Functional Idiomatic Translation · FIT Version

Genesis — Chapter 1

Genesis 1:1 only · Preliminary FIT Version draft

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Chapter 1

Preliminary draft — awaiting editorial approval

Genesis 1:1

1In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.1

Translation Note 1 — Genesis 1:1

The opening Hebrew expression, bereshit (בְּרֵאשִׁית), is traditionally translated “In the beginning.” Its grammatical relationship to the following clauses has been interpreted in more than one way, including an alternative construction meaning approximately “When God began to create.” The FIT Version provisionally retains the traditional independent-clause reading.

The expression “the heavens and the earth” may refer comprehensively to the created world. The verb bara (בָּרָא), “created,” identifies God's creative activity but does not, by itself, explain the process or specify whether preexisting material was involved.

Hebrew source text

בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃

The Hebrew text is provided for comparison. Detailed word-package analysis is available through the linked Hebrew text page. Only verse 1 is included in this preliminary FIT chapter.

Preliminary Translation Decisions

The FIT rendering retains the traditional wording pending review of the syntax of the opening clause in the larger context of Genesis 1:1–3. The Hebrew direct-object marker et is not translated separately into English. “The heavens and the earth” is retained rather than replaced by an interpretive expression such as “the universe.”

Editorial status: Draft 1, not a finalized publication text.