בְּרֵאשִׁית
bereshit
"beginning, first, chief"
Strong's H7225 • 51 occurrences
Linguistic Analysis
Part of Speech
Noun
Root
רֵאשִׁית (reshit) from רֹאשׁ (rosh - head)
Etymology
Compound: בְּ (in/at) + רֵאשִׁית (beginning). The first word of the Torah establishes GOD as existing before time.
Semantic Range
Theological Significance
Bereshit establishes GOD as the eternal Creator who exists before time, space, and matter. The word implies not just temporal priority but supremacy and sovereignty. GOD is the Absolute Beginning from whom all things flow.
✝️ Christological Connection
John 1:1 echoes Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning (ἐν ἀρχῇ) was the Word (Λόγος)." JESUS CHRIST is identified as the eternal Word through whom all things were created (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16-17). He is the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13).
Key Verses
Genesis 1:1
"In the beginning (בְּרֵאשִׁית) GOD created the heavens and the earth."
The opening declaration of Scripture, establishing GOD as Creator of all that exists.
Proverbs 8:22-23
"The LORD possessed me at the beginning (רֵאשִׁית) of His way, before His works of old. I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning (מֵרֹאשׁ), before there was ever an earth."
Wisdom (personified, pointing to CHRIST) existed before creation, with GOD from the beginning.
John 1:1-3
"In the beginning (Ἐν ἀρχῇ) was the Word, and the Word was with GOD, and the Word was GOD. He was in the beginning with GOD. All things were made through Him."
John deliberately echoes Genesis 1:1, identifying JESUS as the eternal Logos present at creation.
Scholar Insights
heiser
Bereshit establishes the divine council context - GOD creates with His council (Elohim plural), but He alone is Creator. The spiritual realm existed before the physical.
alter
The Hebrew syntax is deliberately ambiguous - "When GOD began to create" vs "In the beginning GOD created" - both are valid, emphasizing GOD's eternal existence.
wright
Genesis 1:1 is the foundation for new creation theology. As GOD created in the beginning, so He creates anew in CHRIST (2 Cor 5:17).
bartholomew
Bereshit frames all of Scripture - from creation to new creation. The Bible is the story of GOD's creative and redemptive work from beginning to consummation.
Note: Extra-biblical sources are provided for historical and cultural context. They are not authoritative like Scripture but help illuminate the ancient understanding of biblical texts.
Extra-Biblical References
Jubilees 2:2
Jub. 2:2"For on the first day He created the heavens which are above and the earth and the waters and all the spirits which serve before Him."
Jubilees expands on Genesis 1, affirming that GOD created the spiritual realm (angels) on Day 1 along with heaven and earth.
1 Enoch 72:1
1 En. 72:1"The book of the courses of the luminaries of the heaven, the relations of each, according to their classes, their dominion and their seasons."
Enoch describes the ordering of creation, emphasizing GOD's sovereignty over the heavenly bodies from the beginning.
Dead Sea Scrolls - Genesis Commentary (4Q252)
4Q252"Commentary on Genesis 1:1 - "In the beginning GOD created..." emphasizing the singular act of divine creation."
Qumran community affirmed Genesis 1:1 as establishing GOD's absolute sovereignty and the goodness of creation.
Targum Onkelos
TO Gen 1:1"In the beginning the LORD created the heavens and the earth."
Aramaic paraphrase clarifies "Elohim" as "the LORD" (YHWH), emphasizing monotheism.
Related Words
רֹאשׁ (rosh)
rosh
Root word meaning "head, top, chief" - source of reshit/bereshit
Ἀρχή (Arche)
Arche
Greek equivalent used in John 1:1 and Septuagint translation of Genesis 1:1
רֵאשִׁית (reshit)
reshit
Base form without the preposition - "beginning, firstfruits"
Typology & Patterns
Typological Fulfillment
Bereshit is the pattern for all new beginnings in Scripture: Israel's exodus (a new beginning), the Incarnation (the Word becoming flesh), the Resurrection (new creation), and the New Heaven and New Earth (final restoration).
Biblical Patterns
- •Day 1 (Light) - Pattern of illumination and revelation throughout Scripture
- •Creation Week - Template for Sabbath rest and redemptive history
- •Seven Days - Completeness and divine perfection in GOD's work
- •From Chaos to Order - GOD brings order from formlessness (tohu va-vohu)
Practical Application
Understanding Bereshit reminds us that GOD is the source of all things. Our lives have a divine beginning and purpose. Just as GOD created order from chaos, He brings order to our disordered lives through CHRIST. We are new creations (2 Cor 5:17) with a new beginning in the Risen LORD.
"Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You."
— Psalm 119:11