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The First Book of Moses, called Genesis.

GNV 1 God created the heaven and the earth.

1 In the beginning God created heaven, and earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And a wind[a] from God moved[b] over the waters.

GNV 3 The light and the darkness,)

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

4 And God saw that the light was good, therefore God divided[a] between the light and between[b] the darkness.

5 And God called the light “day”, and the darkness he called “night”. And there was morning and there was evening: day one.

GNV 8 The firmament,

6 And God said, Let there be a firmament[a] in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7 And God made the firmament, and divided between the waters which were under the firmament and between[a] the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.

8 And God called the firmament “heaven”; and there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

GNV 9 He separateth the water from the earth.

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

10 And God called the dry land “earth”; and the gathering together of the waters he called “seas”; and God saw that it was good.

11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth green herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, with seeds inside, upon the earth; and it was so.

12 And the earth brought forth green herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with seeds inside, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.

13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.

GNV 16 He createth the sun, the moon, and the stars.

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them serve as signs, and for seasons, and for days and years,

15 and let them serve as luminaries in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth;” and it was so.

16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night and the stars.

17 And God set them in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth,

18 and to govern over the day and over the night, and to divide between the light and between the darkness; and God saw that it was good.

19 And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

GNV 21 He createth the fish, birds, beasts,

20 And God said, “Let the waters teem with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open firmament of the heavens.”

21 And God created the great whales, and every living and moving creature, with which the waters teemed after their kinds, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.

22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, and multiply; fill the waters of the seas, and let the birds be multiplied upon the earth.”

23 And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

GNV 26 He createth man, and giveth him rule over all creatures,

24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind, cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their kind,” and it was so.

25 And God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that moves upon the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.

26 And God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that moves upon the earth.”

27 So God created man in his own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

28 And God blessed them, and said unto them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth; and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing[a] that moves upon the earth.”

GNV 29 And provideth nurture for man and beast.

29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every green herb bearing seed upon the face of the earth, and every tree bearing fruit yielding seed; to you it shall be for food;

30 Likewise to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the heavens, and to everything that moves upon the earth, wherein there is life[a], I have given every green herb for food;” and it was so.

31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

[1] The name of God used here is 430. “elohim” (אֱלֹהִ֑ים, ’ĕ-lō-hîm) as printed in the Masoretic text. This name will be used throughout Genesis chapter 1 and until Genesis 2:4.

[1a] Ruach Ha-Kodesh; the breath of God. The Christian translation is usually “the Spirit of God” (compare with Deuteronomy 4:15 et.) As far as I am aware this rationale for the tn is original among English versions.

[4a] revert to kjv; separated? Knowing God through his actions, we see that one of God's actions is the act of separating the light (which was found to be good) from the darkness. Therefore, one of God's actions is to choose good over what is not good.

[4b] This follows the hebrew word order and supports cross references and commentary such as Isaiah 45:7.

[5] The Hebrew text uses the ordinal number 'one' versus the cardinal number 'first' to indicate God's oneness. Rashi continues that the angels were not created until the second day thus this could be given a second reading of 'the day of the One and Only' as well.

[6a] Genesis 1:6 Hebrew 'expanse'.

[7a] “ū-ḇên” (and between) as noted (see 1:4, 1:14).

[9] A theological point here is that just as God set the proper limits for the level of the water, he set the proper limits for everything else; the right amount of oxygen in the air, for example, to support the rest of his creation. I.E. he had the rest of his creation in mind when he did this (including Human beings).

[10] We will use 'bring forth' (KJV) versus 'put forth' (ASV). We like YLT's yield, but this word is used elsewhere in the verse and the passage, so we still have that word and it's meaning clearly shown.

[11,12] We will alter the wording here towards WEB with 'with their seed' and say “with seeds inside..after their kind'. This is a reading seeingly closer to the Hebrew than the Stone Edition and I think that's cool.

[14] see 1:4, 1:7.

[21a] ne·p̄eš ḥay·yāh “living creatures”

[24a] ne·p̄eš ḥay·yāh “living creatures”

[28a] 2416.ḥay·yāh “living thing”

[30a] ne·p̄eš ḥay·yāh “the breath of life”

[31] Genesis 1 discusses the first six days of creation and by this numbering does not discuss the seventh day (see notes for Genesis 2).

[2] Isaiah 45:7 [2a] Genesis 8:1, Deuteronomy 4:15-18 [2b] Deuteronomy 32:10-11

[1:1:1] h.ברא אלהים “God [Elohim] created” — It does not state 'ברא ה “The LORD (Yaweh) created, because at first God intended to create it (the world) to be placed under the attribute (rule) of strict justice, but He realised that the world could not thus endure and therefore gave precedence to Divine Mercy allying it with Divine Justice. It is to this that what is written in (Genesis 2:4) alludes — “In the day that the LORD God [Yaweh Elohim] made earth and heaven”.

[1:2:1] h.תהו ובהו “Desolate and void” — The word תהו signifies astonishment and amazement, for a person would have been astonished and amazed at its emptiness.

[1:2:3] h.בהו “void” — The word signifies emptiness and empty space.

[1:2:4] h.[על פני תהום] ON THE FACE OF THE DEEP — i. e. the waters which were upon the earth.

[1:2:5] h.[ורוח אלהים מרחפת] AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD WAS HOVERING — The throne of Divine Glory was standing in space, hovering over the face of the waters by the breath of the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, and by His command, even as a dove hovers over its nest. In old French acoveter.

[4] h.[וירא אלהים את האור כי טוב ויבדל] AND GOD SAW THE LIGHT THAT IT WAS GOOD, AND GOD CAUSED A DIVISION — Here, also, we must depend upon the statement of the Agada: He saw that the wicked were unworthy of using it (the light); He, therefore, set it apart (ויבדל), reserving it for the righteous in the world to come (Chagigah 12a). But according to the plain sense explain it thus: He saw that it was good, and that it was not seemly that light and darkness should function together in a confused manner. He therefore limited this one’s sphere of activity to the daytime, and this one’s sphere of activity to the nighttime (see Genesis Rabbah 3:6).

[5] Rashi on Genesis 1:5:1 [יום אחד] THE FIRST DAY (literally, one day) — According to the regular mode of expression used in this chapter it should be written here “first day”, just as it is written with regard to the other days “the second”, “the third”, “the fourth”. Why, then, does it write אחד “one”? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, was then the Only One (Sole Being) in His Universe, since the angels were not created until the second day. Thus it is explained in Genesis Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah 3:8).

[6] Rashi on Genesis 1:6:1 [יהי רקיע] BE THERE AN EXPANSE — Let the expansion become fixed; for although the heavens were created on the first day, they were still in a fluid form, and they became solidified only on the second day at the dread command (literally, rebuke) of the Holy One, blessed be He, when he said “Let the firmament be stable” (Genesis Rabbah 4:2). It is to this that allusion is made in what is written in (Job 26:11): “The pillars of heaven were trembling” (i. e. they were unstable) — this was during the whole of the first day — and on the second (Job 26:11): “they were astonished at His rebuke”, like a man who stands immovable, amazed at the rebuke of one who terrifies him.

[6] Rashi on Genesis 1:6:2 [בתוך המים] IN THE MIDST OF THE WATERS — In the exact centre of the waters; because there is the same distance between the upper waters and the firmament as there is between the firmament and the waters that are upon the earth. Thus you may infer that they (the upper waters) are suspended in space by the command of the King (Genesis Rabbah 4:3).

[7] Rashi on Genesis 1:7:1 [ויעש אלהים את הרקיע] AND GOD MADE THE EXPANSE — He put it in proper condition in its place: this is the meaning of “making” it. Similarly (Deuteronomy 21:12) ועשתה את צפרניה “And she shall let grow (literally, make) her nails”.

[7] Rashi on Genesis 1:7:2 מעל לרקיע ABOVE THE EXPANSE — It is not said here על הרקיע “upon the firmament״, but מעל “hanging from above”, because they (the waters) were suspended in space (Genesis Rabbah 4:3). Why is it not stated in reference to the work of the second day “that it was good”? Because the work associated with water was not completed until the third day — He only began it on the second — and anything that is not completed is not in a state of perfection and at its best (and so cannot be termed “good”). Therefore on the third day when He completed the work associated with water and another work was commenced and finished, the words כי טוב are repeated, once in reference to the completion of the work of the second day, and again in reference to the completion of the work of that day (Genesis Rabbah 4:10).

[8] Rashi on Genesis 1:8:1 ויקרא אלהים לרקיע שמים AND GOD CALLED THE EXPANSE HEAVEN — The word “שמים”, Heaven, may be regarded as made up of שא מים “Carry water”, or שם מים “There is water”, or אש ומים “Fire and water”. He mingled fire with water and of them He made the heavens (Chagigah 12a).

[9] Rashi on Genesis 1:9:1 יקוו המים THE WATERS SHALL BE DRAWN TOGETHER — For they were then spread over the surface of the whole earth, and He now gathered them together into what now constitutes the Ocean, which is the largest of all seas (Genesis Rabbah 5:2).

[10] Rashi on Genesis 1:10:1 קרא ימים CALLED HE SEAS — But does it not form one great sea? But it speaks of seas because the taste of fish which comes up from the sea at Acco is not the same as the taste of fish which comes up from the sea at Aspamia (Genesis Rabbah 5:8).

[11] Rashi on Genesis 1:11:1 תדשא הארץ דשא עשב THE EARTH SHALL SPROUT FORTH SPROUTS, HERB — דשא does not mean the same as עשב nor does עשב mean the same as דשא so that it is not a correct expression in Biblical Hebrew to say תעשיב הארץ, for the species of דשא are all different, each by itself being called this or that עשב, and it would not be linguistically correct for a speaker to say this or that דשא, for by דשא is meant that which forms the covering of the ground when it is filled with herbage.

[11] Rashi on Genesis 1:11:2 תדשא הארץ THE EARTH SHALL SPROUT FORTH [SPROUTS] — Let it be filled and covered with a garment of different grasses. In old French דשא is called herbaries; English herbage, meaning all species of herbs growing together collectively whilst each root by itself is called an עשב.

[11] Rashi on Genesis 1:11:3 — מזריע זרע YIELDING SEED — that its seed should grow within itself, so that some of it may be sown in another spot.

[11] Rashi on Genesis 1:11:4 עץ פרי FRUIT TREE — that the taste of the tree be exactly the same as that of the fruit. It did not, however, do this, but (v. 13) “the earth brought forth a tree yielding fruit” and the tree itself was not a fruit; therefore when Adam was cursed on account of his sin, it (the earth) was also visited (because of its sin) and was cursed also (Genesis Rabbah 5:9).

[11] Rashi on Genesis 1:11:5 אשר זרעו בו WHOSE SEED IS IN ITSELF — This refers to the kernels of each kind of fruit from which the tree grows when they are planted.

[12] Rashi on Genesis 1:12:1 ותוצא הארץ וגו AND THE EARTH BROUGHT FORTH etc. — Although the expression למינהו according to its kind, was not used when the various kinds of herbage were bidden to come forth, they heard that the trees were so commanded and they applied to themselves the argument à fortiore (ק”ו), as it is explained in an Aggadic passage in (Chullin 60a).

BE THERE LUMINARIES [יהי מארת] — They had been created on the first day, but on the fourth He commanded them to be suspended in the firmament (Chagigah 12a). Indeed, all the productions of heaven and earth were created on the first day, but each of them was put in its place on that day when it was so commanded. In reference to this it is written את השמים (v. 1) In the beginning God created that which was את with the heavens etc., in order to include all the productions of heaven, ואת הארץ to include all its (the earth’s) productions (Genesis Rabbah 12:4).

[14] Rashi on Genesis 1:14:2 [יהי מארת] The word is written without the ו after the א (so that it may be read מארת, cursed), because it is a cursed day when children are liable to suffer from croup. In reference to this we read (in Taanit 27b): On the fourth day of the week they used to fast to avert croup from the children (Yerushalmi Taanit 4:3).

[14] Rashi on Genesis 1:14:3 להבדיל בין היום ובין הלילה TO CAUSE A DIVISION BETWEEN THE DAY AND THE NIGHT — This took place after the primeval (divine) light was conserved for the righteous; but during the first seven [another reading is “three”] days of Creation the primeval light and darkness functioned together both by day and by night.

[14] Rashi on Genesis 1:14:4 [והיו לאותות] AND THEY SHALL BE FOR SIGNS — When the heavenly luminaries are eclipsed it is a sign of ill-omen for the world, as it is written, (Jeremiah 10:2) “Be not dismayed at the signs of heaven” — when you carry out the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, you need apprehend no calamity (Sukkah 29a).

[14] Rashi on Genesis 1:14:5 [ולמועדים] AND FOR SEASONS (FESTIVALS) — This is written with a view to the future when Israel would receive command regarding the festivals which would be calculated from the time of the lunar conjunction (Genesis Rabbah 6:1).

Rashi on Genesis 1:14:6 ולימים AND FOR DAYS — The sun functions half a day and the moon the other half — together a full day.

Rashi on Genesis 1:14:7 ושנים AND FOR YEARS — At the end of three hundred and sixty five days [another version: 365¼] they complete their course through the twelve signs of the Zodiac that attend them, and that is one year [another version: and this makes 365¼ days]; they then begin to revolve a second time in a circle similar to their first cycle.

Rashi on Genesis 1:15:1 [והיו למאורות] AND LET THEM BE FOR LIGHTS — They shall serve also this purpose, namely, to give light to the world.

Rashi on Genesis 1:16:1 [המאורות הגדולים] THE GREAT LUMINARIES — They were created of equal size, but that of the moon was diminished because she complained and said, “It is impossible for two kings to make use of one crown” (Chullin 60b).

Rashi on Genesis 1:16:2 [ואת הכוכבים] AND THE STARS — Because He diminished the moon, He increased its attendant hosts to mollify it (Genesis Rabbah 6:4).

Rashi on Genesis 1:20:1 [נפש חיה] LIVING CREATURES — Creatures that shall have vitality.

Rashi on Genesis 1:20:2 [שרץ] Every living creature that does not rise much above the ground is called שרץ, e. g., of winged creatures — flies; of abominable creatures — ants, beetles and worms; of larger creatures — the mole, snail and others of the same kind, and all fishes.

Rashi on Genesis 1:21:1 [התנינים] THE HUGE CREATURES — the large fishes that are in the sea; and according to the statement of the Agada (Bava Batra 74b) it means here the Leviathan and its consort which He created male and female. He, however, killed the female and preserved it in salt for the benefit of the righteous in the time to come, for had they been permitted to be fruitful and to multiply the world could not have endured because of them.

Rashi on Genesis 1:21:2 [נפש חיה] — that have vitality.

Rashi on Genesis 1:22:1 [ויברך אותם] AND HE BLESSED THEM — Because people decreased their number, hunting them and eating them, they needed a blessing (Genesis Rabbah 11:2); it is true that beasts also were in need of a blessing, but on account of the serpent that was to be cursed in the future, He did not bless them, in order that it might not be included in the blessing.

Rashi on Genesis 1:22:2 פרו BE FRUITFUL — פרו is of the same root as פרי, and means bring forth fruit.

Rashi on Genesis 1:22:3 ורבו AND MULTIPLY — Had He said “Be fruitful” only, one creature might have brought forth a single one, and no more, therefore He added ורבו “and multiply”, implying that one should bring forth many.

Rashi on Genesis 1:24:1 תוצא הארץ THE EARTH SHALL BRING FORTH — That is what I have explained (v. 14) that all things were created on the first day, and it was only necessary to bring them forth from the ground.

Rashi on Genesis 1:24:2 נפש חיה — that have vitality.

Rashi on Genesis 1:24:3 ורמש — It means creeping swarms that creep low upon the ground; they appear as though they are dragged along, for how they move is not discernible. What we call רמש and שרץ in our (Hebrew) language, they call in old French mouvoir; English to move.

Rashi on Genesis 1:25:1 ויעש AND HE MADE — He formed them with their full volition and in their full stature (Chullin 60a).

Rashi on Genesis 1:26:1 נעשה אדם WE WILL MAKE MAN — The meekness of the Holy One, blessed be He, they (the Rabbis) learned from here: because the man is in the likeness of the angels and they might envy him, therefore He took counsel with them (Midrash Tanchuma, Shemot 18 and see Genesis Rabbah 8). And when He judges the kings He likewise consults His heavenly council, for thus we find in the case of Ahab to whom Micha said, (1 Kings 22:19) “I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left.” Has God, then, a right hand and a left hand? But it means that some stood on the right side to plead in favour of the accused and others stood on the left side to accuse; and similarly we read (Daniel 4:14), “the matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones”, — here, also, He consulted His heavenly council and asked permission of them, saying to them: “There are in the heavens beings after My likeness; if there will not be on earth also beings after My likeness, there will be envy among the beings that I have created” (Sanhedrin 38b).

Rashi on Genesis 1:26:2 נעשה אדם WE WILL MAKE MAN — Although they did not assist Him in forming him (the man) and although this use of the plural may give the heretics an occasion to rebel (i. e. to argue in favour of their own views), yet the verse does not refrain from teaching proper conduct and the virtue of humbleness, namely, that the greater should consult, and take permission from the smaller; for had it been written, “I shall make man”, we could not, then, have learned that He spoke to His judicial council but to Himself. And as a refutation of the heretics it is written immediately after this verse “And God created the man”, and it is not written “and they created” (Genesis Rabbah 8:9)

Rashi on Genesis 1:26:3 בצלמנו IN OUR IMAGE — in our type.

Rashi on Genesis 1:26:4 כדמתנו AFTER OUR LIKENESS — with the power to comprehend and to discern.

Rashi on Genesis 1:26:5 וירדו בדגת הים AND THEY SHALL HAVE DOMINION OVER THE FISH … [AND OVER THE BEASTS] — The expression וירדו may imply dominion as well as descending — if he is worthy he dominates over the beasts and cattle, if he is not worthy he will sink lower than them, and the beast will rule over him (Genesis Rabbah 8:12).

Rashi on Genesis 1:27:1 ויברא אלהים את האדם בצלמו SO GOD CREATED THE MAN IN HIS IMAGE —in the type that was specially made for him, for everything else was created by a creative fiat, whilst he was brought into existence by a creative act (literally, by hand), as it is said (Psalms 139:5) “And Thou hast laid thy hand upon me.” He was made by a seal as a coin that is made by a die that is called in old French coin. It is similarly said, (Job 28:14) “it is changed as clay under the seal” (Sanhedrin 38a).

Rashi on Genesis 1:27:2 בצלם אלהים ברא אותו IN THE IMAGE OF GOD CREATED HE HIM — It explains to you that the form prepared for him was the form of the image of his Creator.

Rashi on Genesis 1:27:3 זכר ונקבה ברא אותם MALE AND FEMALE CREATED HE THEM — And further on (Genesis 2:21) it is said: “and He took one of his ribs etc.” (The two passages appear to be contradictory.) But according to a Midrashic explanation, He created him at first with two faces, and afterwards He divided him. But the real sense of the verse is: here it tells you that both of them were created on the sixth day, but it does not explain to you how their creation took place; this it explains to you in another place (Genesis Rabbah 8:1 and see Eruvin 18a) .

Rashi on Genesis 1:28:1 וכבשה AND SUBDUE IT — The word lacks a ו after the ש so that it may be read as meaning: and subdue her (i. e. the woman), thereby teaching you that the male controls the female in order that she may not become a gad-about; teaching you also that to the man, whose nature is to master, was given the Divine command to have issue, and not to the woman (Yevamot 65b).

Rashi on Genesis 1:29:1 ולכל חית הארץ AND TO EVERY BEAST OF THE EARTH — Scripture places cattle and beasts on a level with them (human beings: that is, it places all alike in the same category) with regard to food, and did not permit Adam to kill any creature and eat its flesh, but all alike were to eat herbs. But when the era of the “Sons of Noah” began He permitted them to eat meat, for it is said, (Genesis 9:3) “every moving thing that lives should be for food for yourselves … “even as the herb” that I permitted to the first man, so do “I give to you everything” (Sanhedrin 59b). Rashi on Genesis 1:31:1 יום הששי THE SIXTH DAY — The letter ה, the numerical value of which is 5, is added to the word ששי when the work of Creation was complete, to imply that He made a stipulation with them that it endures only upon condition that Israel should accept the five books of the Torah (Shabbat 88a). Another interpretation of יום הששי THE SIXTH DAY — The whole Creation (the Universe) stood in a state of suspense (moral imperfection) until the sixth day — that is, the sixth day of Sivan which was destined to be the day when the Torah would be given to Israel (Avodah Zara 3a).