Today we begin our study of the first account of origins found in Genesis 1.1-2.3. We will be going through this account quite slowly. We will obviously focus on each of the individual days. But we will also call to mind some overarching structural issues that play a role in interpreting the text. For today, we are only dealing with the first verse.
Hebrew text:

בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Transliteration:
bə·rê·šîṯ bā·rā ’ĕ·lō·hîm; ’êṯ haš·šā·ma·yim wə·’êṯ hā·’ā·reṣ.
NIV:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Study:
The NIV, as also most English translations, supplies the initial definite article, which is technically not present in the Hebrew. So should this be translated ‘in a beginning’ instead of the commonly found ‘in the beginning’? The phrase בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית (bə·rê·šîṯ) is found in only 4 other places in the Old Testament, all in Jeremiah. In all these occurrences, the definite article is required to make sense of the text since in all occasions the text mentions ‘the’ beginning of the reign of a king. So it seems best to introduce the definite article as in most translations.
But that still leaves the question, the beginning of what? Is this a reference to the origins of the universe? Or is it referring only to the things that God creates in the account? It is unlikely that the author of the text – and any subsequent editors for that matter – had any idea about cosmogony as we know it today. That is, ideas of a Big Bang or an Oscillating Universe would have been quite beyond the comprehension of the author of Genesis. However, the author probably had an idea that just as things on Earth come into being and then cease to be after a while, so also the heavens and the earth had a starting point. What exactly the author had in mind cannot, of course, be determined. However, the statement of v. 1 is that there was a beginning. But the beginning referred to is that of God’s creative activity. For the entire account has its focus on God’s work. So, if there was any ‘gestation’ period before the ‘Big Bang’ then that too is covered by the words ‘in the beginning’. And the important point is that this beginning was caused by God.
The word used for God in the first account of origins is אֱלֹהִ֑ים (elohim), which is by far the most common word used in the Old Testament to speak of God when not using his name, יְהוָ֥ה (Yahweh).
Verse 1 tells us that God ‘created’ and uses the word בָּרָ֣א (bara). This word occurs 55 times in the Old Testament. It is often claimed that the subject of this verb is always God. However, this is not so. It is used in Joshua 17.15 (NIV: clear), 1 Samuel 2.29 (NIV: fattening), and 2 Samuel 12.17 (NIV: eat) and a few others. The variety of meanings in the three examples I have cited should indicate that the word does not necessarily refer to material creation. Rather, I agree with John Walton, who argues that בָּרָ֣א (bara) should be seen as referring to giving functionality rather than creating ex nihilo. We shall see this in future posts when we look at each ‘day’ of the account separately.
We are also told that God created ‘the heavens and the earth’. The Hebrew word for ‘heavens’ used here is שָׁמַיִם (shamayim), which appears only in the plural form. The Old Testament can refer to three things when using the word שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) – 1. the air or sky where birds fly; 2. the heaven where the sun, moon, and stars are; and 3. the place where God and the angels live. Since the first two meanings are specifically mentioned later in Genesis 1, it seems best to take the meaning in 1.1 to encompass all three meanings. The idea is that God has created everything!

Prayer:
Almighty, Creator God. We are so thankful that you, in your wisdom and mercy, decided to create us. We are thankful and grateful that you created everything so perfectly that we could thrive in this world of yours. Enable us always to be grateful for your wonderful provision. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.