Genesis 1 – Line 00002

LINE RENDERING FILE

YOU ARE WELCOME HERE

This isn’t a lesson. It’s a space. Come as you are. Let the line speak to you.

FILE TAGS

INTRO

This file gives a minimal English phrasing of the original line, built directly from the Line Source File.

It’s readable, but not smoothed. Nothing is added beyond what’s traceable.

RENDERED LINE

• And the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the face of the deep, and the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

RENDERING NOTES

• “Formless and empty” reflects the pairing of תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ (tohu va-vohu), used together in Hebrew to signify total desolation or lack of structure.
• “Darkness was over the face of the deep” directly follows the word order and grammar of the original clause, with “face of the deep” translating עַל־פְּנֵי תְהוֹם (al-penei tehom).
• “Spirit of God was hovering” translates רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת, using the participle “hovering” to preserve tense and form.
• The second appearance of עַל־פְּנֵי (“over the face of”) is echoed exactly for structural fidelity.

INSERTION / HELPER WORD TRACKING

• Inserted “and” at clause openings for continuity and faithfulness to the vav prefix on verbs/nouns.
• No pronouns or interpretive verbs added.
• Definite articles preserved from the original Hebrew where present.

CONTEXTUAL PLACEMENT

• This line introduces the primal conditions before ordered creation — setting the stage for divine action.
• It portrays a state of latent potential, marked by chaos, darkness, and hovering presence.

STRUCTURAL ALIGNMENT NOTES

• Mirrors and anticipates line 1:3 where the divine command introduces light into this darkness.
• The dual use of “over the face of” provides symmetry — a visual stillness before the unfolding begins.

CAUTIONARY REMINDER

This rendering is provided for orientation only.

It draws from the Line Source File and reflects the structure of the original text as faithfully as possible, while adapting to minimal English phrasing.

Interpretive meaning is not asserted. For lexical and grammatical details, consult the Line Source File.