2. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
The basis is given for
the first and principal
division into “Day” and
“Night,” here
conceived as realities
that can be given
names, according to
the Semitic mentality,
only by one who has
absolute control over
them.” (JBC 2:17a)
3. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
God said
Genesis 1:3
5. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
Ps. 33:6-9
By the LORD'S word the
heavens were made; by
the breath of his mouth
all their host. The waters
of the sea were gathered
as in a bowl; in cellars
the deep was confined.
Let all the earth fear the
LORD; let all who dwell
in the world show
reverence. For he
spoke, and it came to
be, commanded, and it
stood in place.
6. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
In several creation myths
of the Near East, the world
emerged out of a conflict
between rival gods; in
Genesis, the word of God
goes forth unchallenged,
meeting no resistance ort
rival. According to the NT,
the creative word is not
simply a power but a
Person – God the Son,
through whom all things
were made. (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible:
Commentary, Notes and Study Questions; Scott Hahn and
Curtis Mitch; Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA 2010 p.17)
8. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
Jn. 1:1-3
In the beginning was
the Word, and the
Word was with God,
and the Word was
God. He was in the
beginning with God. All
things came to be
through him, and
without him nothing
came to be.
10. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
Hebrews 1:2
...in these last days, he
spoke to us through a
son, whom he made
heir of all things and
through whom he
created the universe
11. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
One who pays close
attention will recognize the
Father, the Son, and the
Spirit in the beginning.
The Father creates heaven
and earth, the Spirit moves
over the waters, and the
Son, who acts while the
Father is
speaking, separates the
light from the darkness (St.
Ambrose, The Holy Spirit
2,1)” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible:
Commentary, Notes and Study Questions; Scott Hahn and
Curtis Mitch; Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA 2010 p.17)
13. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
God said
“The divine word
shatters the primal
cosmic silence and
signals the birth of a
new cosmic order.” (The
JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis; Commentary by Nahum
M. Sarna; The Jewish Publications Society, Philadelphia,
PA 1989 p.7)
15. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
Let there be
“The directive yehi,
found again in verses
6 and 14, is reserved
for the creation of
celestial phenomena.”
(The JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis; Commentary by
Nahum M. Sarna; The Jewish Publications Society,
Philadelphia, PA 1989 p.7)
17. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
Light
The first creation by
God’s utterance is
fittingly that which
serves in the Bible as
a symbol of life, joy,
justice, and
deliverance.
19. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
Isaiah 30:26
The light of the moon will
be like that of the sun and
the light of the sun will be
seven times greater (like
the light of seven days).
On the day the LORD
binds up the wounds of his
people, he will heal the
bruises left by his blows.
21. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
Job 38:19-20
Which is the way to the
dwelling place of light,
and where is the
abode of darkness,
that you may take
them to their
boundaries and set
them on their
homeward paths?
22. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
Genesis Rabbah 3:4
expresses the view
that this light is the
effulgent splendor of
the Divine Presence.
24. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
Heb 1 1-3
In times past, God spoke in
partial and various ways to our
ancestors through the
prophets; in these last days, he
spoke to us through a
son, whom he made heir of all
things and through whom he
created the universe, who is
the refulgence of his glory, the
very imprint of his being, and
who sustains all things by his
mighty word. When he had
accomplished purification from
sins, he took his seat at the
right hand of the Majesty on
high,
26. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
Psalm 104:1-2
Bless the LORD, my
soul! LORD, my God,
you are great indeed!
You are clothed with
majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a
cloak.
27. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
“The first act of creation is light,
even though that which gives
light, the sun and the moon, are
not created until the fourth day.
The author is not concerned
with scientific fact but with an
ordered universe, and light is
necessary in order to see. The
author may also be forced to put
light first because in Enuma
Elish it is a property of the gods,
emanating from them, and is
mentioned first in that creation
account. For our author, light is
no longer a property of the gods
but an element of the created
world.” (Collegeville Bible Commentary: Genesis;
Pauline A. Viviano; The Liturgical Press, Collegeville,
Minnesota 1985 p.11)
28. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
God saw: “Not visual
examination but
perception”
29. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
good: “indicates that
creation corresponds
perfectly to the divine
purpose for which it
was made. Emphasis
on the goodness of the
natural world
punctuates the
account (1:10, 12, 18,
21, 25, 31)” (Ignatius Catholic Study
Bible: Commentary, Notes and Study Questions; Scott
Hahn and Curtis Mitch; Ignatius Press, San Francisco,
CA 2010 p.17)
31. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
Isaiah 45:7
I form the light, and
create the darkness, I
make well-being and
create woe; I, the
LORD, do all these
things.
35. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
God called
“According to the conceptions of
the ancient Near East,
possessing no name was
equivalent to nonexistence. An
Egyptian text describes
precreation as the time “when no
name of anything had yet been
named,” and Enuma Elish
similarly designates primeval
chaos as the period “when on
high the heavens had not [yet]
been named, and below the firm
ground had not [yet] been given a
name.” (The JPS Torah Commentary:
Genesis; Commentary by Nahum M. Sarna;
The Jewish Publications Society, Philadelphia,
PA 1989 p.7-8)
37. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
Isaiah 40:26
Lift up your eyes on high
and see who has created
these: He leads out their
army and numbers
them, calling them all by
name. By his great might
and the strength of his
power not one of them is
missing!
39. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
Ps. 147:2-4
The LORD rebuilds
Jerusalem, gathers the
dispersed of Israel,
Heals the
brokenhearted, binds
up their wounds,
Numbers all the stars,
calls each of them by
name.
40. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
evening…morning
41. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
evening…morning
Hebrew ‘erev and
boker
42. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
evening…morning
Hebrew ‘erev and
boker
day…
43. THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION GN. 1:3-5
evening…morning
Hebrew ‘erev and
boker
day…
The Hebrew word
yom