(My English Translation from the original Hebrew)

(Source of the Hebrew Text: Eep Talstra, ed. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia with ETCBC Morphology (German Bible Society, 2014))

1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

1:2 When the earth was a formless and desolate void[1], darkness[2] was upon the face of the deep[3], but the Spirit of God was brooding[4] over the face of the waters.

1:3 Then God said, “Be light!” And there was light.

1:4 And God perceived the light as truly good. Then God caused a division[5] between the light and the darkness.[6]

1:5 God called the light ‘day’ and the darkness he called ‘night’. There was evening and then there was morning: Day One.  

1:6 And God said, “Let there be a firmament[7] in the midst of the water, let it divide between waters in regard to waters.”

1:7 Then God made the firmament and divided between the waters which were from under the firmament and the waters which were from above the firmament: and it was so.  

1:8 And God called the firmament ‘heavens’ and there was evening and there was morning: the second day.  

1:9 Then God said, “Let the waters from under the heavens be collected into one place and let the dry land appear.” And it became so.

1:10 And God called the dry land ‘earth’, and the collected waters he called ‘sea’. And God saw[8] that it was good.

1:11 Then God said, “Sprout[9] from the earth grass, plants yielding seed, fruit trees bearing fruit, in which their seed is to its own kind upon the earth.” And it was so.

1:12 And the earth brought forth vegetation, herbs yielding seed to their own kind and trees bearing fruit in which their seed is to their own kind. And God saw that it was good.

1:13 And there was evening, and there was morning: the third day.  

1:14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate[10] between the day and between the night. And let them be for signs[11] and for seasons and for days and years.

1:15 And let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens for light upon the earth.” And it was so.

1:16 And God made two lights – the greater light to rule the day and the smaller light to rule the night – and the stars.

1:17 And God put them in the firmament of the heavens for light upon the earth,

1:18 to rule in the day and in the night and to separate[12] between the light and the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

1:19 And it was evening and it was morning: the fourth day.

1:20 And God said, “Let the waters swarm with living creatures, and let birds fly[13] above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.”

1:21 And God created the great sea creatures and all living creatures that move, which swarm the waters according to their kind[14], and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

1:22 And God blessed[15] them, saying, “Be fruitful and become numerous and fill the waters in the seas and rivers, and let the birds multiply on the earth.”

1:23 And there was evening and there was morning: the fifth day.

1:24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth[16] living creatures in regard to their kind – livestock and creeping animals in regard to their kinds.” And it was so.

1:25 And God made the beasts of the land each to their kind and the livestock in regard to their kind and all that creeps upon the ground in regard to their kind. And God saw that it was good.

1:26 And God said, “Let us make[17] human beings in our image, according to our likeness and dominion[18] with fish of the sea, and with birds of the heavens, and with animals in all of the earth and with all of the creeping animals that creep upon the earth.  

1:27 And God created humanity in his image; in the image of God, he created them; male and female he created them.[19]

1:28 Then God blessed[20] them and God said to them, “Bear fruit and multiply and fill the earth and subdue[21] it and rule over fish of the sea and over birds of the heavens and with all living things that move upon the land.  

1:29 And God said, “Behold! I have given to you all of the plants yielding seed upon the face of all the earth and all of the fruit of the trees that yield seed for you to have for food.

1:30 And to every beast of the land and to every bird of the heavens and to all that creeps upon the earth which has the breath of life, all green plants are for food.” And it was so.

1:31 And God perceived all that was made, and behold, it was very good. And it was evening and it was morning: the sixth day.

2:1 Thus, the heavens and the earth were completed[22] and all of the host of them.

2:2 And on the seventh day God completed[23] his work which he had done; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done.  

2:3 So God blessed[24] the seventh day and made it holy because in it, God rested from all his work that he had done in regard to creation.

References:

Brown, Francis, S. R. Driver and Charles A. Briggs, The Brown, Driver, Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon: With an Appendix Containing the Biblical Aramaic. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson, 2023.

Goldingay, John. ‘Genesis,’ in Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Pentateuch. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2020.

Mounce, William D. Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2006.

Pratico, Gary Davis, and Miles V. Van Pelt. 2019. Basics of Biblical Hebrew Grammar. Third [completely revised] edition. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan.

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[1] Empty and void refer to a state of total chaos. (Mounce, 902)

[2] Darkness can be synonymous to gloom and despair. The word חֹ֖שֶׁךְ can represent literal, metaphorical or both forms of darkness synonymously. (Mounce, 154-155).  

[3] תְה֑וֹם can also be translated ‘abyss’ (Brown, Driver, Briggs, 1062) and associated with darkness, secrecy, controlled by mysterious powers.  

[4] מְרַחֶ֖פֶת Could be translated as ‘hovering’ but brooding demonstrates the contemplative action of God here. (Brown, Driver, Briggs, 934)  

[5] The verb יַּבְדֵּ֣ל is Hiphil, indicating a causative action relating to God separating the light and darkness.

[6] Darkness here suggests a sense of obscurity.

[7] The noun רָקִ֖יעַ can be translated ‘firmament’ or ‘expanse’ and refers to the vault of heaven, regarded by the Hebrews as solid and supporting waters above it. (Brown, Driver, Briggs, 956)  

[8] רָאָה The root verb translated ‘see’ carries with it the connotation of perception and approval. God perceives his creative work to be good and indicates his approval. (Pratico and Van Pelt, 476)

[9] תַּֽדְשֵׁ֤א is a verb in the Hiphil stem indicating causative action. The Hiphil form suggests that God is the direct cause to the grass and plants sprouting from the earth, an action caused by his creative speech.  

[10] The verb לְהַבְדִּ֕יל is Hiphil, indicating a causative action relating to God separating day and night.

[11] A sign always communicates meaning, pointing to something beyond itself. Signs are seen here as part of creation itself, God providing a means by which creation and time interact through inseparable cyclic relationships. The dimension of time is in itself is part of creation and God alongside the signs given to study and manage it.       

[12] The verb לְהַבְדִּ֕יל is Hiphil, indicating a causative action relating to God separating light and darkness.

[13] The verb יְעוֹפֵ֣ף translated ‘fly’ is in the piel stem indicating an active intensive form of the verb. Perhaps the piel form of the verb carries images of birds soaring majestically through the air, creating a sight to behold in God’s handiwork.  

[14] מִין translate kind should be understood in terms of species. For each verse that includes the phrase ‘in regard to it’s kind’ it should be understood as ‘according to its own species’. (Brown, Driver, Briggs, 568) 

[15] The verb בָּרַךְ translated ‘blessed’ is in the piel stem indicating an active intensive form of the verb. Elohim’s active and intensive action in blessing his creation here further reflects his perception that his creation is good in his sight.  

[16] תּוֹצֵ֨א is a verb in the Hiphil stem, indicating a causative action, God being the cause of these living creatures being brought forth on the earth. This is not a random chance event but a creative speech act of God who calls his creation into being.   

[17] נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה is translated ‘let us make’ because נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה is in a plural form. As this refers to God as the subject of the verb ‘make’ it raises the question as to the trinitarian nature of God being implied here. Is the creation to be seen as a shared trinitarian work between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Goldingay, while acknowledging this proposal as interesting, suggests that the original hearers of the Genesis account would not have made such a connection. Rather the plural should be understood as similar to a royal ‘we’, underlining the authority of God’s command. John Goldingay, ‘Genesis,’ in Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Pentateuch (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2020), 35.    

[18] The Hebrew here alludes to God’s dominion over creation now being a dominion shared with humanity.

[19] Goldingay translates this verse as: ‘So God created humanity in his own image; he created it in the image of God; he created them male and female.’ (Goldingay, ‘Genesis,’ 19) Goldingay suggests that the thrice repeated ‘created’ emphasises the significance of what has occurred on this day. (Goldingay, ‘Genesis,’ 37)   

[20] וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ which is translated ‘he blessed’ has the verb in the piel form. God’s blessing of his newly created human beings is, therefore, an intense blessing, expressed in an active voice. It is a blessing exclusive to humanity as God’s image bearers, a blessing not given to the rest of creation.   

[21] The verb כִבְשֻׁ֑ translated ‘subdue’ can also be translated ‘rape’. In the context of this passage it is not a sexual word, rather, it brings out God’s intention for humanity to use the earth for their needs.  

[22] יְכֻלּ֛וּ which is translated as completed or finished is a verb in the pual stem meaning it expresses an intensive action in a passive voice. This emphasises a great climax to the completion of his creative work. It is finished!     

[23] Here the word יְכַ֤ל translated as completed or finished is a verb in the piel stem indicating an intensive action in an active voice. This emphasises the finality of God’s work from which he now enters a day of rest.

[24] יְבָ֤רֶךְ translated ‘he blessed’ has the verb בָּרַךְ in the piel stem indicating an intensive action in an active voice. This shows the significance of God’s blessing of the seventh day; his creation work culminating in the inauguration of the Sabbath rest which God’s people are called to enjoy as they rest in the hands of their creative God.