also not given much detail. Rather, the focus is simply on the basic fact: God intended to create, stated His intention, and then what He intended to occur actually occurred. Regardless of interpretation, this basic idea cannot be separated from the biblical text.

Genesis 1:1–13 describes the first three days of creation. These follow a common pattern. First, God speaks, then He creates, then names His creation, then declares that creation ''good.'' Finally, the day is numbered. Each of these first three days prepares creation for what God will create in the second three days. Day one creates light, night and day, preparing for the sun and moon on day four. Day two creates the oceans, preparing for sea creatures on day five. Day three creates land and plants, preparing for animals and humans on day six.

Genesis 1 is nothing less than a bare-bones claim that God created the universe. Setting all of the debates on models and interpretations aside, the chapter undeniably insists on one thing: God means to be known as the Creator of all things. Written in the original Hebrew language according to a rigid, poetic structure, the chapter unfolds in a series of patterns and revelations. For those who believe these words, our response should be nothing less than to worship our Maker.

Genesis 1 is the first chapter of what came to be known as the Pentateuch: the first five books of the Bible. Likely written by Moses, Genesis 1 begins the story of God and His relationship with His people Israel. The role of God as Creator is not only important for setting up His work in later chapters, but also in His supremacy and authority for all of the other words of the Scriptures. God intends first to be known to all peoples as the Creator of all things—from sun, moon, and stars, to human life itself. And as the Creator, He is owed worship by all He has made, including and especially human beings

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.