Refrain of Creation in Genesis One Analysis
Genesis 1 structures the creation account around a recurring pattern that marks each of the six days. This refrain—"And God said... and it was so... and God saw that it was good... and there was evening and there was morning, the [nth] day"—provides both literary architecture and theological emphasis, distinguishing the biblical narrative from ancient Near Eastern cosmogonies.
The Pattern and Its Components
The refrain consists of several recurring elements. Each day begins with divine speech: "And God said" [1]. This verbal formula underscores that creation occurs "by the command of God" [1], a theme reinforced in Psalm 33:9 and Hebrews 11:3. The phrase "and it was so" follows the divine decree, emphasizing the immediate efficacy of God's word. After the creative act, the text records divine evaluation: "and God saw that it was good." The day concludes with the temporal marker: "and there was evening and there was morning," followed by the ordinal number [1, 7].
This structure appears with variations across the six days. The first day introduces light and its separation from darkness [1]. The second day establishes the firmament and separates waters [7]. The third day produces both dry land and vegetation, receiving a double affirmation of goodness [7]. The fourth day creates celestial luminaries for measuring time [7]. The fifth and sixth days populate the waters, sky, and land with living creatures. The sixth day culminates in humanity's creation, described with heightened language: "God created man in his own image. In God's image he created him; male and female he created them" [4].
Theological Function
The refrain's repetition establishes creation's orderliness and intentionality. Matthew Henry observes that Genesis 1:1 provides "the first article of our creed, that God the Father Almighty is the Maker of heaven and earth" [6]. The structured progression counters pagan philosophical errors about "the world's eternity and self-existence" [8], asserting instead that creation occurred "in the beginning" at "a period of remote and unknown antiquity" [5].
The phrase "God created" (Hebrew bara) appears strategically. Smith's Bible Dictionary notes that this verb occurs only three times in Genesis 1: "as to the origin of matter; (2) as to the origin of life; (3) as to the origin of man's soul" [2]. This selective use highlights moments requiring direct divine action rather than processes derivable from existing materials. The refrain's broader pattern, however, encompasses both these unique creative acts and the subsequent ordering and populating of creation.
The Divine Evaluation
The repeated declaration "it was good" carries theological weight. Easton's Bible Dictionary emphasizes that creation was "absolutely free, and for infinitely wise reasons," existing "only in the will of God" [3]. The goodness pronounced over each stage affirms creation's inherent value and proper ordering. This evaluation distinguishes the biblical account from dualistic cosmologies that view matter as inherently flawed or evil.
The absence of this affirmation on the second day has prompted discussion, though the overall pattern remains intact. The seventh day receives no "evening and morning" formula, setting it apart as the day of divine rest rather than creative work [1].
Trinitarian Dimensions
The refrain's attribution of creative work to divine speech connects to broader biblical testimony about creation's agents. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown note that the plural form of "God" (Elohim) "obscurely taught at the opening of the Bible" the doctrine "that though God is one, there is a plurality of persons in the Godhead" [5]. The sources attribute creation to the Godhead collectively, to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit [3]. John 1:3 explicitly states that "all things were made by him," referring to the Logos, prompting Adam Clarke to conclude that "Christ and the Father are One" since "creation means causing that to exist that had no previous being... a work which can be effected only by omnipotence" [9].
The refrain thus functions as more than literary device. Its rhythm establishes the six-day framework affirmed in Exodus 20:11 and 31:17 [1], while its content reveals the character of the Creator who speaks, evaluates, and rests.
Sources
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Creation — The formation of things which had no previous existence -- Ro 4:17; Heb 11:3. Effected By God. -- Ge 1:1; 2:4,5; Pr 26:10. By Christ. -- Joh 1:3,10; Col 1:16. By the Holy Spirit. -- Job 26:13; Ps 104:30. By the command of God. -- Ps 33:9; Heb 11:3. In the beginning. -- Ge 1:1; Mt 24:21. In six normal days. -- Ex 20:11; 31:17. According to God's purpose. -- Ps 135:6. For God's pleasure. -- Pr 16:4; Re 4:11. For Christ. -- Col 1:16. By faith we believe, to be God's work -- Heb 11:3. Order of First day, making light and dividing it from darkness. -- Ge 1:3-5;”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Creation — (The creation of all things is ascribed in the Bible to God, and is the only reasonable account of the origin of the world. The method of creation is not stated in Genesis, and as far as the account there is concerned, each part of it may be, after the first acts of creation, by evolution, or by direct act of God's will. The word create (bara) is used but three times in the first chapter of Genesis-- (1) as to the origin of matter; (2) as to the origin of life; (3) as to the origin of man's soul; and science has always failed to do any of these acts thus as”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Creation — "In the beginning" God created, i.e., called into being, all things out of nothing. This creative act on the part of God was absolutely free, and for infinitely wise reasons. The cause of all things exists only in the will of God. The work of creation is attributed (1) to the Godhead (Gen. 1:1, 26); (2) to the Father (1 Cor. 8:6); (3) to the Son (John 1:3; Col. 1:16, 17); (4) to the Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:2; Job 26:13; Ps. 104:30). The fact that he is the Creator distinguishes Jehovah as the true God (Isa. 37:16; 40:12, 13; 54:5; Ps. 96:5; Jer. 10:11, 12). Th”
- Genesis “God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them. -- Genesis 1:27”
- Genesis (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Genesis 1 (introduction): Genesis 1:1 THE CREATION OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. (Gen 1:1-2) In the beginning--a period of remote and unknown antiquity, hid in the depths of eternal ages; and so the phrase is used in Pro 8:22-23. God--the name of the Supreme Being, signifying in Hebrew, "Strong," "Mighty." It is expressive of omnipotent power; and by its use here in the plural form, is obscurely taught at the opening of the Bible, a doctrine clearly revealed in other parts of it, namely, that though God is one, there is a plurality of persons in the Godhead--Father, So”
- Genesis (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Genesis 1:1: In these verses we have the work of creation in its epitome and in its embryo. I. In its epitome, Gen 1:1, where we find, to our comfort, the first article of our creed, that God the Father Almighty is the Maker of heaven and earth, and as such we believe in him. 1. Observe, in this verse, four things: - (1.) The effect produced - the heaven and the earth, that is, the world, including the whole frame and furniture of the universe, the world and all things therein, Act 17:24. The world is a great house, consisting of upper and lower stories, the structure stately”
- Genesis (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Genesis 1 (introduction): First day's work - Creation of the heavens and the earth, Gen 1:1, Gen 1:2. Of the light and its separation from the darkness, Gen 1:3-5. Second day's work - The creation of the firmament, and the separation of the waters above the firmament from those below it, Gen 1:6-8. Third day's work - The waters are separated from the earth and formed into seas, etc., Gen 1:9, Gen 1:10. The earth rendered fruitful, and clothed with trees, herbs, grass, etc., Gen 1:11-13. Fourth day's work - Creation of the celestial luminaries intended for the measurement of time”
- Genesis (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Genesis 1 (introduction): The foundation of all religion being laid in our relation to God as our Creator, it was fit that the book of divine revelations which was intended to be the guide, support, and rule, of religion in the world, should begin, as it does, with a plain and full account of the creation of the world - in answer to that first enquiry of a good conscience, "Where is God my Maker?" (Job 35:10). Concerning this the pagan philosophers wretchedly blundered, and became vain in their imaginations, some asserting the world's eternity and self-existence, others ascrib”
- John (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on John 1:3: All things were made by him - That is, by this Logos. In Gen 1:1, God is said to have created all things: in this verse, Christ is said to have created all things: the same unerring Spirit spoke in Moses and in the evangelists: therefore Christ and the Father are One. To say that Christ made all things by a delegated power from God is absurd; because the thing is impossible. Creation means causing that to exist that had no previous being: this is evidently a work which can be effected only by omnipotence. Now, God cannot delegate his omnipotence to another: were this p”