Genesis 1:1-3

Genesis 1:1-3

[1] In the beginning this one 2 God  created  the heaven  and  the earth.  [2] And 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: 

What does Genesis 1:1-3 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

God created the entire universe and then formed and filled it in six days. He brought order and fullness for humankind to enjoy and to rule over. He then blessed and set apart the seventh day as a memorial of His creative work. [1] The God of Israel, the deliverer of His people, is the creator of all that exists.
". . . Genesis 1:1 to Genesis 2:4 a is clearly recognizable as a unit of historical narrative. It has an introduction ( Genesis 1:1), a body ( Genesis 1:2 to Genesis 2:3) and a conclusion ( Genesis 2:4 a)." [2]
Historical narrative is one of several biblical types of literature (French genre). Other genre include genealogy, poetry, epistolary, and apocalyptic. [3]
"Genre is of crucial importance, since the reader"s identification of a text"s genre directs his or her reading strategy ..." [1]8
"For the most part, its [5] contents may be described under two rubrics: stories and poems." [6]
"The creation account is theocentric, not creature centered. Its purpose is to glorify the Creator by magnifying him through the majesty of the created order. The passage is doxological as well as didactic, hymnic as well as history. "God" is the grammatical subject of the first sentence ( Genesis 1:1) and continues as the thematic subject throughout the account." [1]0
"The prose narratives of the Old Testament are multifunctional. Most intend to impart historically accurate information while leading the reader to a deeper theological understanding of the nature of God and his relationship with his people." [5]3