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Scott's Reference Library
Genesis 1:1 through Genesis 2:4 (NIV)
1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2Now the earth was£
formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of
God was hovering over the waters.
3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4God saw that the
light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the
light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and
there was morning—the first day.
6And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water
from water.” 7So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse
from the water above it. And it was so. 8God called the expanse “sky.” And there
was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
9And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let
dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10God called the dry ground “land,” and the
gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
11Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees
on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.”
And it was so. 12The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to
their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.
And God saw that it was good. 13And there was evening, and there was morning—the
third day.
14And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the
day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and
years, 15and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the
earth.” And it was so. 16God made two great lights—the greater light to govern
the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17God
set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18to govern the
day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was
good. 19And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
20And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly
above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” 21So God created the great
creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water
teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind.
And God saw that it was good. 22God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and
increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on
the earth.” 23And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
24And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds:
livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each
according to its kind.” And it was so. 25God made the wild animals according to
their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that
move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
26Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them
rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over
all the earth,£ and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
28God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill
the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air
and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
29Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole
earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for
food. 30And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all
the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in
it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and
there was morning—the sixth day.
Genesis 2
1Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
2By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the
seventh day he rested£ from all his work. 3And God blessed the seventh day and
made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had
done.
4This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
VERSES 1-2
The first verse of the Bible gives us a satisfying and useful account of the
origin of the earth and the heavens. The faith of humble Christians understands
this better than the fancy of the most learned men. From what we see of heaven
and earth, we learn the power of the great Creator. And let our make and place
as men, remind us of our duty as Christians, always to keep heaven in our eye,
and the earth under our feet. The Son of God, one with the Father, was with him
when he made the world; nay, we are often told that the world was made by him,
and nothing was made without him. Oh, what high thoughts should there be in our
minds, of that great God whom we worship, and of that great Mediator in whose
name we pray! And here, at the beginning of the sacred volume, we read of that
Divine Spirit, whose work upon the heart of man is so often mentioned in other
parts of the Bible. Observe, that at first there was nothing desirable to be
seen, for the world was without form, and void; it was confusion, and emptiness.
In like manner the work of grace in the soul is a new creation: and in a
graceless soul, one that is not born again, there is disorder, confusion, and
every evil work: it is empty of all good, for it is without God; it is dark, it
is darkness itself: this is our condition by nature, till Almighty grace works a
change in us.
VERSES 3-5
God said, Let there be light; he willed it, and at once there was light. Oh, the
power of the word of God! And in the new creation, the first thing that is
wrought in the soul is light: the blessed Spirit works upon the will and
affections by enlightening the understanding. Those who by sin were darkness, by
grace become light in the Lord. Darkness would have been always upon fallen man,
if the Son of God had not come and given us understanding, 1 John 5:20. The
light which God willed, he approved of. God divided the light from the darkness;
for what fellowship has light with darkness? In heaven there is perfect light,
and no darkness at all; in hell, utter darkness, and no gleam of light. The day
and the night are the Lord’s; let us use both to his honour, by working for him
every day, and resting in him every night, meditating in his law both day and
night.
VERSES 6-13
The earth was emptiness, but by a word spoken, it became full of God’s riches,
and his they are still. Though the use of them is allowed to man, they are from
God, and to his service and honour they must be used. The earth, at his command,
brings forth grass, herbs, and fruits. God must have the glory of all the
benefit we receive from the produce of the earth. If we have, through grace, an
interest in Him who is the Fountain, we may rejoice in him when the streams of
temporal mercies are dried up.
VERSES 14-19
In the fourth day’s work, the creation of the sun, moon, and stars is accounted
for. All these are the works of God. The stars are spoken of as they appear to
our eyes, without telling their number, nature, place, size, or motions; for the
Scriptures were written, not to gratify curiosity, or make us astronomers, but
to lead us to God, and make us saints. The lights of heaven are made to serve
him; they do it faithfully, and shine in their season without fail. We are set
as lights in this world to serve God; but do we in like manner answer the end of
our creation? We do not: our light does not shine before God, as his lights
shine before us. We burn our Master’s candles, but do not mind our Master’s
work.
VERSES 20-25
God commanded the fish and fowl to be produced. This command he himself
executed. Insects, which are more numerous than the birds and beasts, and as
curious, seem to have been part of this day’s work. The Creator’s wisdom and
power are to be admired as much in an ant as in an elephant. The power of God’s
providence preserves all things, and fruitfulness is the effect of his blessing.
VERSES 26-28
Man was made last of all the creatures: this was both an honour and a favour to
him. Yet man was made the same day that the beasts were; his body was made of
the same earth with theirs; and while he is in the body, he inhabits the same
earth with them. God forbid that by indulging the body, and the desires of it,
we should make ourselves like the beasts that perish! Man was to be a creature
different from all that had been hitherto made. Flesh and spirit, heaven and
earth, must be put together in him. God said, “Let us make man.” Man, when he
was made, was to glorify the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Into that great name
we are baptized, for to that great name we owe our being. It is the soul of man
that especially bears God’s image. Man was made upright, Ecclesiastes 7:29. His
understanding saw Divine things clearly and truly; there were no errors or
mistakes in his knowledge; his will consented at once, and in all things, to the
will of God. His affections were all regular, and he had no bad appetites or
passions. His thoughts were easily brought and fixed to the best subjects. Thus
holy, thus happy, were our first parents in having the image of God upon them.
But how is this image of God upon man defaced! May the Lord renew it upon our
souls by his grace!
VERSES 29-30
Herbs and fruits must be man’s food, including corn, and all the products of the
earth. Let God’s people cast their care upon him, and not be troubled about what
they shall eat, and what they shall drink. He that feeds his birds will not
starve his babes.
VERSE 31
When we come to think about our works, we find, to our shame, that much has been
very bad; but when God saw his work, all was very good. Good, for it was all
just as the Creator would have it to be. All his works, in all places of his
dominion, bless him; and therefore, bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Let us bless
God for the gospel of Christ, and when we consider his almighty power, let us
sinners flee from the wrath to come. If new-created unto the image of God in
holiness, we shall at length enter the “new heavens and new earth, wherein
dwelleth righteousness.”
VERSES 1-3
After six days, God ceased from all works of creation. In miracles, he has
overruled nature, but never changed its settled course, or added to it. God did
not rest as one weary, but as one well pleased. Notice the beginning of the
kingdom of grace, in the sanctification, or keeping holy, of the sabbath day.
The solemn observing of one day in seven as a day of holy rest and holy work, to
God’s honour, is the duty of all to whom God has made known his holy sabbaths.
At this time none of the human race were in being but our first parents. For
them the sabbath was appointed; and clearly for all succeeding generations also.
The Christian sabbath, which we observe, is a seventh day, and in it we
celebrate the rest of God the Son, and the finishing the work of our redemption.