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Genesis 01-The Beginning

Genesis 1: The Beginning

 

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 1

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the land.

 

 

2And the land became chaotic and a mess. And darkness is upon the faces of the deep. And the Spirit of Elohim brooded over the faces of the waters.

 

3And Elohim said, “Be, light!” And light was. 4And Elohim saw the light, that [it] is good. And Elohim divided between the light and between the darkness. 5And Elohim called the light Yom (Day). And He called the darkness Lilah (Night). And there was evening and there was morning, Day One.

 

6And Elohim said, “Firmament, be in the midst of the waters! And be a divider between waters to waters.” 7And Elohim made the firmament. And He divided between the waters that are underneath the firmament and between the waters that are above the firmament. And he was so! 8And Elohim called the firmament Heavens. And there was evening and there was morning, Day Second.

 

9And Elohim said, “The waters shall gather under the heavens unto one place, and the dry has appeared.” And he was so. 10And Elohim called the dry, ‘land.’ And He called the gathering of the waters, seas. And Elohim saw that [he] is good. 11And Elohim said, “The land shall green-up, greenness of the herb seeding a seed, a tree, a fruit making a fruit to his kind, whose seed is via him upon the land.” And he was so. 12And the land sent out greenness of the herb seeding a seed to his kind, and a tree making a fruit whose seed was via him, to his kind. And Elohim saw that [he] is good. 13And there was evening and there was morning, Day Third.

 

14And Elohim said, “Be, light-sources in the firmament of the heavens, to divide between the day and between the night! And be ye for signs and for appointments and for days and years! 15And be ye for light-sources in the firmament of the heavens to lighten upon the land!” And he was so. 16And Elohim made two of the big light-sources: the big light-source to rule the day and the small light-source to rule the night, and the stars. 17And Elohim gave them in the firmament of the heavens to lighten upon the land 18and to rule in the day and in the night, and to divide between the light and between the darkness. And Elohim saw that: good. 19And there was evening and there was morning, the Day Fourth [‘Revolution’].

 

20And Elohim said, “The waters shall swarm—a swarmer, a living being. And a flyer will fly over the land upon the faces of the firmament of the heavens.” 21And Elohim created the big sea creatures and every slow-moving being of the lives that swarmed the waters to their kind, and every flyer of wing to his kind. And Elohim saw that, good. 22And Elohim blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas! And the flyer shall multiply on the land!” 23And there was evening and there was morning, Day Fifth.

 

24And Elohim said, “The land shall send out a living being to her kind: cattle and the creeper and his living-one of the land to her kind.” And he was so. 25And Elohim made the living-one of the land to her kind, and the cattle to her kind, and every creeper of the soil to his kind. And Elohim saw that, good.

 

26And Elohim said, “We shall make Adam in our image as our likeness! And they have dominated in the fish of the sea and in the flyer of the heavens and in the cattle and in all the land and in every creeper creeping upon the land!” 27And Elohim created the Adam in His image! He created him in the image of Elohim! He created them male and female. 28And Elohim blessed them. And Elohim said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the land and subdue her! And dominate in the fish of the sea and in the flyer of the heavens and in everything living creeping upon the land!”

 

29And Elohim said, “Behold, I have given to you every herb seeding seed that is upon the faces of all the land, and every tree that a fruit is of a tree seeding seed via him. He shall be for food to you 30and to every living of the land, and to every flyer of the heavens, and to every creeper upon the land, in which is a living being, every green of an herb is for food!” And he was so.

 

31And Elohim saw all that He had made. And behold, very good! And there was evening and there was morning, Day Sixth!

 

 

I. Heavens and Land (verse 1)

 

The text introduces Elohim without any description. He created the heavens and the land. No other detail is given at this time.

 

 

Questions

 

1.     The Bible starts out describing a beginning. If it is a beginning, it must be the beginning of something. Of what is it a beginning?

 

2.     What does Elohim mean?

 

3.     Why is Elohim plural (more than one)?

 

4.     Why did God design the Hebrew language this way?

 

5.     What does create mean?

 

6.     How did Elohim create the heavens and the land?

 

7.     What was in the heavens once the heavens were created, and why is heavens plural (more than one)?

 

8.     What did the land look like when Elohim created the land?

 

9.     Did Elohim create the land with living creatures?

 

10.  Why did Elohim create the heavens and the land, and all the occupants? What was the purpose of all of this?

 

 

 

II. The Mess (verse 2)

 

The land then became chaotic: very much without order; it became a mess. Now, darkness is upon the faces of the deep (that is, the waters). The Spirit of Elohim brooded (a sad term) over the faces of the waters.

 

 

Questions

 

1.     How did the land become chaotic and a mess? Did the animals mess it up?

 

2.     What is the deep?

 

3.     What are these faces that are of the deep?

 

4.     Why does the Bible tell us that darkness was upon the faces of the deep? Wasn’t darkness normal?

 

5.     Why did the darkness come upon the faces of the deep?

 

6.     So, was the darkness just over the seas, and not on the land?

 

7.     What happened to the land when the darkness came upon the faces of the deep?

 

8.     What happened to all the land animals when only the deep was now everywhere?

 

9.     What is a spirit?

 

10.  What does brood mean?

 

11.  Why was the Spirit of Elohim brooding?

 

12. This text describes a worldwide flood. (Only later will land appear.) Who flooded the world so that all land was underwater, and all land animals were dead?

 

13. Why did he do this?

 

14.  Why did the Spirit of Elohim brood over the faces of the waters?

 

 

 

III. Light! (verses 3-5)

 

Elohim now said, “Be, light!” And light was! Elohim saw the light; the light is good!

 

Elohim next divided between the light and the darkness.

 

He then named the light Yom (in Hebrew), meaning Day. He called the darkness Lilah, meaning Night.

 

The evening always came first. Then came the morning. That is the Biblical day: it goes from evening through the morning unto the next evening, at which time the new day starts! This was Day One!

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why was light the first thing that Elohim restored?

 

2.     What was the source of this light?

 

3.     Why did Elohim see that the light was good?

 

4.     What does good mean in the Bible?

 

5.     Why did Elohim divide between the light and the darkness?

 

6.     If light is good, and if darkness isn’t good, why did Elohim have half the day being with darkness while the other half is with light? Why didn’t He make the entire time with light?

 

7.     Why did Elohim call the light Yom (Day), and the darkness Lilah (Night)?

 

8.     If Elohim is the source of the light, how can there be evening and morning? Doesn’t that require the sun?

 

 

IV. Firmament! (verses 6-8)

 

Elohim next spoke the firmament into existence. He created it in the midst of the waters. He told the firmament to be a divider between waters to waters!

 

Elohim made this firmament. The firmament was designed to divide between the waters that are underneath the firmament and the waters that are above the firmament. It was just that way!

 

Elohim called the firmament heavens.

 

Evening had started the day, and then came morning. Thus was Day Second.

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is a firmament?

 

2.     What is the purpose of dividing waters from waters?

 

3.     Why did Elohim call the firmament heavens (plural) instead of heaven (singular)?

 

4.     Why does the text state, “And he was so,” in verse 7?

 

5.     Why, again, does the text note that there was evening and there was morning?

 

 

 

V. Waters, Land, and Green! (verses 9-13)

 

When Elohim said that the waters will gather under the heavens unto one place, and the dry has appeared, this caused one giant island of land to appear. Before this time, only the waters were visible over the entire surface of the planet!

 

Elohim called the dry Island, land. He called the gathering of the waters, seas. Elohim saw that he is good!

 

The land was barren, however. Elohim said, “The land shall green-up greenness of the herb seeding a seed, a tree, a fruit making a fruit to his kind, whose seed is in him upon the land.” This covered three kinds of plants: herbs, trees, and fruit producers. In all cases, the seed is via (by means of) the fruit that produces the seed.

 

The land did what Elohim said. She sent out greenness of the herb seeding a seed to his kind! She sent out a tree making a fruit whose seed was via him, to his kind.

 

Elohim saw that he is good! Evening came, then morning: Day Third.

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Before Elohim said, “The waters shall gather under the heavens unto one place, and the dry has appeared,” what did the planet look like?

 

2.     What happened when the waters gathered unto one place?

 

3.     Why does the text say, “And he was so”?

 

4.     Why does the text tell a reader that Elohim called the dry, land?

 

5.     Why did Elohim call the dry, land, which is singular, while calling the gathering of the waters, seas, which is plural?

 

6.     Verse 10 states, “And Elohim saw that [he] is good.” It doesn’t state that Elohim saw that they are good. To what does he refer?

 

7.     What does “The land shall green-up” mean?

 

8.     What is an herb?

 

9.     What is the greenness of the herb?

 

10.  What does “seeding a seed” mean?

 

11.  The whole sentence is, “The land shall green-up, greenness of the herb seeding a seed, a tree, a fruit making a fruit to his kind, whose seed is via him upon the land.” A tree is mentioned. What is Elohim commanding for the tree?

 

12.  What does “a fruit making a fruit to his kind” describe?

 

13.  What does “whose seed is via him” describe?

 

14.  Are there plants that produce seeds without producing fruit?

 

15.  The sentence ended with, “upon the land.” Are there plants that aren’t on land, but are on water?

 

16.  According to verse 12, what happened?

 

17.  According to verse 12, how did Elohim respond to the land’s doing what He said?

 

18.  How long did it take for the land to green up?

 

 

 

VI. Light Sources (verses 14-19)

 

Elohim waited until the fourth day to create light sources in the firmament of the heavens: “Be, light sources!” These light sources divide between the day and between the night! He also commanded these light sources to be for:

 

  • Signs
  • Appointments
  • Days
  • Years

These light sources must be in the firmament of the heavens to lighten upon the land! Elohim commanded; these things occurred.

 

Elohim made two of the big light sources: the big one to rule the day and the small light source to rule the night. He also made the stars!

 

Elohim gave all these lights in the firmament of the heavens

 

  • To lighten upon land,
  • To rule in the day,
  • To rule in the night,
  • To divide between the light and the darkness.

Elohim saw that he is good! Evening came; and then morning came: Day Revolution, the Fourth Day.

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What are light sources?

 

2.     What will these light sources be?

 

3.     Where will these light sources be located?

 

4.     What will be the purposes of these light sources?

 

5.     What is a sign in the Bible?

 

6.     How can one know that something is a sign?

 

7.     What are appointments?

 

8.     How can a light source be for appointments?

 

9.     How can light sources be for days?

 

10.  How can light sources be for years?

 

11.  According to verse 15, where will these light sources be located?

 

12.  What is the main purpose of the firmament, according to verse 15?

 

13. What is the big light source that rules the day?

 

14.  What is the small light source to rule the night?

 

15. Is the moon really a light source? Doesn’t it instead reflect light from the sun, the real light source?

 

16.  Why does Elohim consider the moon a light source when it truly only reflects light from the sun?

 

17.  Are the stars much smaller light sources than the sun?

 

18.  Verses 17 and 18 give the reasons for the sun, moon, and stars. What are the reasons given in these two verses?

 

19.  What does “Elohim saw that: good” mean?

 

20.  The Hebrew word used for fourth is actually revolution. Why is the word revolution used?

 

 

 

VII. Water Creatures and Flying Creatures (verses 20-23)

 

Elohim now commanded the waters to swarm with a swarmer, a living being. He also commanded the flyer to fly over the land upon the faces of the firmament of the heavens!

 

Elohim created:

 

  • Big sea creatures
  • Every slow-moving being of the lives that swarmed the waters to their kind
  • Every flyer of wing to his kind.

Elohim saw that he is good!

 

Elohim blessed them, commanding,

 

  • Be fruitful!
  • Multiply!
  • Fill the waters in the seas!

He also said that the flyer will multiply on the land!

 

Evening came; and then morning came: Day Fifth.

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is a water swarmer?

 

2.     In verse 20, a living being is mentioned. To what does this living being refer?

 

3.     What is a flyer?

 

4.     Besides flying over land, what do the flying creatures use (referring to an object) to keep their flight in the air?

 

5.     What are the big sea creatures?

 

6.     What is a slow-moving being that lives in the sea?

 

7.     What does “being of the lives” describe?

 

8.     What is the benefit of swarming?

 

9.     What does bless mean in the Bible?

 

10.  If the above is true, why did Elohim bless them?

 

11.  What does be fruitful mean?

 

12.  What is the purpose of multiplication?

 

13.  Have these creatures filled the waters in the seas?

 

14.  According to verse 22, where must all flyers multiply?

 

 

 

VIII. Cattle, Animal and Creeper (verses 24-25)

 

Elohim next focused on land. He commanded, “The land shall send out:

 

  • A living being to her kind!
  • Cattle!
  • The creeper and his living-one of the land to her kind!

This occurred!

 

Elohim made the animal of the land to her kind. He made the cattle to her kind. He made every creeper of the soil to his kind!

 

Elohim saw that he is good!

 

 

Questions

 

1.     In verse 24, did Elohim create anything?

 

2.     How did the living being described in verse 24 come about?

 

3.     Why is the living being described as her (in, “to her kind”)?

 

4.     With what animals are these living beings identified?

 

5.     With what animals are the cattle identified?

 

6.     With what animals are the creepers identified?

 

7.     What are living-ones of the land?

 

8.     In all the cases, the text says, “to her kind.” Then, in verse 25, it refers to the creeper of the soil “to his kind.” Why is there a difference in gender?

 

9.     Why did Elohim see, and consider it good?

 

 

 

IX. Adam! (verses 26-28)

 

Elohim next said, “We shall make Adam in our image as our likeness!” The result will be that “they have dominated:

 

  • In the fish of the sea!
  • In the flyer of the heavens!
  • In the cattle!
  • In all the land!
  • In every creeper creeping upon the land!

Elohim created the Adam in His image! He created him in the image of Elohim! He created them male and female!

 

Elohim blessed them!

 

Elohim then said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the land and subdue her!” He also commanded the human He created to dominate in the fish of the sea, to dominate in the flyer of the heavens, and to dominate in every living creeping creature upon the land!

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Who are we in, “We shall make Adam in our image as our likeness”?

 

2.     Why did Elohim make Adam in the singular image of Elohim (plural)?

 

3.     What is an image?

 

4.     What is a likeness?

 

5.     Who are they in, “And they have dominated …”?

 

6.     Have humans dominated in the fish of the sea and in the flyer of the heavens and in the cattle and in all the land and in every creeper creeping upon the land?

 

7.     If the answer to the above is true, why or why not has this happened?

 

8.     Verse 26 states, “We shall make …” Verse 27 states, “Elohim created.” How can both be right regarding man?

 

9.     What is “the Adam,” and why is this worded this way?

 

10.  The text mentions several times about Elohim creating Adam in His image. Why is this repeated?

 

11.  The next sentence states, “He created him in the image of Elohim!” Who is He, and why does the text word it as if He is different from Elohim?

 

12.  Verse 27 states, “He created him (singular) in the image of Elohim! He created them (plural) male and female.” Did Elohim create two beings at this time?

 

13.  Elohim blessed them. Yet, Elohim had already blessed other creatures in these verses. Why did Elohim bless them, and who are them?

 

14.  What are the four commands that Elohim gave to Adam (as if to them, plurally)?

 

15.  What is involved in subduing the land? What does this mean?

 

16.  What will happen when man will fill the land?

 

17.  What will occur when man dominates in the fish of the sea?

 

18.  Is this domination already present today? Can humans communicate with fish, and they will obey?

 

19.  If the above answer is correct, why hasn’t Elohim given humans domination over the fish of the sea?

 

20.  Has there ever been a time when this domination over animals has occurred on Earth?

 

21.  Scientists classify fish only as “A limbless cold-blooded vertebrate (backboned) animal with gills and fins, and living wholly in water.” Is that what fish means in this text?

 

22.  What will happen when man dominates in the flyer of the heavens?

 

23.  What will happen when man dominates in everything living creeping upon the land?

 

 

 

X. Food! (verses 29-30)

 

Elohim spoke to the creatures He created, telling them that He has given to them every herb that makes seeds and that is upon the faces of all the land for food. He has also given every tree in which there is a fruit of that tree seeding seed, for food.

 

Elohim continued, “He shall be for food to you!” He then continued, showing what the herbs and trees will feed:

 

  • Every living of the land
  • Every flyer of the heavens
  • Every creeper upon the land in which is a living being

Every green of an herb will be for food! This is what occurred.

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Verse 29 states, “I have given to you every herb …” Who are you in this text?

 

2.     To whom is Elohim speaking when He states, “Behold, I have given to you every herb seeding seed …”?

 

3.     What is an herb seeding seed?

 

4.     What does “that a fruit is of a tree seeding seed via him” mean?

 

5.     Why was the development of seeds by the fruits so important to God? Why didn’t He make some trees to produce seeds in a location separate from fruits that trees produce?

 

6.     Who is he in, “He shall be food to you …”?

 

7.     Did humans also eat meat at this time?

 

8.     For what varieties of creatures will the herbs and the fruits of the trees be for food?

 

9.     What is a living (creature) of the land?

 

10.  What are included in every flyer of the heavens?

 

11.  What are included in every creeper upon the land?

 

12.  Why is “in which is a living being” added?

 

13.  Are there examples of living creatures, flyers, and creepers that aren’t living beings?

 

14.  The next part of the text states, “every green of an herb is for food.” Is every herb truly for food? Aren’t some poisonous?

 

15.  The last statement is, “And he was so.” What was so?

 

 

XI. Very Good! (verse 31)

 

Elohim now saw all that He had made. It was all very good! The evening came, and then came the morning: Day Sixth!

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What all had Elohim made?

 

2.     How can Elohim see all that He made?

 

3.     Why does the text add very in front of good in verse 31?

 

4.     How many days are included from Genesis 1:1 to Genesis 1:31?

 

5.     Why did Elohim design days to start with the evening?