Genesis 1:1

The foundational verse of the Hebrew Bible, establishing the core theological claim that God is the creator of everything.

Significance

This verse introduces the creation narrative and establishes several key theological points:

• God exists before creation
• God is the sole creator
• Creation had a beginning
• Both heaven and earth (the totality of the cosmos) originate from God

In Jewish Tradition

The Hebrew “Bereshit” (בְּרֵאשִׁית) can be translated “In the beginning” or “When God began to create,” leading to rich rabbinical discussion about the nature of creation.

In Christian Tradition

This verse is foundational to Christian theology, with John 1:1 (“In the beginning was the Word”) deliberately echoing it to identify Christ with the creative act.

In Islamic Tradition

The Quran affirms God as creator (e.g., Quran 6:1), though with different narrative details about the creation process.