In the beginning . . . let him go up! Genesis 1:1a – 2 Chronicles 36:23c NASB In the beginning/ go up – These are the first and the last words of the Tanakh: be-rēʾ šît; yāâl. In the beginning God assents to descend, voluntarily creating a universe with agents who are capable of resisting…
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth Genesis 1:1 NASB In the beginning – Did you realize that the very first word in the Hebrew Bible has been the subject of intense theological interpretation rather than translation? You might have noticed that something was amiss when the JPS translation (1985) reads, “When…
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 NASB In the beginning – “The fundamental thought in the Bible is not creation, but God’s care for His creation.”[1] With that in mind, here are some studies of Genesis 1:1 during the last ten years, from newest to oldest, just in case you want…
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 NASB In the beginning – Recently we examined Heschel’s claim that this verse is not a proto-scientific statement of causality. It doesn’t tell us anything about how the world came into existence. Rather, it is a statement that God is alive, that He is sovereign,…
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 NASB In the beginning – Abraham Heschel’s two volume work, The Prophets, is undoubtedly one of the most important theological texts you can read. It’s not simply an analysis of the message of the prophets like you would find in commentaries. It is a tour…
In the beginning God created (various translations) God – I have often remarked that there is no Jewish systematic theology, but the importance of that fact is perhaps lost on an audience of Western thinkers. Most likely the subliminal explanation is simply that the ancient Hebrews were not intellectually or morally equipped to construct a…
In the beginning God created . . . Genesis 1:1 NASB God created – We have often heard the statement that the Hebraic cosmogony is different from all other ancient accounts of creation. It lacks the explicit or implicit overtones of violence, sexuality and conflict, as other ancient accounts include. It emphasizes the particular creation…
When God began to create, the heavens and the earth . . . Genesis 1:1 JPS When – For years we’ve been exploring the differences between the Near Eastern paradigm of the Bible and the Western paradigm of the Church. These differences make all the difference, particularly when we attempt to understand what the Near…
In the beginning God . . . Genesis 1:1 (various translations) God – Over the last decade I haven’t engaged very much with the typical arguments for the existence of God. There’s plenty of material written about these classical arguments, mostly to no avail since I don’t really know of anyone who was ever convinced…
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth Genesis 1:1 NASB Created – Why do we love sunsets? Or being at the ocean? Or viewing majestic mountain ranges? Do you have the same feelings when you see city streets, tall buildings or sports stadiums? Why are we so thrilled with natural beauty? Even…
