Genesis 1:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so.

NIV: And God said, 'Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.' And it was so.

NASB: Then God said, 'Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear'; and it was so.

CSB: Then God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so.

NLT: Then God said, 'Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.' And that is what happened.

KJV: And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

NKJV: Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so.

Verse 9 begins the third day of God's creation week. On this day, God continues to refine His creation by adding more detail and order to the earth. On day one, God created light and separated day from night. On day two, He created a "firmament" which we would think of as the sky. These follow the rigid structure of Genesis chapter 1: God speaks, creates, observes, declares His creation "good," and then numbers the day. Each of the first three days prepares for something God will create on a corresponding day in the second half of this creation week.

Here, in verse 9, God separates land from ocean. More specifically, He commands the waters of the earth to be gathered into "one place," and that the dry land appear. This doesn't necessarily mean that God created one single ocean, as we would understand it. However, looking at the earth as seen today, all of the "oceans" are connected into one single, massive, continuous body of water. In the next verse, these waters are called "seas." The word picture presented here is a global body of water punctuated by one or more land masses.

Once again, the emphasis is not on minute details, but a "big picture." The point of this verse, as with the rest of Genesis chapter one, is crediting God—and God alone—with the power and authority to create all we see.

As with verse 7, God's ability to create is understated, using the Hebrew phrase wa yehi kēn: "and it was so." For God, this act of creation is no more or less complex than this: He commands, and it is so. We stand in awe at the power being described here. With a sentence, God brings dry, habitable land to the earth, ready to support the abundance of life that He is about to create.

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.