Creation Moment 12/8/2013 - "In The Beginning"

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Genesis 1:1

 

"“In the beginning" (Hebrew- re’sheet) has four basic meanings. They are:

1. Chief (chief place, chief leader), Leader (President, Prince, Ruler),
2. Principle (of anything),  Best (Best of its kind),
3. Head (of man or beast), Top (of mountain, peak highest place, summit),
4. First (at first, first place,  first part), Beginning (primary motion from rest), commence

The definition that fits the context the best is number four. This meaning defines the initiation of a process or first part of something; whereas the first three describe qualities or positions of something, someone, etc. Genesis 1:1 could have been written “at the first God created,” “at the start God created,” or “at the commencement God created . . .," etc. Re’sheet does not have the meaning of “in time(s) past,” “in ancient time,” “in past ages,” etc.

If Moses had wanted to use a Hebrew word that refers to a time before creation week, he had the choice of using:
1 ) Ri’shown--former, formerly, before, aforetime, old time, foremost;
2 ) Gohlahm--ancient time, anciently, of old;
3 ) Shilshowm--idiom for 'in times past', times past, past, beforetime.

Because Moses did not use any of these words, and because re’sheet doesn’t carry the lexical meaning of “ages past,” “in times past,” etc., we can know Moses was trying to convey a specific time that is knowable to us. 

A point of interest in this discussion is the Good News Translation of Gen. 1:1-,“In the beginning, when God created the universe.”" ADvindicate