Genesis 1

King James Version

Full text for Genesis Chapter 1

1¶ In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3¶ And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

6¶ And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament: and it was so.

8And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

9¶ And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry [land] appear: and it was so.

10And God called the dry [land] Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that [it was] good.

11And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, [and] the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed [is] in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

12And the earth brought forth grass, [and] herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed [was] in itself, after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.

13And the evening and the morning were the third day.

14¶ And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

15And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

16And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: [he made] the stars also.

17And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

18And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that [it was] good.

19And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

20¶ And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl [that] may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

21And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.

22And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

23And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

24¶ And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

25And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.

26¶ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

29¶ And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

30And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein [there is] life, [I have given] every green herb for meat: and it was so.

31¶ And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Genesis 1 recounts God's six-day creation of the heavens and the earth. Beginning with a formless void, God spoke light into existence, separated waters by a firmament, and gathered waters to reveal dry land, which then brought forth vegetation. He subsequently created celestial bodies, marine life, birds, land animals, and finally, man and woman in His image, granting them dominion over the earth. At the end of the sixth day, God declared all that He had made to be "very good."

Medium Summary

The chapter opens with God creating the heaven and earth from a formless, void state, with the Spirit of God moving upon the waters. On the first day, God commanded light to appear, separating it from darkness to form Day and Night. The second day saw the creation of a firmament, dividing the waters above from those below, which God called Heaven. On the third day, dry land emerged from the gathered waters, named Earth and Seas, and God commanded the earth to bring forth vegetation. The fourth day brought forth the sun, moon, and stars to govern day and night and mark seasons. The fifth day saw the waters teem with living creatures and the air filled with fowl, which God blessed to multiply. Finally, on the sixth day, God created land animals and then man and woman in His own image, giving them dominion over all creation and blessing them to be fruitful and replenish the earth. God surveyed all His work and declared it "very good."

Long Summary

Genesis chapter one recounts the six-day creation of the universe by God. Initially, the earth was without form and void, covered in darkness, with the Spirit of God moving upon the waters. On the first day, God commanded light into being, separating it from darkness to establish Day and Night. The second day saw the creation of a firmament, called Heaven, which divided the waters above from the waters below. On the third day, God gathered the waters under the heaven into one place, causing dry land to appear, which He named Earth, and the gathered waters He called Seas. Following this, the earth was commanded to bring forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit trees, each after its kind. The fourth day was dedicated to the creation of lights in the firmament of heaven—the greater light to rule the day, the lesser light to rule the night, and the stars—to divide light from darkness and serve as signs for seasons, days, and years. On the fifth day, God commanded the waters to bring forth abundant moving creatures and the air to be filled with fowl, creating great whales and every living creature of the sea and air, blessing them to be fruitful and multiply. The sixth day saw the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind, including cattle, creeping things, and beasts. Most significantly, God declared, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness," creating male and female, giving them dominion over all living things on earth, and blessing them to be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth. God also provided all seed-bearing herbs and fruit trees for man's food, and green herbs for all animals. Concluding His work, God surveyed all that He had made, and declared it "very good," marking the end of the sixth day.

Core Concepts

  • Divine CreationGod, in the beginning, created the heavens and the earth, bringing order and existence out of a formless and void state through His spoken word.
  • Order and SeparationThroughout the creation account, God systematically separates elements, such as light from darkness and waters above from waters below, establishing distinct realms and forms.
  • Progressive DevelopmentCreation unfolds in a structured, day-by-day progression, building from foundational elements like light and firmament to complex life forms and ultimately, humanity.
  • Creation "After His Kind"A recurring phrase emphasizing that living creatures and plants were created with the inherent ability to reproduce offspring that resemble their original form, maintaining distinct species.
  • Dominion of ManHumanity, created in the image of God, is uniquely given authority and responsibility to "have dominion" over the fish, fowl, cattle, and every creeping thing upon the earth.
  • Goodness of CreationAfter each stage of creation, God observes His work and declares it "good," culminating in the declaration that all He had made was "very good" at the end of the sixth day.