“In the beginning God created heaven, and earth.”
This word signifieth the beginning and generation of the creatures. Cross references: : Ps. 33:6 ; Ps. 136:5 ; Acts 14:15 ; Acts 17:24 First of all, and before that any creature was, God made heaven and earth of nothing.
“And the earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God moved over the waters.”
Hebrew, face of the waters . Darkness covered the deep waters, for as yet the light was not created. Hebrew, face of the deep . He maintained this confused heap by his secret power. As a rude lump and without any creature in it: for the waters covered all. Or, waste.
“And God said: Be light made. And light was made.”
Heb. 11:3 The light was made before either Sun or Moon was created: therefore we must not attribute that to the creatures that are God’s instruments, which only appertaineth to God.
“And God saw the light that it was good; and he divided the light from the darkness.”
Hebrew, between the light, and between the darkness .
“And he called the light Day, and the darkness Night; and there was evening and morning one day.”
Hebrew, so was the evening, so was the morning .
“And God said: Let there be a firmament made amidst the waters: and let it divide the waters from the waters.”
Ps. 33:6 ; Ps. 136:5 ; Jer. 10:12 ; Jer. 51:15 Or, spreading over, and air.
“And god made a firmament, and divided the waters that were under the firmament, from those that were above the firmament, and it was so.”
Ps. 148:4 As the sea and rivers, from those waters that are in the clouds, which are upheld by God’s power, lest they should overwhelm the world.
“And God called the firmament, Heaven; and the evening and morning were the second day.”
That is, the region of the air, and all that is above us.
“God also said; Let the waters that are under the heaven, be gathered together into one place: and let the dry land appear. And it was so done.”
Ps. 33:7 ; Ps. 89:11 ; Ps. 136:6 ; Job 38:4
“And he said: let the earth bring forth green herb, and such as may seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind, which may have seed in itself upon the earth. And it was so done.”
So that we see it is the only power of God’s word that maketh the earth fruitful, which else naturally is barren.
“And the earth brought forth the green herb, and such as yieldeth seed according to its kind, and the tree that beareth fruit, having seed each one according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”
This sentence is so oft repeated, to signify that God made all his creatures to serve to his glory, and to the profit of man: but for sin they were accursed, yet to the elect, by Christ they are restored, and serve to their wealth.
“And God said: Let there be lights made in the firmament of heaven, to divide the day and the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years:”
Which is the artificial day, from the Sun rising, to the going down. Of things appertaining to natural and political orders and seasons. Ps. 136:7 ; Deut. 4:19 By the lights he meaneth the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars.
“And God made two great lights: a greater light to rule the day; and a lesser light to rule the night: and The stars.”
To give it sufficient light, as instruments appointed for the same, to serve to man’s use. To wit, the Sun and the Moon, and here he speaketh, as man judgeth by his eye: for else the Moon is less than the planet Saturn.
“God also said: let the waters bring forth the creeping creature having life, and the fowl that may fly over the earth under the firmament of heaven.”
As fish and worms which slide, swim, or creep. Hebrew, the soul of life . Hebrew, face of the firmament .
“And God created the great whales, and every living and moving creature, which the waters brought forth, according to their kinds, and every winged fowl according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”
The fish and fowls had both one beginning, wherein we see that nature giveth place to God’s will, forasmuch as the one sort is made to fly about in the air, and the other to swim beneath in the water.
“And he blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the waters of the sea: and let the birds be multiplied upon the earth.”
That is, by the virtue of his word he gave power to his creatures to engender.
“And he said: Let us make man to our image and likeness: and let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the beasts, and the whole earth, and every creeping creature that moveth upon the earth.”
Gen. 5:1 ; Gen. 9:6 ; 2 Cor. 11:7 ; Col. 3:10 God commanded the water and the earth to bring forth other creatures: but of man he saith, Let us make: signifying, that God taketh counsel with his wisdom and virtue, purposing to make an excellent work above all the rest of his creation. This image and likeness of God in man is expounded, Eph. 4:24 , where it is written that man was created after God in righteousness and true holiness, meaning by these two words, all perfection, as wisdom, truth, innocence, power, etc.
“And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth.”
The propagation of man is the blessing of God, Ps. 128 . Gen. 8:17 ; Gen. 9:1
“And God said: Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed upon the earth, and all trees that have in themselves seed of their own kind, to be your meat:”
Gen. 9:3 God’s great liberality to man, taketh away all excuse of his ingratitude.