Genesis 2:1-3 : RHS Commentary

 

Genesis 2:1-3

Note: None of the divisions and numberings of chapters and/or verses in the bible (Old or New Testament) are in the original texts, thus Genesis 2:1-3 might be more logically included with Genesis 1.]

Genesis 2:1

 “The heavens and the earth” echoes Genesis 1:1, bookending the story of the days of creation.

Genesis 2:1 ‘The word “finished”’ translates from the Hebrew word kalah, which means “complete” or “accomplished.” This word also means “‘bride”’ in Hebrew. It also sounds a lot like the Hebrew word challah, which is a Jewish braided bread eaten on the Sabbath day.   This may be a pun intended by the author.

Genesis 2:1 The word “host”’ translates from the Hebrew word tsaba. It carries the connotation of  “army” or “war.” In this verse, a masculine plural ending is used. The feminine plural form of the noun is used found in the name Yahweh tsabaot, or “LORD of hosts” or “Jehovah of the army” or “Jehovah [leader] of the army.” The implication is that the earth itself and other heavenly bodies -– the sun, moon and stars – are all part of God’s army along with humankind.    All of these may be included in the  ‘host’ who visited at the birth of Jesus in  Luke 2:13 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God.” Thus, “hosts” signifies the heavenly army,” perhaps even a ‘military choir.’  The newborn baby Jesus is the LORD of hosts come to lead us in battle against the forces of evil,

Genesis 2:2    “Work” translates from the Hebrew work m’lakot. This word is the feminine plural of m’lak, which means ‘‘angel’’ or ‘‘messenger.’’   This is the same root word found in the name Malachi, which means “my messenger.” The root word suggests that much of God’s work is accomplished by His messengers or, those He has authorized to do His work. M’lak may also be related to the Hebrew word ‘melek’ which means “king” or, with a feminine ending malkah or ’queen.’ Melchizedek (melek tseddeq) thus can mean “worker of righteousness,” or a righteous person doing God’s work. Compare with Moses 1:39: “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”

[Cross-reference to (Moses 1:27-40)

 Genesis 2:2 “Seventh” (shᵉbiʻîy) and “rested” (shâbat) are both different forms of the same Hebrew word, sheba’, which means “all, complete, done, or rest.” This is why the seventh day is called the Sabbath. Thus, Sabbath connotes both “one day out of seven” and “rest or completion of work.”  (Technically, Sunday, the Christian holy day, is the first or eighth day in a week.)

Genesis 2:3

 God acts in three ways on the seventh, or Sabbath, day, suggesting how we also might act on that day.

a.            He blesses it. barak

b.            He sanctifies, or makes it holy. kadosh

c.             He rests. shaba

 

Genesis 2:3 One way we can remember the Sabbath day and make it holy is to enjoy and be grateful for God’s great works and amazing creations which He finished on that day.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland shares insights into how God Himself kept the Sabbath day holy in a Seminary and Institute video produced in 1999 called, “Upon My Holy Day.” 

“There are at least two ideas in that verse [Genesis 2:3) that intrigued me and teach me more about my Father in Heaven.   First of all, it says that God, even the greatest of all - He who has omnipotent strength and unlimited creative powers - felt the need for rest, felt the need to step away from the six days of His labor and, in so doing, to renew. Because we are created in the image of God as these very scriptures in Genesis inform us, we would do well to follow His example in all things including this one.  If our Father in Heaven found renewal and serenity and strength in setting aside a day of reflection and regeneration, surely we will be benefitted as well.  That's point number one.

“Point number two in this story is that God blesses the seventh day.  How was it the scriptures say, or makes it holy.  Because everything is so good after six days, He looks out over His handiwork and declares it not only good but very good.  In fact, it's terrific.  The book of Genesis says, “And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it He had rested from all His work which God had created and made” (Genesis 2:2).  When He looked upon this beautiful earth and the plan of salvation that had been outlined for us here, when he looked upon the wonders of creation and all that make up the abundance of our lives, the delight of this was so evident to our Father in heaven that He just had to stop and call a special day, literally a holy day.  It was to be the best day of the seven, concluding the absolutely magnificent six other days.  It was the best of the best.”

Jeffrey R Holland, "Upon My Holy Day" (1999)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9VW8PRIqFI&t=308s

Minutes 2:05 to 4:08

Full video 17:39 minutes   

[Note: this is not the same as the Holland video on the media page of churchofjesuschrist.org]

Genesis 2:3 Joshua Abraham Heschel, a leading Jewish theologian, notes that the first thing that God sanctifies, or makes holy, is not a thing: it is time. He wrote an entire, insightful book on this subject, The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man (Joshua Abraham Heschel, The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man, pg. 9. Noonday Press; New York. 1951).

  Later in scripture, both people ( Exo 19:6 ‘And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation’) and places (Exo 3:5 ‘. . . for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground’; Exo 26:33 ‘. . .and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy’) will be described as holy, but the first is a day.  

Genesis 2:3 The seventh day may be a symbol of the seventh thousand year period of earth’s existence in the bible, or the millennium. John uses several words from Genesis 2:1-3 (: heaven, earth, sea, holy, God, and bride) in his description of the millennium in Revelation 21:1-6.

Rev 21:1  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Rev 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. . .

Rev 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done.

Genesis 2:3 Note that day seven does not end with the pattern established in Genesis 1 for all six previous days “And the evening and the morning were the [seventh] day.”  Does this suggest that – in some way- the first Sabbath day never ended, and thus all of earth time , all of earth life is a blessed and holy ? 

Genesis 1 : 11-31 : RHS Commentary

 

Genesis 1 : 11-13  Day Three

God creates two set of things on day three.  After gathering the water together so the dry land would appear, God made two different classes of plants: grasses and herbs which bear seed, and fruit trees which bear fruit.  Both grasses and herbs will later be used symbolically by Jesus in parables talking about the missionary work and the growth of the kingdom of God and describing His death and resurrection.  Fruit trees are often associated with women and the fruit they bear, beginning with the story of Eve in the garden of Eden.

Genesis 1: 14-19 : Day 4

“Let there be” translates YHY (יְהִי), a form of the verb, HYH hayah to be, which will be used in two of the names for God: YHVH (יְהוָה ) or Jehovah and AHYH (אֶֽהְיֶה) or I AM, suggesting that God is the one who causes all things to be.

Ma’or (מְאֹרֹת) is the feminine plural noun form of the word or/ur (אוֹר), light, or to shine.  The feminine singular noun, men’orah ( מְנוֹרָה ), is the name for the 7-branched candlestick in the Mosaic tabernacle/temple.  These lights – the sun and the moon – were created for several reasons: a. to give light to the earth

b. for signs : the Hebrew is otot (אֹתֹת). The singular, sign, is ot (אוֹת ). That is spelled א aleph (the FIRST letter in the Hebrew alphabet), וֹ vav (the Hebrew letter that means AND), and ת tav (the LAST letter in the Hebrew alphabet).  Thus, the SIGN is the FIRST AND THE LAST, the great ALPHA & OMEGA (in Greek), a name for Jesus Christ.  How do the sun and the moon teach of Christ? Every day, the sun is born, gives light to the earth, and dies, only to rise again the next morning.  The moon reflects the light of the sun to earth, as Christ reflects the glory of the Father.

c. for seasons: this word does not mean the four seasons (winter-spring-summer-fall).  Instead, the word me’od (מוֹעֵד) means the holy days when all Israelites were expected to go to the temple in  Jerusalem.  These include the spring festivals of Pesach (Passover), Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits; the summer feast of Shavuot (Feast of Weeks or Pentecost); and the fall holy days of Rosh haShana (New Years), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles.  The annual dates for these holy days were determined by the positions of the sun and the moon.  For example, Passover is celebrated 15 days after the first new moon after the spring equinox.  15 days after the new moon means there is a full moon, the most light at night – a benefit for believers travelling to the temple and to the temple priests and staff.

d. for days: the rising and setting of the sun determines the 24 hour day.

e. and for years: a solar year is measured from one spring equinox (when daytime – sunlight-  is the same length as nighttime – moonlight and starlight) to the next spring equinox, or 364 ¼  days.

BTW, months (or moon-ths) are measured from one new moon to the next new moon in both Jewish and Islamic lunar years.

Genesis 1:20-23 on day 5, God creates birds to fly in the clouds (the waters above the firmament) and He creates fishes to swim in the seas and lakes (the waters below the firmament).

Genesis 1:23-31 Day Six

Again, two separate creations on this day. In verses 23-24, God begins by creating land animals, placing them on dry land and creepy things like reptiles, insects, and amphibians which live in the waters.

Humans are the second creation on day six, in verses 25-31  Earthlings is a better term, as it translates the fuller meaning of adam (אָדָם) – mankind – which is related to adamah (אֲדָמָה), translated as EARTH at the end of verse 24.

In verse 27, humans are CREATED, not made. The Hebrew verb here is bara (בָּרָא), used in Genesis 1 only in verses 1, 21, and 3 times in verse 27.  Bara is a very interesting Hebrew word as it is something ONLY GOD can do.

 in the image and likeness of God, or the gods (elohim אֱלֹהִים is plural), male and female. Note that humans are first described by sexual or terms  (male and female), not the more generic man and woman.

The Hebrew word for male is zachar (זָכָר), thus the name of the OT prophet Zachariah and the NT priest Zacharias both mean “Jehovah is/will be male.” Males bear seed.

The Hebrew word for female is neqebah (נְקֵבָה), a rather graphic term meaning “”pierced or having a hole.” Females bear fruit.

In verse 28, humans are commanded to multiply and replenish the earth, continuing the focus on reproduction.

Note that in verse 29, the earthlings (adam) are given both grain (grasses bearing seed) and trees bearing fruit to use for food, echoing verses 11-12.

At the end of the sixth day, God pronounces his creations “very good” (tov mᵊ'ōḏ  מְאֹד  טוֹב).

Genesis 1: 1-10 : RHS Commentary

 

Gen 1:1

The rabbis say that these 7 Hebrew words contain all that we need to know: the rest of the Bible is commentary

 

“God” translates the Hebrew word elohim, which is a plural word.  But the verb, “created,” comes from bara which is singular.   In order to make sense in English (and many other languages), one of them has to be changed since “they was” is poor grammar. A translator has to either change the verb to plural to agree with the plural subject – which is how Joseph Smith translated these words in the book of Abraham (see Ab 4:1) – or change the subject to a singular “God.”  Since most translators of the Bible are monotheists (believe in ONE God, not many gods), this is the word that got changed.

 

Gen 1:2

Note that the earth already existed BEFORE God spoke : “ the earth was without form (chaotic) and void (empty).”  “The deep” or waters were part of the already existing disorganized matter. Thus the idea that NOTHING existed until God spoke – “creatio ex nihilo” - is not true. 

The Hebrew word for “Spirit” is ruach, a feminine word also meaning “breath” or “wind.”

The Hebrew verb describing the action of the Spirit is rākhaph, meaning  “to hover or flutter like a bird,” thus the first description of the Spirit of God suggests a bird, or dove.

 

Gen 1:3

“Light” in Hebrew is ‘or or ‘ur .  The plural of this is Urim (as in the Urim and Thummim).  A THING that holds lights – a candlestick - is called a menorah.

 

Gen 1:4

The Hebrew word badal – here translated as “divided” – is better understood as “distinguished between.”  This is a priestly word often used in Leviticus to describe one of the major jobs of the temple priests : distinguishing between that which is clean – and thus acceptable for offering at the temple, holy – and that which is unclean – or unacceptable for temple worship, profane.  This Temple-word is used 5X in this chapter.

 

Gen 1:5

Note the order of day and night, light and darkness, is reversed at the end of this verse: evening and morning.  This is a common form of poetry in Hebrew : the first is last and the last is first. 

Since the ‘evening’ is mentioned first and the ‘morning’ is second, this established how a day was measured in Jewish culture.  A ‘day’ begins at sunset and proceeds through darkness and then into light, ending at sunset 24 hours later.  This makes New Testament comments about an event happening on a particular day of the week a bit ambiguous.

 

Gen 1:6

“Firmament” is a good translation of the Hebrew raqiya’ , which means something firm or solid, like metal or brass, hammered out into a thin sheet, like gold leaf.  This idea, that something solid is placed between the “waters which were above” (clouds/rain) and the “waters which were below” (oceans/seas/rivers/lakes) will later be used poetically by authors who describe famine by saying the “heavens are as brass” (Deu 28:23) or “opening the windows of heaven”  (Gen 7:11; Mal 3:11) in order to pour out rain.

 

Gen 1:9

This verse reinforces the idea that the waters of the deep covered the already existing rocks and land.

 

Gen 1:9-10

Both of these verses use the Hebrew word qavah, to gather.  The waters are gathered together and the dry land appears.  In Judaism, a place where fresh waters are gathered together for rituals of cleansing is called a miqveh.  It is interesting that a baptismal font, a gathering of water for a ritual of cleansing, becomes the location for the “Gathering of Israel.”

 

Bible Commentary at Book of Mormon Central / Bible Central website

There are LOTS of helps at Book of Mormon Central for your CFM study of the Old Testament this year.  Here is a link to some of them: 

 https://bookofmormoncentral.org/blog/everything-you-need-to-study-the-old-testament-in-2022?fbclid=IwAR1DXuG9MsxtSDC7EU8r4T3F1cFqAY67MEpPQuiV-hg_E1K0pnXiINAPzt8

Lots of scholars are involved in writing a NEW LDS commentary on the Bible.  I have been working on Song of Songs, but you won't need that until August.  

In the meantime, I will post my commentary on Genesis here for your reading pleasure.

Old Testament Videos

 

Just a reminder: I have 10 videos from an Adult Institute class on the Old Testament from 2015 posted FREE online on my home stake website.  

Salem Utah Stake :: Adult Institute - Old Testament (salemzion.org)

The first 8 are from Genesis, including

 Margot Butler's Old Testament timeline

Genesis 1 : Six Days of Creation pattern

Genesis 2-4 : Walking Eastward Out of Eden

How to study the Hebrew of the Old Testament and the Greek in the New Testament using Blue Letter Bible.

Weeks 9 and 10 are Christmas in the Old Testament.

FREE ! Pearl of Great Price Study Edition by Stephen O. Smoot

 

Although diminutive in size, the Pearl of Great Price has had a profound impact on the faith of the Latter-day Saints. It is a book of scripture that spans dispensations. It reveals the grand scope of Creation as it unfolded under the direction of God and His Only Begotten; it reaches far back into the history of God’s interactions with His children, preserving heretofore unknown accounts from the lives of Adam, Eve, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Moses; it narrates the calling of Joseph Smith as prophet, seer, and revelator in modern times; it provides clear warnings about the signs and tribulations the Saints should expect as the world prepares to receive the Son of Man in His glory; and it provides a useful outline of the Saints’ fundamental principles of faith. It is a book that encompasses the beginning and the end, situating its readers in a worldview that predates humanity and extends well beyond the confines of this earth.

In harmony with the Lord’s commandment to “seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:118), over the course of many decades Latter-day Saint scholars have probed the contents of the Pearl of Great Price with the tools of scholarship to see what light might be thrown thereon. Successive generations of committed disciple-scholars who have closely studied the Pearl of Great Price have reaped a bountiful harvest, offering many important insights that greatly enhance appreciation for this remarkable text. Readers of the Pearl of Great Price today stand atop a treasure trove of academic resources that make studying the text relatively easy and immensely rewarding.

To help facilitate awareness of these resources and to provide a sense of how they might be usefully synthesized to increase faith and understanding, we have created a study edition of the Pearl of Great Price. The offering presented here, The Pearl of Great Price: A Study Edition for Latter-day Saints, hopes to satisfy the counsel given in Doctrine and Covenants 88:118 and to help both new and longtime members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints magnify their study of this sacred text.

NOTE: This book publication is in-process. We currently have content for the book of Moses and the book of Abraham. More content will be added soon on Joseph Smith—Matthew, Joseph Smith—History, and the Articles of Faith.

https://biblecentral.info/library/book/pearl-of-great-price-study-edition/?fbclid=IwAR0jHvO_QECVf1h_nXdIFGNzFHMRX0i8bdz0_QPoR81wQziI2ZGp-F_SYzM

Eugene England book : an evening with author, Terryl Givens

 

Special ZOOM program :

Eugene England may be why the Church has a worldwide humanitarian outreach.  He was also an important gadfly during my early adult years.  His essays were always healing to me. 

Because of my own experience with cars on temple trips in the Midwest, I loved his essay, "Blessing the Chevrolet."

Here is a link to the essay: "Blessing the Chevrolet" 

AND, the followup essay, by his friend, Clifton Jolley, "Selling the Chevrolet."

Enjoy

https://www.eugeneengland.org/blessing-the-chevrolet

http://eugeneengland.org/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/1983_e_005.pdf

Evening with an Author (in-person/livestream) Terryl Givens Stretching the Heavens: The Life of Eugene England and the Crisis of Modern Mormonism Wednesday, August 25, 7 PM

EVENING WITH AN AUTHOR   We are very excited to announce that Terryl Givens, author of Stretching the Heavens: The Life of Eugene England and the Crisis of Modern Mormonism (published by University of North Carolina Press) will be here Wednesday, August 25 to speak about his book. He will be here from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., will speak at 6:00, and answer questions and sign books before and after that time. We hope you will be able to make it that night but, if not, we can mail a signed copy or hold one here at the store for pick-up. To RSVP on Facebook, click here. IMPORTANT NOTE: because of increased Covid infections in our state and area, MASKS ARE REQUIRED for this event, despite vaccination status—NO EXCEPTIONS! We are unable to social distance at this type of event in our store, and we expect a large crowd to come see and hear Terryl Givens, so it is important we take what precautions we can to try to ensure the safety of our customers and staff. Wearing facial coverings, used in the correct manner, will help us in that effort. If you have any symptoms of illness of any kind or you do not feel comfortable wearing a mask for the event, we invite you to stay home and watch the presentation via Zoom or later when it is available on our website, which you can do for any past author events. We very much appreciate your cooperation and understanding. We all long for the day when the pandemic will be behind us and we will be able to go about our normal lives again. For the first time, we will have a live stream in addition to the in-person option: When: Aug 25, 2021 06:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada) Register in advance for this meeting: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwpf-CgrDMiE9P1dTbieTM1Sw4BJeaegm_V After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Meeting ID - 984 8982 8897 Passcode - 538790 The live stream will be limited to 100 people—first come, first served. The video will then be archived on our website for subsequent viewing.  Eugene England (1933–2001)—one of the most influential and controversial intellectuals in modern Mormonism—lived in the crossfire between religious tradition and reform. This first serious biography, by leading historian Terryl L. Givens, shimmers with the personal tensions felt deeply by England during the turmoil of the late twentieth century. Drawing on unprecedented access to England’s personal papers, Givens paints a multifaceted portrait of a devout Latter-day Saint whose precarious position on the edge of church hierarchy was instrumental to his ability to shape the study of modern Mormonism.  A professor of literature at Brigham Young University, England also taught in the Church Educational System. And yet from the sixties on, he set church leaders’ teeth on edge as he protested the Vietnam War, decried institutional racism and sexism, and supported Poland’s Solidarity movement—all at a time when Latter-day Saints were ultra-patriotic and banned Black ordination. England could also be intemperate, proud of his own rectitude, and neglectful of political realities and relationships, and he was eventually forced from his academic position. His last days, as he suffered from brain cancer, were marked by a spiritual agony that church leaders were unable to help him resolve. Stretching the Heavens: The Life of Eugene England and the Crisis of Modern Mormonism. University of North Carolina Press. Hardcover. 330pp. $34.95 Terryl L. Givens is a Neal A. Maxwell Senior Research Fellow. He formerly held the Jabez A. Bostwick Chair of English and was Professor of Literature and Religion at the University of Richmond. He is the author of many books about Latter-day Saint history and culture, including Wrestling the Angel: The Foundations of Mormon Thought, Feeding the Flock: The Foundations of Mormon Practice, and By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture That Launched a New World Religion, each with Oxford University Press. He is also co-author, with Fiona Givens, of The God Who Weeps, The Crucible of Doubt, and The Christ Who Heals.