Day One — yom echad
Five verses, 52 words. Every letter, vowel and accent — and why the sentences are built the way they are, read in the original.
Verse by verse: which patterns build each sentence, and why — so that you can read it without a translation.
1-1What each verse does — Genesis 1:1–5
Before the text, see for each verse of 1:1–5: (1) what it does in the story, (2) what it says, (3) the verbs and sentence structure it uses. Tap a row to go to that verse.
The storyline — the 7 verbs that carry the story of Genesis 1:1–5
Why only these verbs? — In Hebrew narrative the “and he did” verb (wayyiqtol, pattern 1) moves the events forward one by one. Read these verbs in order and you have the storyline of 1:1–5. The other clauses (descriptions, the verbs inside God’s speech, perfects and so on) are added to this line. See this storyline first, and in the text you will notice where a sentence moves forward and where it pauses.
From verse 3 on, the “and he did” form (wayyiqtol) appears seven times in a row. The perfect in verse 1 and the descriptive clauses of verse 2 set the stage before this chain begins.
Tap a word to open its notes below. Pronunciation is by a modern Israeli Hebrew voice.
YLVIn beginning (bereshit) God created the heavens and the earth.
How this sentence is built — and why
- How many clauses?One clause, seven words: בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ.
- What comes first?Not the verb but the time word בְּרֵאשִׁית (“in beginning”) → pattern 2, “X + perfect.”
- So what fills the verb slot?A wayyiqtol can stand only first, so it cannot be used. Hence the perfect בָּרָא (bare form = “he created”).
- The rest of the orderverb → subject אֱלֹהִים → two objects, each marked by אֵת: “the heavens” and “the earth.”
- Why is it written this way?Instead of starting the story with a wayyiqtol (“and he did”), it sets the stage for the whole account with a perfect sentence led by “in beginning.” This is the combination for opening a story: 1:1 (X + perfect) → 1:2 (and + subject, background) → 1:3 (the wayyiqtol chain begins).
- The accents matchThe atnach (◌֑) on אֱלֹהִים divides it: [in beginning · created · God | the heavens and the earth].
Clause by clause
YLVIn beginning (bereshit) God created the heavens and the earth.
Why?It is the first sentence of the story, yet not a wayyiqtol. Because “in beginning” (בְּרֵאשִׁית) is placed before the verb, the rule makes the verb a perfect, בָּרָא. The sentence does not join the chain of events; it opens the whole account. Then comes verb → subject → object, with אֵת marking each of the two objects.
Verbs — who did it?
How the accents divide it
The bigger the box, the bigger the pause. Read from right to left.
The atnach (◌֑) on Elohim divides the verse: “in beginning God created | the heavens and the earth.” The first word, bereshit, carries a disjunctive accent, tipcha (◌֖) — evidence often cited that the Masoretes did not read bereshit as bound to the next word (“in the beginning of…”). See “Going deeper.”
Word by word
בְּרֵאשִׁ֖יתbe-reshitin beginning
Reshit comes from rosh (רֹאשׁ) “head,” with the feminine ending ־ִית. The prefix בְּ (“in”) has only a shewa (ְ), so there is no article: not “in the beginning” but “in beginning.” The א is silent.
- Parsing
- preposition + noun · feminine · singular
- Grammar
- prepositiongender and numberaccents
- Form
- root ר-א-שׁ (“head”) → רֵאשִׁית (“beginning”) · prefix בְּ
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H7225
barahe created
אֱלֹהִ֑יםElohimGod
The form is masculine plural (ending ־ִים), yet the verb bara is singular — not “gods created” but “God (one) created.” The verb comes before the subject, the usual order in Hebrew narrative.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- אֱלוֹהַּ (“god”) with the plural ending ־ִים
- Accent
- Atnach the main pause in mid-verse — divides the verse in two
- Lexicon
- H430
אֵ֥תet(object marker)
Not translated. It points to the definite direct object that follows — here “the heavens” — so the sentence cannot be read as “the heavens created.”
- Parsing
- object marker
- Grammar
- object marker אֵתaccents
- Form
- unchanging · before a maqaf it becomes אֶת־ (verse 4)
- Accent
- Merkha conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H853
הַשָּׁמַ֖יִםha-shamayimthe heavens
The article הַ (“the”) doubles the next consonant — the dot (dagesh) in שּׁ. Shamayim exists only in plural form (־ַיִם), so the YLV renders “the heavens.”
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- שָׁמַיִם (“heavens”) + article הַ → שּׁ
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H8064
וְאֵ֥תve-etand (object marker)
“And” וְ + the object marker אֵת. Et appears again to point separately to the second object, “the earth.”
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + object marker
- Grammar
- conjunction wawobject marker אֵתaccents
- Form
- וְ + אֵת
- Accent
- Merkha conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H853
הָאָֽרֶץha-aretsthe earth
א cannot take a dagesh, so the article lengthens to הָ instead of הַ. Erets (אֶרֶץ) also lengthens its first vowel with the article: הָאָרֶץ. At the end of the verse (silluq) a small vertical stroke stands under אָֽ.
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine or feminine · singular
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- אֶרֶץ (“earth”) + article הָ → הָאָרֶץ
- Accent
- Silluq the final pause of the verse
- Lexicon
- H776
YLVAnd the earth was formlessness and emptiness, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the spirit (ruach) of God was hovering upon the face of the waters.
How this sentence is built — and why
- How many clauses?Three: [the earth was formlessness and emptiness] [darkness upon the face of the deep] [the spirit of God hovering upon the face of the waters].
- What comes first?All three begin with וְ + a subject (a noun) → pattern 3, “and + subject.” Background, not events.
- So what fills the verb slot?Each is different: the perfect הָיְתָה (“was”), no verb (pattern 4), and the participle מְרַחֶפֶת (pattern 5, ongoing).
- Why is it written this way?It paints the stage opened in verse 1 before any event begins — what was lacking (formlessness, emptiness, darkness) and who was there (the spirit of God). So verse 2 has no wayyiqtol at all. This is the combination for inserting background, and the middle step of opening a story (1:1 → 1:2 → 1:3).
- The accents matchThe atnach (◌֑) on תְהוֹם divides it: [the earth · the darkness | the spirit of God].
Clause by clause
YLVAnd the earth was formlessness and emptiness,
Why?וְ is attached to the subject “the earth,” not to a verb. So this is not a new event after verse 1 but a description of what that earth was like. Because the verb is not first, it is the perfect הָיְתָה.
YLVand darkness was upon the face of the deep,
Why?The same “and + subject” opening, but with no verb at all. “Darkness — upon the face of the deep,” two parts side by side: “darkness was upon the deep.”
YLVand the spirit (ruach) of God was hovering upon the face of the waters.
Why?The third picture also begins “and + subject” (the spirit of God). The verb is the participle מְרַחֶפֶת, picturing ongoing hovering within the scene. All three clauses pause the story and layer one scene.
Verbs — who did it?
How the accents divide it
The bigger the box, the bigger the pause. Read from right to left.
The atnach (◌֑) falls on “the deep” (תְהוֹם). The first half is the earth and the darkness; the second half is the spirit of God — what was lacking, and who was there. The first half divides again at the zaqef (◌֔) on וָבֹהוּ: the state of the earth | the darkness.
Word by word
וְהָאָ֗רֶץve-ha-aretsand the earth
It picks up the very last word of verse 1, “the earth.” “And” + the subject comes before the verb — a clause that does not move the story forward but describes: “now the earth was…”
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + article “the” + noun · masculine or feminine · singular
- Grammar
- conjunction wawdefinite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- וְ + הָ + אָרֶץ
- Accent
- Revia a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H776
הָיְתָ֥הhayetah(she =) it was
Perfect of hayah “to be.” The ending תָה (-tah) marks 3rd feminine singular, “she.” The “she” is the earth, because erets is treated as feminine: “it (the earth) was.”
תֹ֨הוּ֙tohuformlessness
A noun, not an adjective — so the YLV says “formlessness.” The “o” is a holem (תֹ); the final “u” is written with vav (וּ). Read on from a word ending in a vowel, the ת loses its dagesh.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- תֹּהוּ (“formlessness”) — dagesh drops after the vowel
- Accent
- Pashta a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H8414
וָבֹ֔הוּva-vohuand emptiness
A pair with tohu. Here “and” is read וָ (va); after the vowel ב has no dagesh, so it is a soft v: “tohu va-vohu,” two rhyming nouns.
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- conjunction wawgender and numberaccents
- Form
- בֹּהוּ (“emptiness”) + וָ → וָבֹהוּ
- Accent
- Zaqef qatan a major pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H922
וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְve-choshekhand darkness
Subject of the second descriptive clause, which has no verb — Hebrew often leaves out “to be.” The final כ takes its final form ךְ, with a shewa.
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- conjunction wawgender and numberaccents
- Form
- חֹשֶׁךְ (“darkness”) with וְ
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H2822
עַלalupon
פְּנֵ֣יpeneiface of
Panim (פָּנִים) “face” is always plural. The ending ־ֵי is the plural construct — “the face of,” bound to the next word.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine or feminine · plural · construct
- Grammar
- gender and numberconstruct stateaccents
- Form
- פָּנִים → construct פְּנֵי (־ִים becomes ־ֵי)
- Accent
- Munach conjunctive — joins to the next word
- Lexicon
- H6440
תְה֑וֹםtehomthe deep
“The deep, the deep waters,” without the article. This word carries the verse’s central pause, atnach (◌֑): verse 2 divides here.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine or feminine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- תְּהוֹם (“deep”) — dagesh drops after the vowel
- Accent
- Atnach the main pause in mid-verse — divides the verse in two
- Lexicon
- H8415
וְר֣וּחַve-ruachand the spirit of
Ruach means “wind, breath, spirit.” The patach under the final ח is read first: ru-ach. As a construct it is bound to Elohim: “the spirit of God.” The YLV shows the Hebrew word with it: “spirit (ruach).”
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + noun · masculine or feminine · singular · construct
- Grammar
- conjunction wawgender and numberconstruct stateaccents
- Form
- רוּחַ (“spirit, wind”) with וְ · construct has the same form
- Accent
- Munach conjunctive — joins to the next word
- Lexicon
- H7307
אֱלֹהִ֔יםElohimGod
The word of verse 1 — here bound to ruach: “the spirit of God.”
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- אֱלוֹהַּ (“god”) with the plural ending ־ִים
- Accent
- Zaqef qatan a major pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H430
מְרַחֶ֖פֶתmerachefetwas hovering
Piel participle of rachaf “to hover.” The prefix מְ (me-) marks the participle; the ending ־ֶת (-et) is feminine singular, agreeing with ruach. A participle pictures ongoing action. The same verb describes an eagle hovering over its young in Deuteronomy 32:11.
- Parsing
- verb · Piel · participle · feminine · singular
- Grammar
- Piel stemparticipleaccents
- Form
- root ר-ח-ף → Piel participle: prefix מְ + ending ־ֶת (fs)
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H7363b
עַלalupon
פְּנֵ֥יpeneiface of
Panim (פָּנִים) “face” is always plural. The ending ־ֵי is the plural construct — “the face of,” bound to the next word.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine or feminine · plural · construct
- Grammar
- gender and numberconstruct stateaccents
- Form
- פָּנִים → construct פְּנֵי (־ִים becomes ־ֵי)
- Accent
- Merkha conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H6440
הַמָּֽיִםha-mayimthe waters
Article הַ with a dagesh in מּ. Like shamayim, mayim is always plural in form (־ַיִם). At the verse end (silluq) a vertical stroke stands under מָּֽ.
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- מַיִם (“waters”) + article הַ → מּ
- Accent
- Silluq the final pause of the verse
- Lexicon
- H4325
YLVAnd God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
How this sentence is built — and why
- How many clauses?Three: [God said] [let there be light] [there was light].
- What comes first?The first clause opens with the wayyiqtol וַיֹּאמֶר → pattern 1. It is the first wayyiqtol of the chapter — the chain of events begins here.
- The sentence inside the speechThe second clause is what God said. Inside speech, the rules of speech apply, not those of narrative — a command to a third person (the light) uses the jussive יְהִי.
- Back to the chainThe third clause is again a wayyiqtol, וַיְהִי, answering with the same verb and the same subject (אוֹר) → pattern 6 (1 + jussive + 1).
- Why is it written this way?Word and fulfilment are set side by side in the same two words (יְהִי אוֹר → וַיְהִי־אוֹר), showing in the letters that it happened as spoken. This combines “reporting speech” and “a word being fulfilled.”
- The accents matchThe atnach (◌֑) on אוֹר divides it: [the word | the fulfilment].
Clause by clause
YLVAnd God said,
Why?Here the story begins to move. First the wayyiqtol וַיֹּאמֶר, then the subject Elohim — “verb → subject.” The first event of Day One is “he said.”
YLV"Let there be light,"
Why?God’s word itself. A command to a third person (the light) uses the jussive יְהִי, then the subject אוֹר.
YLVand there was light.
Why?The fulfilment uses the wayyiqtol of the same verb, וַיְהִי, with the same subject אוֹר. Command and fulfilment are the same two words, differing only by וַ.
Verbs — who did it?
How the accents divide it
The bigger the box, the bigger the pause. Read from right to left.
The atnach (◌֑) on “light” (אוֹר) divides the verse exactly into command | fulfilment. First half: God said, “Let there be light.” Second half: there was light.
Word by word
וַיֹּ֥אמֶרva-yomerand he said
אֱלֹהִ֖יםElohimGod
The one who spoke — the subject after the verb.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- אֱלוֹהַּ (“god”) with the plural ending ־ִים
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H430
יְהִ֣יyehilet (it) be
א֑וֹרorlight
“Light.” The atnach (◌֑) on this word divides verse 3 into the command and its fulfilment.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine or feminine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- אוֹר (“light”) · the “o” is written with vav (וֹ)
- Accent
- Atnach the main pause in mid-verse — divides the verse in two
- Lexicon
- H216
וַֽיְהִיva-yehiand there was
אֽוֹרorlight
The very word of the command returns — it happened exactly as spoken. Silluq at the verse end.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine or feminine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- אוֹר (“light”)
- Accent
- Silluq the final pause of the verse
- Lexicon
- H216
YLVAnd God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided between the light and between the darkness.
How this sentence is built — and why
- How many clauses?Two, with one clause embedded: [he saw — the light — 〈that it was good〉] [he divided — between the light and the darkness].
- What comes first?Both clauses open with a wayyiqtol (וַיַּרְא, וַיַּבְדֵּל) → pattern 1. Two events in order: seeing → dividing.
- The embedded clauseAfter the object of the first clause comes כִּי + טוֹב. טוֹב is a verbless clause (pattern 4) telling what he saw → pattern 7 (1 + כִּי + 4).
- The second clauseבֵּין … וּבֵין (“between A and between B”) sets each side of the division on its own.
- Why is it written this way?The order of wayyiqtols is the order of events: the judgment “good” comes before the dividing. This is the combination for seeing and judging.
- The accents matchThe atnach (◌֑) on טוֹב divides it: [seeing | dividing].
Clause by clause
YLVAnd God saw the light, that it was good;
Why?The wayyiqtol וַיַּרְא first, then subject, object (אֶת־הָאוֹר), and what he saw, כִּי־טוֹב: “What did he see? The light. What did he see about it? That it was good.”
YLVand God divided between the light and between the darkness.
Why?Again a wayyiqtol, וַיַּבְדֵּל → subject → “between” twice. The order of events: seeing → dividing.
Verbs — who did it?
How the accents divide it
The bigger the box, the bigger the pause. Read from right to left.
The atnach (◌֑) falls on “good” (טוֹב): seeing | dividing. The tevir (◌֛) on Elohim marks a smaller division within the first half; the darga (◌֧) on וַיַּרְא is a conjunctive accent that leads into it.
Word by word
וַיַּ֧רְאva-yarand he saw
אֱלֹהִ֛יםElohimGod
The one who saw.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- אֱלוֹהַּ (“god”) with the plural ending ־ִים
- Accent
- Tevir a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H430
אֶתet(object marker)
The same object marker as אֵת in verse 1. Joined by maqaf, it loses its stress and its vowel shortens (אֶת).
- Parsing
- object marker
- Grammar
- object marker אֵתmaqqefaccents
- Form
- אֵת → before maqaf אֶת־
- Accent
- Maqaf joined to the next word by maqaf (־)
- Lexicon
- H853
הָא֖וֹרha-orthe light
Before א the article is הָ. This is what he saw.
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine or feminine · singular
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- אוֹר + article הָ
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H216
כִּיkithat
It introduces what he saw. Hebrew says “he saw the light — that it was good”: first the object, then כִּי with what he saw about it. The YLV “saw the light, that it was good” keeps this structure.
- Parsing
- conjunction
- Grammar
- conjunction wawmaqqefaccents
- Form
- unchanging · joined by maqaf
- Accent
- Maqaf joined to the next word by maqaf (־)
- Lexicon
- H3588a
ט֑וֹבtovgood
וַיַּבְדֵּ֣לva-yavdeland he divided
Hiphil wayyiqtol of badal “to divide”: וַ + יּ; the י = “he.” The patach prefix vowel יַ (ya-) marks the Hiphil. The Hiphil imperfect יַבְדִּיל shortens in the wayyiqtol to יַּבְדֵּל.
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + verb · Hiphil · wayyiqtol (narrative sequence) · 3rd masculine singular
- Grammar
- conjunction wawHiphil stemwayyiqtolaccents
- Form
- root ב-ד-ל → Hiphil יַבְדִּיל → וַיַּבְדֵּל
- Accent
- Munach conjunctive — joins to the next word
- Lexicon
- H914
אֱלֹהִ֔יםElohimGod
The one who divided.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- אֱלוֹהַּ (“god”) with the plural ending ־ִים
- Accent
- Zaqef qatan a major pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H430
בֵּ֥יןbeinbetween
Hebrew says “between A and between B,” using בֵּין twice. The YLV keeps it: “between the light and between the darkness.”
- Parsing
- preposition
- Grammar
- prepositionaccents
- Form
- unchanging
- Accent
- Merkha conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H996
הָא֖וֹרha-orthe light
As above — the article הָ before א.
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine or feminine · singular
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- אוֹר + article הָ
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H216
וּבֵ֥יןu-veinand between
Before ב (and the other lip-sounds מ, פ) “and” becomes וּ (u). After the vowel ב has no dagesh: “u-vein.”
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + preposition
- Grammar
- conjunction wawprepositionaccents
- Form
- וּ + בֵּין → dagesh drops: בֵין
- Accent
- Merkha conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H996
הַחֹֽשֶׁךְha-choshekhthe darkness
ח cannot take a dagesh either, but here the article stays הַ without lengthening (implied doubling before ח). Silluq stroke under חֹֽ at the verse end.
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- חֹשֶׁךְ + article הַ
- Accent
- Silluq the final pause of the verse
- Lexicon
- H2822
YLVAnd God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, day one.
How this sentence is built — and why
- How many clauses?Five: [he called — the light — Day] [the darkness — he called — Night] [there was evening] [there was morning] [day one].
- Clauses one and twoThe first opens with the wayyiqtol וַיִּקְרָא (1). In the second, the object “the darkness” (וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ) comes first → no wayyiqtol is possible, so the perfect קָרָא (2).
- Why the second clause is built soIt does not add a new event; it sets the pair of the same act (naming) side by side. So it uses “X + perfect,” which does not extend the chain, and makes a mirror (chiasm) — the combination for setting a pair side by side (1 + 2).
- Clauses three and fourAgain wayyiqtol וַיְהִי + a noun subject — back to the order of events (evening → morning).
- Clause fiveיוֹם אֶחָד counts that evening and morning as “day one,” without a verb. Clauses three to five together form pattern 8, the sentence that closes a day — the combination for closing a span of time.
- The accents matchThe atnach (◌֑) on לָיְלָה divides it: [the naming | evening · morning · day one].
Clause by clause
YLVAnd God called the light Day,
Why?Wayyiqtol וַיִּקְרָא → subject → “the light” → “Day.” “Call + לְ” means “name.”
YLVand the darkness he called Night.
Why?This time “the darkness” (וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ) is placed before the verb, so the verb is the perfect קָרָא, not a wayyiqtol (pattern 2). It mirrors the previous clause (chiasm), setting light against darkness: “called — the light — Day” / “the darkness — called — Night.”
YLVAnd there was evening
Why?The first half of the closing sentence: wayyiqtol וַיְהִי + subject “evening.”
YLVand there was morning,
Why?The same וַיְהִי + subject “morning.”
YLVday one.
Why?Finally “day one” (יוֹם אֶחָד), standing without a verb — counting the evening and the morning together as one day.
How the accents divide it
The bigger the box, the bigger the pause. Read from right to left.
The atnach (◌֑) falls on “Night” (לָיְלָה): the naming | evening, morning, day one. The paseq ׀ after Elohim sets a slight gap between “God” and “the light.”
Word by word
וַיִּקְרָ֨אva-yikraand he called
אֱלֹהִ֤יםElohimGod
The one who called. The vertical line ׀ after it (paseq) is a small separating stroke between words.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- אֱלוֹהַּ (“god”) with the plural ending ־ִים
- Accent
- Mahpakh conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H430
לָאוֹר֙la-orthe light (to the light)
“Call + לְ” = “name something.” When the preposition לְ meets the article, the ה disappears and its vowel moves to ל — before א it is לָ (la).
- Parsing
- preposition + article + noun · masculine or feminine · singular
- Grammar
- prepositiondefinite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- לְ + הָ + אוֹר → לָאוֹר
- Accent
- Pashta a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H216
י֔וֹםyomDay
The same word means both “day” and “daytime.” Here it is the name given to the light, “Day”; at the end of the verse it is the “day” of “day one.”
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- יוֹם (“day”)
- Accent
- Zaqef qatan a major pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H3117
וְלַחֹ֖שֶׁךְve-la-choshekhand the darkness
וְ + לְ with the article → לַ. The object is moved in front of the verb — which is why the next verb is the perfect קָרָא, not a wayyiqtol.
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + preposition + article + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- conjunction wawprepositiondefinite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- וְ + לְ + הַ + חֹשֶׁךְ → וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H2822
qarahe called
לָ֑יְלָהlaylahNight
A masculine noun despite the final ה. At the atnach pause its first vowel lengthens (לַיְלָה → לָיְלָה, a pausal form). Verse 5 divides here: the naming, then evening, morning, day one.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- לַיְלָה (“night”) → pausal לָיְלָה
- Accent
- Atnach the main pause in mid-verse — divides the verse in two
- Lexicon
- H3915
וַֽיְהִיva-yehiand there was
The wayyiqtol וַיְהִי of verse 3, joined by maqaf to “evening.” The “it” (yod) is the evening.
עֶ֥רֶבerevevening
The text names evening first — evening, then morning.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- עֶרֶב (“evening”)
- Accent
- Merkha conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H6153
וַֽיְהִיva-yehiand there was
בֹ֖קֶרvoqermorning
י֥וֹםyomday
The “day” of “day one,” without the article.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- יוֹם (“day”)
- Accent
- Merkha conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H3117
אֶחָֽדechadone
The cardinal “one,” not the ordinal “first” (rishon, רִאשׁוֹן). From the second day on the text uses ordinals (sheni, shelishi…). So the YLV renders “day one.”
All the sentence patterns of this page in one table, and the places where views differ.
2-1Sentence patterns on this page
Which patterns build the clauses of this page, in one table.
| Pattern | On this page |
|---|---|
| 1. The wayyiqtol narrative sentence | 1:3 And God said,1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good;1:4 and God divided between the light and between the darkness.1:5 And God called the light Day,1:5 And there was evening1:5 and there was morning, |
| 2. The “X + perfect” sentence | 1:1 In beginning (bereshit) God created the heavens and the earth.1:5 and the darkness he called Night. |
| 3. The “and + subject” descriptive sentence | 1:2 And the earth was formlessness and emptiness,1:2 and darkness was upon the face of the deep,1:2 and the spirit (ruach) of God was hovering upon the face of the waters. |
| 4. The verbless sentence | 1:2 and darkness was upon the face of the deep, |
| 5. The participle sentence | 1:2 and the spirit (ruach) of God was hovering upon the face of the waters. |
| 6. “Let there be → there was”: word and fulfilment | 1:3 And God said,1:3 "Let there be light,"1:3 and there was light. |
| 7. “Saw … that it was good” — see + object + כִּי | 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good; |
| 8. The sentence that closes a day | 1:5 And there was evening1:5 and there was morning,1:5 day one. |
2-2Going deeper
Verse 1, “bereshit” — an independent sentence, or “when…”?
What the text makes clear — בְּרֵאשִׁית has no article; בָּרָא is pointed as a perfect (“created”); and bereshit carries a disjunctive accent (tipcha).
① An independent sentence — “In beginning God created the heavens and the earth”
- Evidence
- The Masoretic vowels (perfect בָּרָא) and accent (tipcha on bereshit). All the ancient versions read it this way — the Septuagint “Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός,” the Latin Vulgate “In principio.” Time words can stand without the article (Isa 46:10 מֵרֵאשִׁית, “from the beginning”). John 1:1 “Ἐν ἀρχῇ” also has no article.
- Problems
- When reshit refers to time it is usually in the construct, “the beginning of…” (Jer 26:1 בְּרֵאשִׁית מַמְלְכוּת “in beginning (bereshit) of the reign of Jehoiakim”), so the absolute use here is called unusual.
- Sources
- Septuagint · Vulgate · Masoretic accents
② A “when” clause — “When God began to create the heavens and the earth, the earth was…”
- Evidence
- Reshit is often a construct; a construct can be followed by a verbal clause (Hos 1:2 תְּחִלַּת דִּבֶּר־יְהוָה, “the beginning of YHWH’s speaking”); compare Gen 2:4b “בְּיוֹם עֲשׂוֹת” (“in the day of making”). Rashi (11th century) and Ibn Ezra (12th century) read it this way, and some modern versions follow (NJPS 1985, “When God began to create”).
- Problems
- The Masoretic text points בָּרָא as a perfect, not an infinitive (בְּרֹא) — Rashi had to read the vowels differently. It also conflicts with the disjunctive accent on bereshit, no ancient version reads it so, and verses 1–3 become one long sentence with verse 2 in parentheses.
- Sources
- Rashi and Ibn Ezra on Genesis · NJPS (1985)
③ Verse 1 is a heading (summary) of the whole account
- Evidence
- “The heavens and the earth” returns in 2:1, “the heavens and the earth were finished,” framing the account. Verse 2 is then taken as the state of the earth before the account begins.
- Problems
- Verse 2 opens with “and the earth,” picking up the last word of verse 1 directly — hard to read as a fresh start after a heading. It also leaves the earth of verse 2 with no stated origin.
- Sources
- Bruce Waltke, “The Creation Account in Genesis 1:1–3” (Bibliotheca Sacra, 1975–76) and others
④ Verse 1 is the first act — God created the heavens and the earth; verse 2 describes that earth
- Evidence
- It fits verse 2’s structure — “and + the earth,” subject first, describing the earth of verse 1. It also fits Exod 20:11, “in six days YHWH made the heavens and the earth.”
- Problems
- A perfect like בָּרָא before a wayyiqtol chain often serves as background, so some say it cannot simply be called the first event.
- Sources
- Traditional reading · many modern commentaries
① and ② concern the grammar (is the word bound?); ③ and ④ concern the role of verse 1. Following the Masoretic vowels and accents, the YLV takes ①: “In beginning (bereshit) God created.”
Elohim — a plural form with a singular verb
What the text makes clear — אֱלֹהִים has the plural ending ־ִים, yet every verb in verses 1–5 (בָּרָא, וַיֹּאמֶר, וַיַּרְא, וַיַּבְדֵּל, וַיִּקְרָא) is 3rd masculine singular. The one acting is one.
① A plural of majesty or fullness
- Evidence
- Hebrew has many words that are plural in form yet refer to one thing — פָּנִים (face), שָׁמַיִם (heavens), מַיִם (water), חַיִּים (life). The same form is used of a single foreign god (Judg 11:24, Chemosh “your god”) and of one man (Exod 7:1, Moses).
- Problems
- “Majesty” is a label, not something the text itself states. Some also note that the Bible has no clear case of a human king speaking of himself in the plural.
- Sources
- Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar (GKC §124g) and others
② It foreshadows plurality within the one God
- Evidence
- The “us” of verse 26 (“let us make”), 3:22 and 11:7; “the spirit of God” appearing in verse 2. Many early church writers read it this way.
- Problems
- The plural form alone cannot prove it, since the same form is used of Chemosh and of Moses. This reading must rest on the witness of the whole Bible, not on the grammar.
- Sources
- Patristic interpretation of Genesis · history of interpretation of 1:26
③ A trace of older polytheistic language
- Evidence
- It relies on comparative studies of similar words for “gods” among neighbouring peoples.
- Problems
- The text consistently uses singular verbs for the one who acts, and it conflicts with Deut 6:4, “YHWH our God, YHWH one.” It rests on assumptions from outside the text.
- Sources
- Comparative-religion scholarship
What the grammar says for certain is “plural form + singular verb = the one God.”
Verse 2, הָיְתָה — “was” or “became”?
What the text makes clear — verse 2 is “and + subject (the earth) + perfect verb,” not a wayyiqtol. This structure normally describes a state, not the next event.
① A description — “the earth was formless and empty”
- Evidence
- The subject-first clause (“and the earth”), followed by a verbless clause and a participle clause, all describe the same scene.
- Problems
- The text does not say why the earth was tohu and bohu.
- Sources
- Most grammars and translations
② “The earth became formless” — a ruin between verses 1 and 2 (the gap theory)
- Evidence
- Places where hayah means “become” (Gen 19:26, “became a pillar of salt”), Isa 45:18 (“he did not create it a waste” — tohu), and Jer 4:23, “waste and void” (tohu and bohu, a land under judgment). Popularized by Thomas Chalmers (1814) and the Scofield Reference Bible (1909).
- Problems
- In Gen 19:26 “became” is a wayyiqtol (וַתְּהִי), while verse 2 is a subject-first descriptive clause. Isa 45:18 goes on to state the purpose, “he formed it to be inhabited.” Jer 4:23 describes a later judgment in creation language and is no evidence of a ruin in Genesis 1.
- Sources
- Chalmers · Pember (1876) · Scofield (1909)
Following the structure, the YLV renders “the earth was.”
Verse 2, “רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים” — the spirit of God, or a mighty wind?
What the text makes clear — ruach means “wind, breath, spirit”; it is bound to Elohim in a construct; and the verb is a Piel participle, “was hovering.”
① The spirit of God
- Evidence
- In Genesis 1 Elohim always means “God.” מְרַחֶפֶת is the verb used in Deut 32:11 of an eagle hovering over its young — the movement of a living being. Ps 33:6: “By the word of YHWH the heavens were made, and by the spirit (ruach) of his mouth all their host.”
- Problems
- Ruach is also often “wind” (Gen 8:1), so the word alone does not settle it.
- Sources
- Most ancient versions · Septuagint “πνεῦμα θεοῦ”
② A mighty wind / a wind from God
- Evidence
- It relies on passages where Elohim is taken as a superlative, “very great” (Jon 3:3 עִיר־גְּדוֹלָה לֵאלֹהִים, “a great city to God”). In Gen 8:1 God “caused a wind (ruach) to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided.” The Aramaic Targum Onkelos and NJPS (1985) lean toward “wind.”
- Problems
- Taking Elohim as a superlative is rare and disputed; in this chapter Elohim appears 32 times and refers to God every time. “Hovering” does not suit a wind that blows.
- Sources
- Targum Onkelos · NJPS (1985) · some modern commentaries
The YLV renders “spirit (ruach),” letting the reader see the range of the word.
Verse 5, “יוֹם אֶחָד” — day one, or the first day?
What the text makes clear — verse 5 uses the cardinal אֶחָד (“one”) with no article. Days two to five use ordinals without the article (שֵׁנִי second, שְׁלִישִׁי third…), and day six an ordinal with the article (הַשִּׁשִּׁי). And the text names evening first.
① “Day one” — it defines what a day is
- Evidence
- As the very first day, it defines the measure of a day: evening and morning = one day. Josephus (Antiquities, book 1) noted that “Moses said it was one day,” not the first, and Basil (4th century) made the same point.
- Problems
- In Hebrew counting the first item is often called אֶחָד (Gen 2:11 שֵׁם הָאֶחָד, literally “the name of the one” — YLV “the name of the first is Pishon” — then “second, third, fourth”), so the cardinal alone cannot prove a special meaning.
- Sources
- Josephus · Basil, Hexaemeron
② “The first day” — simply the first in a count
- Evidence
- The counting pattern of Gen 2:11–14, where אֶחָד is followed by ordinals; Gen 8:5, 13 בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ (literally “on one of the month” — YLV “on the first of the month”).
- Problems
- It leaves open why the text chose the cardinal here instead of an ordinal as for the following days. The article on only the sixth and seventh days also shows that the wording differs from day to day.
- Sources
- Many grammars · many translations (“the first day”)
The YLV renders exactly what is written: “day one.” The order “evening → morning” matches the Bible’s own reckoning of a day, as in Lev 23:32, “from evening to evening.”