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1 IN THE beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
1 GOD created the heavens and the earth in the very beginning.
2 Now the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters.
2 But the earth was unsightly and unfurnished, and darkness was over the deep, and the Spirit of God moved over the water.
2 But the earth was empty and unoccupied, and darknesses were over the face of the abyss; and so the Spirit of God was brought over the waters.
3 And God said: 'Let there be light.' And there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one 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.'
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water, and let it be a division between water and water, and it was so.
6 God also said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide waters from waters.”
7 And 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.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a 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.
9 And God said, Let the water which is under the heaven be collected into one place, and let the dry land appear, and it was so. And the water which was under the heaven was collected into its places, and the dry land appeared.
9 Truly God said: “Let the waters that are under heaven be gathered together into one place; and let the dry land appear.” And so it became.
10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters called He Seas; and God saw that it was good.
11 And God said: 'Let the earth put forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit-tree bearing fruit after its kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth.' And it was so.
11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the herb of grass bearing seed according to its kind and according to its likeness, and the fruit-tree bearing fruit whose seed is in it, according to its kind on the earth, and it was so.
11 And he said, “Let the land spring forth green plants, both those producing seed, and fruit-bearing trees, producing fruit according to their kind, whose seed is within itself, over all the earth.” And so it became.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, herb yielding seed after its kind, and tree bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
12 And the earth brought forth the herb of grass bearing seed according to its kind and according to its likeness, and the fruit tree bearing fruit whose seed is in it, according to its kind on the earth, and God saw that it was good.
12 And the land brought forth green plants, both those producing seed, according to their kind, and trees producing fruit, with each having its own way of sowing, according to its species. And God saw that it was good.
13 And there was evening and there was morning, a 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;
14 Then God said: “Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven. And let them divide day from night, and let them become signs, both of the seasons, and of the days and years.
15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth.' And it was so.
15 Let them shine in the firmament of heaven and illuminate the earth.” And so it became.
16 And God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; and the stars.
17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
17 And he set them in the firmament of heaven, to give light over all the earth,
18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.
19 And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
19 And it became evening and morning, the fourth day.
20 And God said: 'Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let fowl fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.'
20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth reptiles having life, and winged creatures flying above the earth in the firmament of heaven, and it was so.
20 And then God said, “Let the waters produce animals with a living soul, and flying creatures above the earth, under the firmament of heaven.”
21 And God created the great sea-monsters, and every living creature that creepeth, wherewith the waters swarmed, after its kind, and every winged fowl after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
21 And God made great whales, and every living reptile, which the waters brought forth according to their kinds, and every creature that flies with wings according to its kind, and God saw that they were good.
21 And God created the great sea creatures, and everything with a living soul and the ability to move that the waters produced, according to their species, and all the flying creatures, according to their kind. And God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying: 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.'
23 And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
23 And it became evening and morning, the fifth day.
24 And God said: 'Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after its kind.' And it was so.
24 God also said, “Let the land produce living souls in their kind: cattle, and animals, and wild beasts of the earth, according to their species.” And so it became.
25 And God made the beast of the earth after its kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
25 And God made the wild beasts of the earth according to their species, and the cattle, and every animal on the land, according to its 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.'
26 And he said: “Let us make Man to our image and likeness. And let him rule over the fish of the sea, and the flying creatures of the air, and the wild beasts, and the entire earth, and every animal that moves on the earth.”
27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.
27 And God made man, according to the image of God he made him, male and female he made them.
28 And 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 creepeth upon the earth.'
28 And God blessed them, saying, Increase and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the seas and flying creatures of heaven, and all the cattle and all the earth, and all the reptiles that creep on the earth.
29 And God said: 'Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed--to you it shall be for food;
30 and 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 a living soul, I have given every green herb for food.' And it was so.
30 And to all the wild beasts of the earth, and to all the flying creatures of heaven, and to every reptile creeping on the earth, which has in itself the breath of life, even every green plant for food; and it was so.
30 and for all the animals of the land, and for all the flying things of the air, and for everything that moves upon the earth and in which there is a living soul, so that they may have these on which to feed.” And so it became.
31 And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
2:1 And the heaven and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
1 And so the heavens and the earth were completed, with all their adornment.
2:2 And on the seventh day God finished His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.
2 And God finished on the sixth day his works which he made, and he ceased on the seventh day from all his works which he made.
2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it; because that in it He rested from all His work which God in creating had made.
3 So God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because in it he had rested from all his works which God created and made.
2:4 These are the generations of the heaven and of the earth when they were created, in the day that YHWH God made earth and heaven.
4 This is the book of the generation of heaven and earth, when they were made, in the day in which the Lord God made the heaven and the earth,
2:5 No shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for YHWH God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground;
5 and every sapling of the field, before it would rise up in the land, and every wild plant, before it would germinate. For the Lord God had not brought rain upon the earth, and there was no man to work the land.
2:6 but there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
6 But a fountain ascended from the earth, irrigating the entire surface of the land.
6 But a powerful spring gushed out of the earth, and watered all the face of the ground.
2:7 Then YHWH God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
7 And God formed the man of dust of the earth, and breathed upon his face the breath of life, and the man became a living soul.
7 And then the Lord God formed man from the clay of the earth, and he breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul.
2:8 And YHWH God planted a garden eastward, in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed.
8 Now the Lord God had planted a Paradise of enjoyment from the beginning. In it, he placed the man whom he had formed.
2:9 And out of the ground made YHWH God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
9 And God made to spring up also out of the earth every tree beautiful to the eye and good for food, and the tree of life in the midst of the garden, and the tree of learning the knowledge of good and evil.
2:10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became four heads.
10 And a river proceeds out of Edem to water the garden, thence it divides itself into four heads.
10 And a river went forth from the place of enjoyment so as to irrigate Paradise, which is divided from there into four heads.
2:11 The name of the first is Pishon; that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;
2:12 and the gold of that land is good; there is bdellium and the onyx stone.
2:13 And the name of the second river is Gihon; the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Cush.
2:14 And the name of the third river is Tigris; that is it which goeth toward the east of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
14 And the third river is Tigris, this is that which flows forth over against the Assyrians. And the fourth river is Euphrates.
14 Truly, the name of the third river is the Tigris; it advances opposite the Assyrians. But the fourth river, it is the Euphrates.
2:15 And YHWH God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
15 And the Lord God took the man whom he had formed, and placed him in the garden of Delight, to cultivate and keep it.
15 Thus, the Lord God brought the man, and put him into the Paradise of enjoyment, so that it would be attended and preserved by him.
2:16 And YHWH God commanded the man, saying: 'Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat;
16 And the Lord God gave a charge to Adam, saying, Of every tree which is in the garden thou mayest freely eat,
16 And he instructed him, saying: “From every tree of Paradise, you shall eat.
2:17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.'
17 But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat. For in whatever day you will eat from it, you will die a death.”
2:18 And YHWH God said: 'It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.'
18 The Lord God also said: “It is not good for the man to be alone. Let us make a helper for him similar to himself.”
2:19 And out of the ground YHWH God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto the man to see what he would call them; and whatsoever the man would call every living creature, that was to be the name thereof.
2:20 And the man gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a help meet for him.
20 And Adam gave names to all the cattle and to all the birds of the sky, and to all the wild beasts of the field, but for Adam there was not found a help like to himself.
20 And Adam called each of the living things by their names: all the flying creatures of the air, and all the wild beasts of the land. Yet truly, for Adam, there was not found a helper similar to himself.
2:21 And YHWH God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the place with flesh instead thereof.
21 And God brought a trance upon Adam, and he slept, and he took one of his ribs, and filled up the flesh instead thereof.
21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the place with flesh in its stead;
2:22 And the rib, which YHWH God had taken from the man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man.
22 And God formed the rib which he took from Adam into a woman, and brought her to Adam.
22 And the Lord God built up the rib, which he took from Adam, into a woman. And he led her to Adam.
2:23 And the man said: 'This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.'
23 And Adam said: “Now this is bone from my bones, and flesh from my flesh. This one shall be called woman, because she was taken from man.”
2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.
24 For this reason, a man shall leave behind his father and mother, and he shall cling to his wife; and the two shall be as one flesh.
2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
25 Now they were both naked: Adam, of course, and his wife. And they were not ashamed.
1:1f; 2:4 The Creation (Die Schöpfung) Composed between 1796 and 1798, with a public premiere in 1799, this oratorio is doubtless Haydn's masterpiece. Evocative of Haydn's profound religious faith, The Creation is a paean to the beauty and joy of existence as God intended it. Notably, the Fall is absent from the oratorio: it ends with Adam and Eve's first meeting. On the one hand, one could argue that this omission reflects the 18th century's optimism that generally rejected the concept of Original Sin, as seen in the thought of Voltaire and Rousseau. One the other hand, Haydn suffered bouts of melancholy and lived a harsh life before he found stable employment: perhaps for him, the fact of Original Sin is obvious, for its effects are visible everywhere; the goodness of creation as revealed in Gn 1-2, however, is not obvious and must be proclaimed as loudly as possible. Perhaps this is reflected in remarks Haydn made regarding the oratorio in an 1802 letter:
The Creation begins with a Prelude that depicts Chaos by withholding musical cadences from ends of phrases and gradually becomes more systematic to finally culminate in the orchestra and the choir coming together in a luminous chord for "let there be Light". Three soloists represent three angles who narrate and comment upon the six days of creation: Gabriel (soprano), Uriel (tenor), and Raphael (bass). The final act features Adam (bass) and Eve (soprano). Their lovely duet Holde Gattin may have been inspired by the duet between Papageno and Papageno in the Magic Flute.
Haydn's last public appearance was at an 1808 performance of The Creation. Biographer J. Cuthbert thus describes the scene:
Joseph (1732-1809), Gottfried (livret), Die Schöpfung, (Hob. XXI:2), 1796-1798
William Cutter (dir.), The MIT Concert Choir→, © Licence YouTube standard
This performance→ employs the original German libretto, which is far superior to the English.
2:7–25 Creation of Adam and Eve
(1366–1426) et (1390–1441), Ghent Altarpiece (opened), (oil on oak panel, 1432), 3.75 × 5.20 m, St. Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium.
Public Domain © Wikicommons→
All of the personages depicted in the altarpiece are oriented towards the Lamb, immolated yet victorious. He the being from which biblical history and, more generally the history of man begins to be revealed and transfigured (cf. Jn 1). Moreover, the history of the Covenant since the creation of humanity forms a constellation around the savior. Adam and Eve are at the most extreme distance from Christ. The darkness which surrounds their bodies symbolizes their Fall in the Garden of Eden.
Curiously, they do not stand at the beginning of the tableau as they do at the beginning of Scripture, but they frame either side of the work of Salvation. Their destiny enters into a different temporality. The linearity of the chronology disappears thanks to a unique moment of grace from which all takes meaning: the sacrifice and the triumph of the Lamb. The Lamb, clouded by a pure white light, cleanly contrasts with the pallor of Adam and Eve, still affected by the consequences of Original Sin. The spae thus models another understanding of time. The history of things is replaced by the history of their signification.
(1378–1455), Creation of Adam and Eve (bronze, ca. 1425–1452), baptistery door, "The Gate of Paradise," Florence.
Public Domain © Wikicommons→
Here, the sculpted relief transform our ordinary "perspective." That which is distant is blurred in favor of that which is near. Thus the angels bit by bit merge with the infinity of heaven while the scene of the Creation and the Fall of Adam and Eve present some distinct forms and clear traits. This new method, where depth and movement are conjoined, is a signature method of the Renaissance which owes its paternity to (1452–1517). In this representation, God ascends and distances himself inasmuch as Man embraces his own existence to the point of cutting himself off from Him by sin. While this progressive effacement of God, paralleled with the slipping of Man towards the exterior, is a direct effect of this new Italian technique, it also allows us to understand how much creation implies separation between man and God.
Jan (1568–1625) et Peter Paul (1577–1640), Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (oil on panel, ca. 1615), 74.3 x 114.7 cm.
Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis, The Hague, Public Domain © Wikimedia commons→, Gn 2–3
In this scene of the earthly paradise the animals are depicted in the background amidst luxurious vegetation, while Adam and Eve are in represented the foreground. Eve, in taking the apple offered by the serpent, is just about to disrupt this sweet harmony wherein "the wolf dwells with the lamb" (Is 11:6; 65:20). This was the morning of the world, and we are just at the threshold of the Fall: the painter seems to cast a nostalgic glance over that bygone age of perfect concord both between God and man and between man and the rest of creation. This bestiary is depicted in coherence with the Christian vision of the world, and particularly in its conception of Time. Indeed, it is God who creates the animals, but they are entrusted to man, who is given the task of naming them (Gn 2:20). And it is Noah who would later save them. This tableau is much more than a simple representation of animals: the painting becomes the support of an experience of the world that invites the spectator to engage himself in a reflection upon Creation in cultivating contemplation and meditation. In the 17th c., such paintings would function of edifying the spectator by showing the inexhaustible diversity of nature animated by the divine breath, given to man and manifesting the goodenss of God. Artistic pleasure unites itself with spiritual edification (P. J.-M. N.).
Still dwelling in an earthly paradise, the animals have no suspicion of the imminent Fall. The luxurious vegetation, which continues to be fecund according to God's primordial design, is likewise unconscious of the tragedie which awaits it. In the foreground, however, Adam and Eve are ready to eat the forbidden fruit. The loss of this sweet harmony between all levels of being—God, man, men and women, man and creation, animal with animal, etc.—marks the diffusion of evils in the whole of nature, and not only in human nature.
Gustave (1832-1883), The Creation of Eve, (Gravure sur bois, 1866)
Public Domain © Wikicommons→
This engraving focuses particularly upon the Light of creation. While God is traditionally represented as an artisan in the iconography of the Creation, here he is depicted as an element of the universe. His causality, admittedly direct, is less tangible. Eve is not taken from Adam by the hand of God, and it is for this reason that her creation acquires a stronger spiritual dimension. The more literal image is lacking, and another one, more visual, is born. In this sense, the creation of the first woman is not the result of divine craftsmanship but the fruit of a divine gaze, a gaze that is the source of her life. The role of the Light in nature is, at root, none other than that here. By it, flora increase and grow abundantly. Likewise, Eve receives this mysterious gift.
A project of the Bible in Its Traditions Research Program AISBL
Directed by the École Biblique et Archéologique in Jerusalem
To support us, click here
© 2008–2024 BEST AISBL | École Biblique. All rights reserved. Patent pending. Legal Terms