Translation Series – Genesis 1:2
Verse 2
In the first part of this series, we discussed some of the aspects of the word for God “Elohim”, the word power in the masculine plural form. Because of this I may occasionally use “He” or “Him” for clarity in my translations. I had also mentioned that because the verb “bara” (create) is in the singular, that this plural word powers means plural powers and not plural persons necessarily. This is sort of an unusual text because in Hebrew we would see the verb and subject or noun both using plurality or neither, but never (with the exception of reference to God) with the verb being singular and the noun plural. Because of this, I concluded that it’s not entirely an allusion to the Trinity, rather a demonstration of the All Powerful nature of God, plural powers. In the second verse, we definitely see a plurality of entities; the Spirit of God is introduced here while also being this singular God. Mentioned separately from God as identified in the first verse—The Spirit of, or Wind or Breath of God.
וְהָאָ֗רֶץ הָיְתָ֥ה תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י תְהֹ֑ום וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַמָּֽיִם׃
English translation (literal):
And the earth being naught and empty, and darkness upon-face [of the] depths; and [the] Spirit [of Him the] All Powerful moved (fluttered) upon-face [of the] waters
The first word pronounced “Ha-eretz” meaning ‘the-earth’ which was created in the first verse is being described in the second, or rather it’s state of being. “Ha-ya-tah” meaning ‘to be’ or ‘being’, so in the past tense of this creation account it’s typically translated “was”, the earth was. The next word pronounced “tohu” meaning ‘naught’ or nothingness or emptiness, is often translated “formless” or “without form”. Because this is the pre-formed earth which had just been created, the text is intending to show it’s initial state. This word is followed by “wa-bohu” meaning ‘and empty’, or void. So the description of this newly created earth is emptiness, formless, and unordered or chaos. Next “wa-choshek” (the ‘ch’ having a guttural sound something like clearing the throat) meaning ‘and-darkness’ followed by “al-panee” or upon-face, darkness was upon the face of this emptiness. Then “te-howm” which is a form of the first word “tohu” formless or emptiness, with a sense of the depths, or an abyss. So this emptiness isn’t just a surface appearance, but an abyss like a bottomless pit or the depths of the oceans. So this description of the newly created earth, is that it is without form, it is empty, and this abyss or nothingness was shrouded in darkness. There was no light, no form, something like a giant ball of rough and chaotic water floating in darkness.
Next we come to our second entity being described as the ‘Ruach Elohim’, the Spirit of God. “Wa-Ruach” ‘and-Spirit’, “Elohim” ‘All Powerful’. The word “Ruach” being also the word for ‘wind’ or ‘breath’, in this case the Breath or Spirit of God. In my translation, for the sake of clarity, “and [the] Spirit [of Him the] All Powerful”, a unique entity that is both treated as a distinct being, while also fully Elohim — God. This is somewhat of a challenging concept, two distinct entities being both fully a singular entity, yet is much like us; having both a physical being and a spirit or intellect. Here we find the Spirit of God “me-re-hepet” floating, fluttering or hovering over this formless abyss called earth – “al-panee” or upon-face, or over [the] face, surface, of the abyss or the depths. The depths here being called ‘the waters’, “ha-mayim”. So our text reads “And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was upon the face of the depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
This verse, after the first telling us that God had created everything, both the heavens (universe) and the earth; is now describing the state of the earth and God’s position in relation to it. God is hovering over this giant ball of chaotic, deep, abyss; like the darkest depths of the sea. The action of God’s Wind, or Breath, or Spirit is sometimes translated “fluttering”, something like a bird. It’s my understanding that in ancient Jewish literature, the Spirit was also alluded to as being something like a dove. The prefix ‘me’ added to ‘rachaph’ pronounced “me-re-hepet” ‘fluttering’. This ‘meh’ sound has a sort of sense of the spreading of wings when it’s found in the Strong’s Concordance, treated as a separate word. We also find in the New Testament a description of the Holy Spirit descending upon Yeshua at His baptism “like a dove”.
And immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon Him; ~ Mark 1:10 NASB
This verse other than the interesting description of God’s Spirit being treated as somewhat of a distinct entity, like our breath; is simply progressing this creation account. It’s telling us that after creating the heavens and the earth, God is setting His attention on the earth itself in it’s chaotic state, preparing to act upon it. God is putting Himself in a position to turn this chaos and formlessness into form and order.
It may not be a particularly interesting verse on it’s own, outside of the context of this first day. This verse is often treated as something separate from the first, which of course my verse by verse translation requires of me here. However, this is a continuation of the first statement, this is the continuation of the events at the beginning.
In [the] beginning create [the] All Powerful the heaven and the earth, and the earth being naught and empty, and darkness upon-face [of the] depths; and [the] Spirit [of Him the] All Powerful moved (fluttered) upon-face [of the] waters.
~ Genesis 1:1-2 (my translation)
Once again this is not very different from the typical translation we can find in any of our English translations of Scripture. But I do think that taking a closer look at the original language and the meanings of the words individually provides a somewhat broader understanding of the original text, from the original language. This video from One for Israel Ministry talks more in-depth about these first two verses in the Hebrew, and some of the things I covered in my first two parts of this translation series.
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