Lockman - Bible questions and answers

NASB					Gen 1:1 ^AIn the beginning⁷²²⁵ ^BGod⁴³⁰ ^Ccreated^1254a the heavens⁸⁰⁶⁴ and the earth⁷⁷⁶.
AMPLIFIED 2015					Gen 1:1 In the beginning God (¹Elohim) ²created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth. [Heb 11:3]

Amplified 2015 Translator's Notes:
Literal renderings, alternate translations or explanations.

This is originally a plural form based on el (root meaning: strength), which itself is used to refer to God in compounds like El Shaddai (Almighty God). The word el is also used to refer to false gods, so the context determines whether Elohim means "God" or is better understood as "gods" (elohim).

Heb bara. Here and in 1:21, God created from nothing which is something only He can do. In 1:27, God used preexisting materials (man from the dust of the ground; Eve from Adam's rib); each use of the word bara ("create") must be considered in its specific context.

NASB Cross References:
Related verses.

Ps 102:25 "Of old You founded the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.

Ps 89:11 ¶ The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
The world and all it contains, You have founded them.

Job 38:4 "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding,

Hebrew-Aramaic & Greek Dictionary:
(#) is number of times this NASB word was translated from the original language.

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this Strong's number:

Greek Heb.

430

elohim (43b); pl. of 433; God, god:--divine(1), divine being(1), exceedingly(1), God(2326), god(45), God's(14), goddess(2), godly(1), gods(204), great(2), judges(3), mighty(2), rulers(1), shrine*(1).

776

erets (75d); a prim. root; earth, land:--common(1), countries(15), countries and their lands(1), country(44), countryside(1), distance*(3), dust(1), earth(655), earth the ground(1), earth's(1), fail*(1), floor(1), ground(119), land(1581), lands(57), lands have their land(2), open(1), other*(2), piece(1), plateau*(1), region(1), territories(1), wild(1), world(3).

1254a

bara (135b); a prim. root; to shape, create:--brings about(1), clear(2), create(6), created(32), creates(1), creating(3), Creator(4), cut them down(1), make(2), produced(1).

7225

reshith (912a); from 7218; beginning, chief:--beginning(19), choice(2), choicest(3), finest(2), first(16), first fruits(7), foremost(2).

8064

shamayim (1029c); from an unused word; heaven, sky:--astrologers*(1), compass(1), earth(1), heaven(191), heaven and the highest(2), heaven and the highest heavens(1), heaven of heavens(1), heavenly(3), heavens(151), heavens and the highest(1), highest heaven(1), highest heaven(1), highest heavens(4), horizons(1), other*(1), sky(50).

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