01- Bereshit

בּראשׁית -"In the Beginning"
Weekly parashah #1: Bereshit Torah: Bereshit (Genesis) 1:1-6:8 Haftarah: Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 42:5-43:10 (Ashkenaz) Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 42:5-42:21 (Sephard) Greek Scriptures: Matityahu (Matthew) 1 & 2

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

The Hebrew Word

בּראשׁית (bereshit) literally means "in the beginning". It is pronounced bear uh SHEET. It is formed from a feminine Hebrew noun reishit (Strong's #7225 which means "beginning") and the Hebrew prefix given by the Hebrew letter bet (meaning "in"). Reishit shares a root word with the Hebrew noun rosh which means "head". This root word means "to shake" (as the head is shaken). The word reishit is used 58 times in 49 verses in the Tanakh.

First use in Scripture

The first time reishit is used in Scripture is in the beginning of this parashah: Genesis 1:1.

Last use in Scripture

The last time reishit is used in Scripture is in Micah chapter 1.

Micah 1:1

Harness the chariot to the team of horses, O inhabitant of Lachish-- She was the beginning of sin To the daughter of Zion-- Because in you were found The rebellious acts of Israel.

Parashah Outline

• The Creation - Genesis 1:1
• The Creation of Man and Women - Genesis 2:1
• The Fall of Man - Genesis 3:1
• Kayin and Chevel - Genesis 4:1
• Descendents of Adam - Genesis 5:1
• The Corruption of Mankind - Genesis 6:1

Portraits of Messiah

Our words are an expression of our thoughts and our inner being. Just as we speak words to express ourselves, so G-d also spoke and expressed Himself into the void during Creation. He "sent forth" His Word to create and express Himself. One expression of Himself was the perfect version of Creation that existed during the first week:

Genesis 1:31

G-d saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.

Another expression of Himself is the form of a man, Messiah Yeshua.  John 1 begins with a description of Messiah as "The Word of G-d" who was present with G-d in the beginning [bereshit].

The Gospel accounts begin in Matthew 1 with one of the two genealogies of Messiah found in Scripture (the other is found in Luke 3:23-38). It is interesting that the Gospels begin with a genealogy of Messiah because the Torah also begins with a genealogy of sorts. Genesis 2:4 begins "This is the account of the heavens and the earth...". The Hebrew word for "account" is toledot which means "history" or "genealogy". In Genesis 5:1 this same word is translated as "generations" in describing Adam's genealogy.

Verse by Verse Notes

Chapter 1

Verse 1

It has been noted by various Hebrew language scholars that the first verse of Scripture includes a word that is not directly translated into English: et. The verse begins bereshit bara Elohim et ha'shamayim v'et ha'eretz... The word et in Hebrew is used to point to the object that is receiving the action of the verb. In this case it is "the heavens and the earth" that receive the action of G-d's creative work.

The et is the formed by the Hebrew letters aleph and tav, the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. One idea that may be present in this verse is that G-d created the Hebrew language by speaking it and through it He created the heavens and the earth. The verse does not literally say that but the idea is present by the Hebrew wording.

We examine the use of et in our article Cain, the Messiah? and the Mystery of ET.

Pairing Days of Creation

If we pair the days of Creation (as in the table below) we can see that G-d created something and then later filled it or brought it to its fullness.

Chapter 2

Verse 8

The garden was in the east in a land called Eden. If there was a garden within that land then Eden, itself, is not the garden. The passage does not say the garden was Eden... only that the garden was in Eden.

G-d placed Adam in the garden after He had formed him thus we know that Adam was not created in the Garden.

Other Observations

Traditionally the only mitzvah found in parashah Bereshit is the commandment "to have children with one's wife" as G-d commanded Adam and his wife, Chavah, to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28).

Genesis 1:2 (was hovering) see Deut 32:11

Genesis 1:2 (Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so) Gen 2:19; 6:20; 7:14; 8:19

Genesis 1:25 (beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind) Gen 7:21, 22

Genesis 1:26 (Let Us...) Gen 3:22; 11:7

Genesis 1:26 (man in Our image, according to Our likeness) Gen 5:1; 9:6

Genesis 1:1 (In the beginning) Is 40:21

Genesis 1:1 (Created the heavens and the earth) - Is 42:5, 45:18

Genesis 1:2 (Formless and void) - Jer 4:23

Genesis 1:2 (The Spirit of God) Is 40:13, 14

Genesis 1:2 (Was) Is 31:5

Genesis 1:4 (Separated the light from the darkness) Is 45:7

Genesis 1:6 (Expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters) Is 40:22

Genesis 1:6 (Expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters) Jer 10:12

Genesis 1:9 (Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place) Jer 5:22

Genesis 1:14 (Signs) Jer 10:2

Genesis 1:16 (The stars) Is 40:26

Genesis 1:17 (God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth) Jer 33:20, 25

Genesis 1:18 (Govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good) Jer 31:35

Genesis 1:25 (Beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind) Jer 27:5

Genesis 2:5(For the LORD God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground) Jer 10:12, 13

Genesis 2:8 (Garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed) Is 51:3

Genesis 2:8 (Garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed) Ezek 28:13

Genesis 2:9 (every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food) Ezek 47:12

Genesis 3:5 (you will be like God, knowing good and evil) Is 14:14, Ezek 28:2, 12-17

Genesis 3:7 (Knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings) Is 47:3

Genesis 3:14 (dust you will eat All the days of your life) Is 65:25, Mic 7:17

Genesis 3:24 (He drove the man out) Ezek 31:11

Genesis 4:4 (The LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering) 1 Sam 15:22

Genesis 4:5 (For Cain and for his offering He had no regard) 1 Sam 16:7

Genesis 4:5 (Cain became very angry and his countenance fell) Is 3:9

Genesis 4:6 (Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen) Jon 4:4

Genesis 4:7 (If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up) Jer 3:12 Mic 7:18

Genesis 4:12 (When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you) Joel 1:10-20

Genesis 4:14 (Driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden) Jer 52:3

Genesis 4:15 (Appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him) Ezek 9:4, 6

Genesis 4:16 (Of the LORD) 2 Kin 24:20 Jer 23:39; 52:3

Genesis 4:26 (To call upon the name of the LORD) 1 Kin 18:24 Joel 2:32 Zeph 3:9

Genesis 5:22 (Blessed them and named them) Mic 6:8 Mal 2:6

Genesis 5:24 (Enoch walked with God; and he was not) 2 Kin 2:11

Genesis 5:24 (Took him) 2 Kin 2:10

Genesis 6:6 (The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth) Jer 18:7-10

Genesis 6:6 (The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth) Jer 18:7-10

Genesis 6:6 (Grieved in His heart) Is 63:10 Eph 4:30

Genesis 6:7 (I am sorry that I have made them) Amos 7:3, 6

Genesis 1:1 (In the beginning) Ps 102:25

Genesis 1:1 (God) - Ps 89:11; Ps 90:2

Genesis 1:1 (Created the heavens and the earth)- Job 38:4

Genesis 1:2 (Darkness was over the surface of the deep) Job 38:9

Genesis 1:2 (The Spirit of God) Ps 104:30

Genesis 1:3 (God said, "Let there be light", and there was light.) Ps 33:6

Genesis 1:4 (Good, and God) Ps 145:9, 10

Genesis 1:5 (God called the light day, and the darkness He called night) Ps 74:16

Genesis 1:5 (There was evening and there was morning, one day) Ps 65:8

Genesis 1:7 (The waters which were below the expanse from the waters) Job 38:8-11

Genesis 1:7 (Which were above the expanse; and it was so) Ps 148:4

Genesis 1:9 (Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place) Ps 104:6-9

Genesis 1:9 (The dry land appear"; and it was so) Ps 24:1, 2; 95:5

Genesis 1:10 (Gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good) Ps 33:7; 95:5; 146:6

Genesis 1:11 (Vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them"; and it was so) Ps 65:9-13; 104:14

Genesis 1:14 (Lights) Ps 74:16; 136:7

Genesis 1:14 (Expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night) Ps 19:1; 150:1

Genesis 1:14 (Seasons and for days and years) Ps 104:19

Genesis 1:16 (Greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night) Ps 136:8, 9

Genesis 1:16 (The stars) Job 38:7 Ps 8:3

Genesis 1:21 (The great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good) Ps 104:25-28

Genesis 1:26 (Rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth) Ps 8:6-8

Genesis 1:28 (Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth) Ps 127:3,5

Genesis 1:29 (I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you) Ps 104:14; 136:25

Genesis 1:30 (To every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so) Ps 145:15,16; 147:9

Genesis 1:31 (And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day) Ps 104:24, 28; 119:68

Genesis 2:4 (This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created) Job 38:4-11

Genesis 2:5 (For the LORD God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground) Ps 65:9, 10

Genesis 2:10 (River flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers) Ps 46:4

Genesis 2:14 (Tigris; it flows east of Assyria) Dan 10:4

Genesis 3:7 (Knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings) Lam 1:8

Genesis 3:8 (And the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden) Job 31:33, Ps 139:1-12, Hos 10:8, Amos 9:3

Genesis 3:12 (The man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate) Job 31:33; Prov 28:13

Genesis 3:17 (In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life) Job 5:7; 14:1, Eccl 2:23

Genesis 3:19 (Return to the ground) Ps 90:3; 104:29 Eccl 12:7

Genesis 3:24 (Cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way) Ps 104:4 Ezek 10:1-20

Genesis 4:7 (But you must master it) Job 11:14, 15

Genesis 4:23 (For I have killed a man for wounding me; And a boy for striking me) Ps 94:1

Genesis 4:26 (To call upon the name of the LORD) Ps 116:17

Genesis 5:24 (Took him) Ps 49:15; 73:24

Genesis 6:3 (Because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years) Ps 78:39

Genesis 6:5 (Every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually) Ps 14:1-3, Prov 6:18

Genesis 1:1 (In the beginning)- John 1:1, 2; Hebrews 1:10

Genesis 1:1 (God) - Acts 17:24; Rom 1:20; Heb 11:3

Genesis 1:1 (Created the heavens and the earth)- Rev 4:11

Genesis 1:3 (God said, "Let there be light", and there was light.) 2 Cor 4:6

Genesis 1:6 (Expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters) 2 Pet 3:5

Genesis 1:9 (Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place) 2 Pet 3:5

Genesis 1:11 (Vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them"; and it was so) Heb 6:7

Genesis 1:26 (man in Our image, according to Our likeness) 1 Cor 11:7, Eph 4:24, James 3:9 5:1; 9:6

Genesis 1:27 (In His own image, in the image of God He created him) 1 Cor 11:7, Eph 4:24, Col 3:10

Genesis 1:27 (Male and female He created them) Matt 19:4 Mark 10:6

Genesis 1:31 (And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day) 1 Tim 4:4

Genesis 2:2 (He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done) Heb 4:4, 10

Genesis 2:7 (Man became a living being) 1 Cor 15:45

Genesis 2:9 (The tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) Rev 2:7; 22:2, 14

Genesis 2:17 (You will surely die) Rom 6:23 1 Tim 5:6 James 1:15

Genesis 2:18 (I will make him a helper) 1 Cor 11:9

Genesis 2:22 (the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man) 1 Cor 11:8, 9

Genesis 2:23 (This is now bone of my bones,And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man) Eph 5:28, 29

Genesis 2:24 (For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh) Matt 19:5, Mark 10:7, 8, 1 Cor 6:16, Eph 5:31

Genesis 3:1 (the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden) 2 Cor 11:3, Rev 12:9; 20:2

Genesis 3:4 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die John 8:44, 2 Cor 11:3

Genesis 3:6 (When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate) Rom 5:12-19, 1 Tim 2:14, James 1:14, 15, 1 John 2:16

Genesis 3:8 (And the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden) Rev 6:15-17

Genesis 3:13 (The serpent deceived me, and I ate) 2 Cor 11:3 1 Tim 2:14

Genesis 3:15 (enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed) John 8:44 Rev 12:17

Genesis 3:15 (He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel) Rom 16:20

Genesis 3:16 (Bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband) John 16:21 1 Tim 2:15

Genesis 3:16 (He will rule over you) 1 Cor 14:34

Genesis 3:17 (Cursed is the ground because of you) Rom 8:20-22 Heb 6:8

Genesis 3:20 (Eve, because she was the mother of all the living) 2 Cor 11:3 1 Tim 2:13

Genesis 3:22 (the tree of life, and eat, and live forever) Rev 22:14

Genesis 3:24 (cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way) Heb 1:7

Genesis 4:2 (Abel) Luke 11:50, 51

Genesis 4:4 (Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions) Heb 11:4

Genesis 4:5 (Cain became very angry and his countenance fell) Jude 11

Genesis 4:7 (But you must master it) Rom 6:12, 16

Genesis 4:8 (Killed him) Matt 23:35 Luke 11:51 1 John 3:12-15 Jude 11

Genesis 4:10 (The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground) Heb 12:24 Rev 6:9, 10

Genesis 4:11 (You are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand) Gal 3:10

Genesis 4:26 (a son was born; and he called his name Enosh) Luke 3:38

Genesis 4:26 (To call upon the name of the LORD) 1 Cor 1:2

Genesis 5:1 (In the likeness of God) Eph 4:24 Col 3:10

Genesis 5:2 (Male and Female) Matt 19:4, Mark 10:6

Genesis 5:22 (Blessed them and named them) 1 Thess 2:12

Genesis 5:24 (Enoch walked with God; and he was not) Jude 14

Genesis 5:24 (Took him) Heb 11:5

Genesis 6:3 (My Spirit shall not strive with man forever) Gal 5:16, 17, 1 Pet 3:20

Genesis 6:5 (Every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually) Matt 15:19, Rom 1:28-32

Genesis 6:6 (Grieved in His heart) Eph 4:30

Genesis 6:8 (Noah) Matt 24:37, Luke 17:26, 1 Pet 3:20

Genesis 6:8 (Found favor in the eyes of the LORD) Luke 1:30

Verses that include reishit (Strong's #7225)

Gen 1:1
Gen 10:10
Gen 49:3

Ex 23:19
Ex 34:26

Lev 2:12
Lev 23:10

Num 15:20, 21
Num 18:12
Num 24:20

Deut 11:12
Deut 18:4
Deut 21:17
Deut 26:2, 10
Deut 33:21

1Sa 2:29
1Sa 15:21

2Ch 31:5

Neh 10:37
Neh 12:44

Job 8:7
Job 40:19
Job 42:12

Psa 78:51
Psa 105:36
Psa 111:10

Prov 1:7
Prov 3:9
Prov 4:7
Prov 8:22
Prov 17:14

Eccl 7:8

Isa 46:10

Jer 2:3
Jer 26:1
Jer 27:1
Jer 28:1
Jer 49:34, 35

Eze 20:40
Eze 44:30
Eze 48:14

Dan 11:41

Hos 9:10

Amos 6:1, 6

Mic 1:13