Lost in Translation: Genesis 1 is NOT About the Creation of the World!

The very first verse of the Bible--Genesis 1:1--which millions can quote by heart--is MIStranslated in most all major versions and all languages--with very few exceptions. The reasons are simple--Marketing and Commercialism. Who would buy a Bible translation that does not begin with "In the Beginning, God Created the Heavens and the Earth"? In this short exposition I dhow how the original Hebrew has a completely different meaning. It is not a philosophical or scientific statement--but rather a description of the ordering of the chaotic, empty, water covered, wind sweep, wasteland that was Planet Earth, WHEN the "Force of All Forces" (Elohim) begin to bring order out of the random chaos.

For my translation of the Book of Genesis see:

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The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley
מהמלים בקשר את המלים ועל סמך המלים
Retired Prof. of Religious Studies/Christian Origins
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

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[HeraldingTheMessiah]

Dear James, Thank you for this Bible Study. I have a question? Why is it that the KJV version has "heaven" a singular noun yet the other versions RSV, ASV & ESV have the plural noun "heavens?" What is is in the Hebrew that Moses wrote? Is it a plural heavens or a singular heaven? This is also significant.

[Lplayer]

The best lecture on this topic I've ever heard, from a Hebrew scholar who knew the most intricate details of the language, was by the late Dr. Michael Heiser. He, too, defended the translation of the Jewish Publican Society which was shared by, I believe, the German Bible Society.

Heiser discussed dependent and independent clauses and how they relate to the opening verses, and the whole discussion turns on that. Highly recommended.

[Homeostasis.Restored]

"[T]he first book of Moses [Genesis] consists entirely of spiritual allegories. He who wants to know what such stories mean, must figure in himself the old and the new man, and compare Christ and Adam (in him) with each other. He will then understand all that; but without this he will see merely a story for children: ..." ~ Jacob Boehme (1575 - 1624)

"The inner sense of the first chapter of Genesis deals in general with the process that creates us anew — that is to say, with [spiritual] regeneration — ..." ~ Arcana Coelestia 1:4 (Cooper Translation) Emanuel Swedenborg (1688 - 1772)

[christallaktorides]

Many years ago when I was studying theology. One of my lecturers said a similar thing to what The Light is. He is a Jesuit who has an interest in astronomy. So it certainly is not a new idea. And I think it is correct

[Eric_Eric_Eric]

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Or who shut in the sea with doors
when it burst out from the womb,
when I made clouds its garment
and thick darkness its swaddling band,
and prescribed limits for it
and set bars and doors,
and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?

Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
and caused the dawn to know its place,
that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth,
and the wicked be shaken out of it?

[ajmittendorf]

I have heard this point before regarding translation issues and the problems of "traditions" in those translations, so I understand where you're coming from. My issue with this video, however, is that you never explain how Genesis 1: 1-3 is not about the creation of the Earth. Regardless of the translation that you use, God is creating; he starts by making light over the nascent Earth, but that doesn't mean that Genesis 1 is not about the creation of the world. Not at all. You haven't proved your point. You've only introduced your own translation, in which your use of English is awkward at best.

[nclivin]

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

JOHN CHAPTER 1

[robinsydney]

Dear, the first verse of the Bible refers to the creation of this earth and its planetary system, NOT the whole universe. Maybe the earth was already there (as you put it, and might be), but, He still is the Creator of that primitive, unformed earth, and in Genesis 1:1 it's told to us how He organized it and populated it with His further Creation. So, the traditional translation is still very valid. It has worked for thousands of years and God is OK with it. If He wouldn't have, He would have certainly corrected it. It says He is the Creator. This knowledge has to move us to put our lives in harmony with His requirements: obedience and righteousness through Jesus Christ so that we can be ready when He comes in His Second Coming. I hope He doesn't find many people still trying to figure out deeper things on that first verse at the expense of doing what is more important: our lives as He wants them to be.

[YG-qnxr]

it's not "bereshit BRO elohim et ha shamaim ve et ha aretz" it is "bereshit BARA". BARA is past simple or present perfect form of Create, meaning "created" or "has created". I think it is better to stick to the traditional translation, because 1) it is more faithful to the hebrew traditional reading. 2) The language of Bereshit IS ambigous, therefore good translation has to be ambigous too.
בראשית ברא אלוהים את השמיים ואת הארץ והארץ היתה תוהו ובוהו וחושך על פני תהום ורוח אלוהים מרחפת על פני המים.
It doesnt say wind from Elohim, it says Elohim's wind or Elohim's spirit: it may mean wind from Elohim, , it may also mean the spirit of God. Btw, the following word is traditionally translated as "hovers" not "blows", which supports more the second meaning.
The important thing here is the original text, the exact meaning of each was lost with the people who told or wrote it originally, who lived thousands of years ago. Afterwards came a myriad of interpretations from people who have claimed to understand it better than others. Wise Rashi didn't speak with God, as well as the others, and didn't have access to some other secret source of truth, apart from the multitude of interpretations that existed before him. He just theorisised like all the rest.

[robertwoods]

i guess "we've" gotten so wise and have so much free time on our hands we have the time to recreate the bible, i like how we now substitute a Hebrew word here and there and come up with a whole new meaning to any such passage we wish to reinterpret .

[toosiyabrandt]

Hi
You would NEVER get the idea of earth spinning around the sun along with ‘OTHER PLANETS’ FROM THE HEBREW OR GREEK OR ARAMAIC TEXTS!
THE FIRST BOOK OF ENOCH USED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE CANON OF SCRIPTURE IE FIRST EDITION OF KING JAMES VERSION! AND IT CLEARLY DESCRIBES ‘THE COURSE OF THE HEAVENLY L U M I N A R I E S ABOVE THE EARTH PLANE!

[tadcotadco]

boy, any attempt to catch Genesis 1 without knowledge of Egyptian beliefs is void because it has deep Egyptian roots and background․
There is a temple in Abidos where Gen 1 is literally depicted

[UtahGmaw]

Yes the world is a big baseball game. In the big inning.

[waalwink]

“Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers.”
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭14‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

[ShortsHound]

One simple way of looking at Genesis 1:1 Is :
In the beginning ( time )
God created ( energy )
the heavens ( space )
and the earth.( matter )
1:2 ... The earth was formless (unorganized) and void (empty).

[tamarabedic]

"𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙖 𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙝𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙚; 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙚" [ Bereshit, Bereishit ] = "at the beginning or literally "at the first". "The focus is on this particular planet and its design." THANK YOU, Prof. Tabor!

[CalPUrnia-emxk]

John 3:10-12 (KJV)
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

Psalm 115:16 (KJV)
16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.

Apocalypse of Baruch Chapter 14:16-19
16 But again I will speak in Thy presence, O Lord, my Lord.
17 When of old there was no world with its inhabitants, Thou didst devise and speak with a word, and forthwith the works of creation stood before Thee.
18 And Thou didst say that Thou wouldst make for Thy world man as the administrator of Thy works, that it might be known that HE WAS BY NO MEANS MADE ON ACCOUNT OF THE WORLD, BUT THE WORLD ON ACCOUNT OF HIM.
19 And now I see that as for the world which was made on account of us, lo! it abides, but we, on account of whom it was made, DEPART.

2 Esdras 6:53-55 (1611 King James Bible apocrypha)
53 Upon the sixth day thou gavest commandment unto the earth, that before thee it should bring forth beasts, cattle, and creeping things:
54 And after these, Adam also, whom thou madest lord of all thy creatures: of him come we all, and the people also whom thou hast chosen.
55 All this have I spoken before thee, O Lord, because THOU MADEST THE WORLD FOR OUR SAKES.

2 Esdras 9:13 (1611 King James Bible apocrypha)
13 And therefore be thou not curious how the ungodly shall be punished, and when: but enquire how the righteous shall be saved, whose the world is, and FOR WHOM THE WORLD IS CREATED.

2 Esdras 7:11-14 (1611 King James Bible apocrypha)
11 Because FOR THEIR SAKES I MADE THE WORLD: and when Adam transgressed my statutes, then was decreed that now is done.
12 Then were the entrances of this world made narrow, full of sorrow and travail: they are but few and evil, full of perils, : and very painful.
13 For the entrances of the elder world were wide and sure, and brought immortal fruit.
14 If then they that live labour not to enter these strait and vain things, they can never receive those that are laid up for them.

Mark 4:10-12 (KJV)
10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

[musicsubicandcebu]

And God said, "Let there be electromagnetic radiation visible to the beings I haven't yet created."

[glennewell]

Are you then saying, The thesis by Wilson J 2010 . 'A Case for the Traditional Translation and Interpretation of Genesis 1:1 based upon a Multi-Leveled Linguistic Analysis.' is wrong? If so, what parts of his analysis are questionable?

[janettedavis]

Yes It tells us the earth was there and it was void.
In the Beginning can also be translated in Christ God (Father) created.
Christ is not the Surname of Jesus Christ is the expression of the Father. We say Christ if we get a sudden fright .
In Christ or through Christ the world was created. The Bible is mostly about the formation of the Empire and religion. And God said :By Christ Here I AM". ❤🎆✨🌌