1:2 - Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
[T - OL - HB ]
From the broad cosmic perspective of his doxological declaration of v1, the author shifts our attention now to the earth. He takes us back in time — not to "the beginning," — but to a time during the process of putting the earth together when it was a chaotic mess; a time when the earth was defined by two things.
First, it was a time when the earth was "formless and empty" (NIV) or "without form and void" (NRS, NKJ). The earth was, in Hebrew, tohu wabohu (for more on tobu wabohu see Special Issues below). This expression is rather rare in the Old Testament; it only occurs one other time, in Jer 4:23.1 The word tohu, on its own, occurs about 20 times, and always implies what is useless, desolate, empty, a waste land, a chaos. As far as we can tell bohu has no meaning of its own. It seems to be an empty word appended to a word which means emptyness, and by their assonance, to heighten the sense of the earth's desolation at this stage of its development. Though it is almost always translated 'without form or void' those words should probably be understood as stating the earth's existential value at that time rather than suggesting its purely physical state (though modern cosmological findings suggest that the author of Genesis was nearer to the truth far more than he would ever have explained♦).
Second, it was a time when "darkness was over the face of the deep." There is no suggestion anywhere here that the darkness was evil. Darkness, however, makes discernment impossible. And without discernment—the ability to tell this from that—there can be no security, no assurance. Together the two sentences, "the earth was formless and empty" and "darkness was over the surface of the deep," paint a picture of the earth at that time as decidedly, ominously, unfit for human habitation.
But already the Spirit of God was hovering over it, intent and focused on bringing His will to bear upon it. This particular form of the verb 'hover' is found only elsewhere in Deut 32:11, where it describes God watching over Israel with the care of a mother eagle hovering over its fledgling young, ready to pounce on them to catch them should they fall, resolved that they should never come to harm. Whatever may be our discomfort regarding why the earth was in such a state at that time, this sentence stresses the fact that it poses neither threat nor contest to God's power to control and to do with it as He wishes. While some creatures would eventually turn rebels against God, there are no rivals to God.
The chaos and the darkness
poses neither threat nor contest
to God's power to control
and to do with it as He wishes.
While some creatures would
eventually turn rebels against Him,
there are no rivals to God.
While this truth is specific here with regards to the beginning of the world, we will find the authors of the Old Testament at pains to remind their ancient Israelite audience (and we do well to listen in on them) that it too is the case with us who walk with God. Whatever mess we may find ourselves in, the Spirit of God—whether we are aware of it or not—is already hovering over it, watching, attentive and intent on bringing light and order into it if we would let Him. Remember the prodigal son? Whatever mess he had made of his life, his father was waiting for him to come home. That is the God the Bible tells about.
Some commentators think that the expression ruach 'elohim should be translated as "a mighty wind," or "a terrible storm" instead of "the Spirit of God." What are we to make of such a rendition? Open Discussion.
You may wish to read the following commentaries-expositions:
Here are two articles you may wish to read if you want to dwell more deeply into this verse.
Mark F. Rooker, "Genesis 1:3: Creation or Re-Creation? Part 1," Bibliotheca Sacra 149 (1992) 316-23. Pdf N 7-8 (Open on Phone)
Mark F. Rooker, "Genesis 1:3: Creation or Re-Creation? Part 2," Bibliotheca Sacra 149 (1992) 411-27. Pdf N 7-8 (Open on Phone)
Low Chai Hok
©Alberith, 2016