Gen 1:2-5 | TNotes | STEP | 1:2 This verse gives the background for the summary in 1:1 and the detailed description in 1:3–2:3 . God’s creative utterances bring order to the chaotic state of the universe. • formless ... empty (Hebrew tohu ... bohu ): This terse idiom means something like “wild and waste.” It sets a stark contrast to the final ordered state of the heavens and the earth (1:1 ). • deep waters (Hebrew tehom ): Some scholars say this alludes to the Mesopotamian goddess Tiamat (representing chaos), but Genesis views tehom as inhospitable chaos, not as a deity or goddess that God engaged in cosmic battle. • the Spirit of God: God directly superintended the creation process.

1:2 ^a This verse gives the background for the summary in 1:1 ^b and the detailed description in 1:3–2:3 ^c. God’s creative utterances bring order to the chaotic state of the universe.

• formless ... empty (Hebrew tohu ... bohu): This terse idiom means something like “wild and waste.” It sets a stark contrast to the final ordered state of the heavens and the earth (1:1 ^d).

• deep waters (Hebrew tehom): Some scholars say this alludes to the Mesopotamian goddess Tiamat (representing chaos), but Genesis views tehom as inhospitable chaos, not as a deity or goddess that God engaged in cosmic battle.

• the Spirit of God: God directly superintended the creation process.
Summary for Gen 1:3-13: 1:3-13 ^e In the first three days, God formed the chaos into a habitable world. 1:3 ^f Then God said: Nothing in ch 1 ^g is created apart from God’s powerful word (cp. Ps 33:6 ^h, 9 ⁱ).

• “Let there be ...” and there was: God’s command enacted his will to create the world. God is not a part of creation or limited by it; he is the supreme ruler over everything (cp. Neh 9:6 ^j).
1:4 ^k Light is antithetical to chaotic darkness (1:2 ^l); the light is declared good but the darkness is not (cp. John 1:5 ^m). God is the source of this light (cp. Gen 1:14-19 ⁿ). God separated the light, as he did water (cp. 1:6-8 ^o), by his creative word. Light is associated with life and blessing (Job 38:19-20 ^p; Pss 19:1-6 ^q; 97:11 ^r; 104:19-20 ^s; Isa 60:19-20 ^t) and sets a boundary on the darkness that would destroy cosmic order. Darkness often typifies terror, death, and evil (see Gen 15:12 ^u; Job 18:6 ^v, 18 ^w; Ps 88:12 ^x; Eph 5:11-12 ^y; 1 Jn 1:5 ^z).
1:5 ^aa God called (or named): To name something is to exercise authority over it (see also 2:19-20 ^ab).

• day: The Hebrew yom can refer to daylight (1:5a ^ac), to a 24-hour period (1:5b ^ad), or to an unspecified time period (2:4b ^ae, “When,” literally in the day; cp. Exod 20:8-11 ^af).

• evening ... morning: The Hebrew day began at sundown, just as the first day began with darkness and brought the first morning light.