In the Beginning or When He Began? How to Translate Genesis 1:1–2

In comparing Bibles, I chose to quote each version’s rendition of Genesis 1:1–2 not only because it is well known and it appears in all Bibles, Jewish and Christian, but also because it contains an authentic and insoluble crux interpretation, or interpretive knot. Both popular translations, “In the beginning” and “When God began,” have support within Jewish exegetical traditions; for Christians, “In the beginning ...” is compatible with the belief in creatio ex nihilo, or creation out of nothing. As much as possible, I would wish to capture both nuances in my “ideal” translation.

Further, since the Hebrew words for “heaven(s)” and “earth” are both preceded by the definite article and since the first term is plural (or, more properly, dual), I prefer the rendering “the heavens and the earth.” I would deliberately use a form of “create,” which accurately reflects the Hebrew verb that uniquely takes the Divine as its subject.

I am happy with any number of permutations that express the concept of “void” and “lacking form.” (On some days, I’m willing to make the argument that transliteration—tohu ve-vohu—should appear in my “ideal” text to give a sense of what the Hebrew looks and sounds like here.) I would retain the more literal “deep” over against any changes.