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Creation

Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term

How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.

GREEK · G2937

κτίσις

ktisis — creation

κτίσις, -εως, ἡ (κτίζω), [in LXX: Psa.104:24 (קִנְיָן), Pro.1:13 A (הוֹן), Tob.8:5, Wis.2:6, Sir.16:17, 3Ma.2:2, al. ;] 1. a founding, settling, foundation (cl.). 2. In LXX and NT, (a) the act of creating, creation: Mrk.10:6 (Swete, in l), Mrk.13:19, Rom.1:20, 2Pe.3:4; (b) that which has been created, creation: Rom.1:25 8:39, Heb.4:13; καινὴ κ., 2Co.5:17, Gal.6:15; πάσῃ ἀνθρωπίνῃ κ. (Hort., in l), 1Pe.2:13; collectively, of the sum of created things (Wis.19:6, Jdth.16:14), Mrk.16:15, Col.1:15, 23 Heb.9:11, Rev.3:14; of the irrational creation, Rom.8:19-22.† (AS)

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H6635

צָבָא

tsa.va — army

: army 1) that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host 1a) army, host 1a1) host (of organised army) 1a2) host (of angels) 1a3) of sun, moon, and stars 1a4) of whole creation 1b) war, warfare, service, go out to war 1c) service

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H3335

יָצַר

ya.tsar — to form: formed

: formed 1) to form, fashion, frame 1a) (Qal) to form, fashion 1a1) of human activity 1a2) of divine activity 1a2a) of creation 1a2a1) of original creation 1a2a2) of individuals at conception 1a2a3) of Israel as a people 1a2b) to frame, pre-ordain, plan (fig. of divine) purpose of a situation) 1b) (Niphal) to be formed, be created 1c) (Pual) to be predetermined, be pre-ordained 1d) (Hophal) to be formed

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GREEK · G746

ἀρχή

archē — beginning

ἀρχή, -ῆς, ἡ [in LXX for קֶדֶם, רֹאשׁ, רֹאשׁ, etc. ;] 1. beginning, origin; (a) absol., of the beginning of all things: of God as the Eternal, the First Cause, Rev.21:6 (cf. 18); similarly, of Christ, Rev.22:13; of Christ as the uncreated principle, the active cause of creation, Rev.3:14; in his relation to the Church, Col.1:18; ἐν ἀ., Jhn.1:1-2; ἀπ᾽ ἀ. (and ἀπ᾽ ἀ. κτισεως), Mat.19:4, 8 24:21, Mrk.10:6 13:19, Jhn.8:44, 2Th.2:13, 2Pe.3:4, 1Jn.1:1 Jn 2:13-14 Jn 2:24; κατ ἀρχἀς, Heb.1:10; (b) relatively: Heb.7:3; ἀ. ὠδίνων, Mat.24:8, Mrk.13:9; τ. σημείων, Jhn.2:11; τ. ὑποστάσεως, Heb.3:14; τ. λογίων, Heb.5:12; ὁ τ. ἀρχῆς τ. Χριστοῦ λόγος, the account of the beginning, the elementary view of Christ, Heb.6:1; ἀρχὴν λαμβάνειν, to begin, Heb.2:3; ἐξ ἀ., Jhn.6:64 16:4; ἀπ᾽ ἀ., Luk.1:2, Jhn.15:27, 1Jn.2:7 Jn 2:24 Jn 3:11, 2Jn.5-6; ἐν ἀ., Act.11:15 26:4, Php.4:15; τὴν ἀρχήν, adverbially, at all (Hdt., al.; v MM, see word): Jhn.8:25. 2. an extremity, a corner: Act.10:11 11:5. 3. sovereignty, principality, rule (cf. DB, i, 616 f.): Luk.12:11 20:20, Rom.8:38, 1Co.15:24, Eph.1:21 3:10 6:12, Col.1:16 2:10, 15 Tit.3:1, Ju 6 (Cremer, 113).† (AS)

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H8435

תּוֹלֵדוֹת

to.le.dah — generation

1) descendants, results, proceedings, generations, genealogies 1a) account of men and their descendants 1a1) genealogical list of one's descendants 1a2) one's contemporaries 1a3) course of history (of creation etc) 1b) begetting or account of heaven (metaph)

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H4578

מֵעֶה

me.eh — belly

1) internal organs, inward parts, bowels, intestines, belly 1a) inward parts 1b) digestive organs 1c) organs of procreation, womb 1d) place of emotions or distress or love (fig.) 1e) external belly Aramaic equivalent: me.ah (מְעָא "belly" H4577)

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GREEK · G2226

ζῷον

zōon — living thing

ζῷον (Rec. ζῶον, see LS, see word), -ου, τό (ζωός, alive), [in LXX for חַי (chiefly) and cognate forms; frequently in Wis ;] a living creature, an animal: Rev.4:6-9 5:6 ff. Rev.6:1 ff. Rev.7:11 14:3 15:7 19:4; ζῴων τ. αἷμα, Heb.13:11; ἄλογα ζ., 2Pe.2:12, Ju 10.† SYN.: θηρίον, in which the brutal, bestial element is emphasized, and which is never used of sacrificial animals. On the other hand, ζ. is the more comprehensive, as expressing the vital element common to the whole anima] creation (see Tr., Syn., LXXxi; Cremer, 274). (AS)

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GREEK · G1078

γένεσις

genesis — origin

γένεσις, -εως, ἡ (γίγνομαι), [in LXX chiefly for תּוֹלֵדֹת ;] 1. origin, lineage: βίβλος γενέσεως (as in Gen.2:4a 5:1), Mat.1:1. 2. birth: Mat.1:18, Luk.1:14 (Rec. γέννησις); πρόσωπον τῆς γ., face of his birth ("what God made him to be," Hort., in l.), Jas.1:23; ὁ τροχὸς τῆς γ., the wheel (course) of birth or creation ("the wheel of man's nature according to its original Divine purpose," Hort), Jas.3:6. † (AS)

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H1736

דּוּדַי

du.day — mandrake

1) mandrake, love-apple 1a) as exciting sexual desire, and favouring procreation

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Historical dictionary entry

“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). The one great end in the work of creation is the manifestation of the glory of the Creator (Col. 1:16; Rev. 4:11; Rom. 11:36). God’s works, equally with God’s word, are a revelation from him; and between the teachings of the one and those of the other, when rightly understood, there can be no contradiction. Traditions of the creation, disfigured by corruptions, are found among the records of ancient Eastern nations. (See ACCAD.) A peculiar interest belongs to the traditions of the Accadians, the primitive inhabitants of the plains of Lower Mesopotamia. These within the last few years have been brought to light in the tablets and cylinders which have been rescued from the long-buried palaces and temples of Assyria. They bear a remarkable resemblance to the record of Genesis.

Scripture references

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.

Compare other reference traditions

Look up Creation in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and ISBE →