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In the Beginning… The Book of Genesis
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The Bible Episode I: The Book of Genesis It was a dark time for the universe. I mean really dark. There was like nothing, at least nothing that could be seen. Then, all of a sudden, there was light. And there was still nothing, but now you could see it…
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The Structure of Genesis 1 FormingFilling Day 1: light & dark, day & night Day 2: waters above & below Day 3: dry land Day 4: sun, moon, stars Day 5: birds and fish/sea animals Day 6: land animals Day 7: Sabbath rest
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The Worldview of Genesis 1
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Genesis 2:4b-6: “In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up … a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground” Here is Augustine’s interpretation [with comments] in On Genesis, 2.7: The earth and the heavens=the whole visible creation [well, sure] Day=the whole of time [hmmm] Plant of the field=the invisible creation [huh?] The spring rising from the earth and watering the whole face of the ground=the flood of truth drenching the soul before sin [who knew?] Augustine’s Interpretations of Genesis
![Genesis 2:4b-6: In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up … a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground Here is Augustine’s interpretation [with comments] in On Genesis, 2.7: The earth and the heavens=the whole visible creation [well, sure] Day=the whole of time [hmmm] Plant of the field=the invisible creation [huh ] The spring rising from the earth and watering the whole face of the ground=the flood of truth drenching the soul before sin [who knew ] Augustine’s Interpretations of Genesis](http://images.slideplayer.com/27/8953775/slides/slide_6.jpg "Genesis 2:4b-6: In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up … a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground Here is Augustine’s interpretation [with comments] in On Genesis, 2.7: The earth and the heavens=the whole visible creation [well, sure] Day=the whole of time [hmmm] Plant of the field=the invisible creation [huh ] The spring rising from the earth and watering the whole face of the ground=the flood of truth drenching the soul before sin [who knew ] Augustine’s Interpretations of Genesis")
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Augustine was not satisfied with this early commentary and later wrote another that tried to pay more attention to literal interpretations. Even then, he preferred to keep everything open-ended and invited readers to use their own judgment (On the Literal Interpretation of Genesis, 1.40). And he did not think interpretations should conflict with “the perceptions of [our] own rational faculties” (2.9).
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Even a literal reading might not look so literal to today’s readers. For example: Augustine noted the difference between the six days of creation in Genesis 1, and the one day of creation in Genesis 2. He explained the difference by interpreting the days in Genesis 1 as logical steps in a single act of creation which was actually simultaneous (or timeless) (4.52). These timeless, potential moments in God’s knowledge began to unfold in time only in Genesis 2.
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