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Did God Create from nothing?
(Creation Ex Nihilo)
Answers from Science and the Bible - Tom Henderson - April 2002 draft
Science:
We must somehow account for the existence of the universe (space, matter- energy, time). Either it was produced by an all-powerful Creator OR it is the product of chance. There are no other options possible as far as I know. Evolutionists believe that through the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle the "BIG BANG" occurred by accident. That would mean that all the matter-energy in the universe suddenly sprang into existence by chance. In this process space and time also began. To believe this requires incredible faith! The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle applies to uncertainties in the position and velocity of elementary particles. But it has been extrapolated by faith to include the whole universe. This violates the First Law of Thermodynamics (Energy is neither created nor destroyed). In order to create something from nothing you need someone with the power to create. Only an all-powerful God fits the bill. The Bible describes God's actions as a Creator. Three Hebrew words for create are used in various ways. This will be explored in subsequent paragraphs of a Biblical word study on "create". However, the Creation itself screams out to testify of the fact of creation out of nothing!
Word study of "Create" in the Bible
Three words for "create" are used in the Old Testament Hebrew.
The Hebrew word bara is often translated "create".
The Hebrew word asah is often translated "make".
The Hebrew word yasar is often translated "form".
These words for "create" have different emphasis but are used interchangeably in Genesis and elsewhere. I think only one of them (bara) can have the sense of creation out of nothing (creation ex nihilo). It is used four times in the Genesis creation week account.
Gen 1:1 kjv In the beginning God created (bara) the heaven and the earth.
In most cases I chose to include both the KJV & NIV English wording.
Gen 1:21 kjv And God created (bara) great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:21niv So God created (bara) the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [Ref. 8]
Gen 1:27 kjv So God created (bara) man in his own image, in the image of God created (bara) he him; male and female created (bara) he them.
Gen 1: 27niv So God created (bara) man in his own image, in the image of God he created (bara) him; male and female he created (bara) them.
Gen 2:3 kjv And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created (bara) and made.
Gen 2:3 niv And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating (bara) that he had done.
Let’s look at bara closely and see what conservative Bible authorities say about it.
to create = bara = to prepare, form, fashion, create [Ref. 2 p. 210]
"The word bara (‘created’) may express creation out of nothing, but it certainly cannot be limited to that (cf. 2:7). Rather, it stresses that what was formed was new and perfect. The word is used throughout the Bible only with God as its subject." [Ref. 4 p. 28]
"The root bara has the basic meaning ‘to create’. It differs from yasar ‘to fashion’ in that the latter primarily emphasizes the shaping of an object while bara emphasizes the initiation of the object" [Ref. 1:127-128]
"Created (bara) is a verb used exclusively of God. Man could not reach up to the powers inherent in this word, for it describes full miracle. By the sovereign, originative power of God something absolutely new was brought into being."[Ref. 5 p. 2]
"created (bara). ... Although many verbs denote God’s activity of bringing creation into existence, bara distinguishes itself by being used exclusively of God. His creation reveals his immeasurable power and might, his bewildering imagination and wisdom, his immortality and transcendence, ultimately leaving the finite mortal in mystery. The earth endures in part because it is brought into existence through God’s wisdom, which entails his righteousness." [Ref. 7 p. 58-59]
"God created, that is made it out of nothing; there was not any pre-existent matter out of which the world was produced." [Ref. 10 p. 1:2]
"The verb bara expresses creation out of nothing, an idea seen clearly in passages having to do with creation on a cosmic scale: ... (Gen. 1:1; cf. Gen. 2:3; Isa. 40:26; 42:5)" [Ref. 3 p. 51]
Isa 40:26 kjv Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created (bara) these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
Isa 40:26 niv Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created (bara) all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
Isa 42:5 kjv Thus saith God the LORD, he that created (bara) the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
Isa 42:5 niv This is what God the LORD says-- he who created (bara) the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:
Isa 45:18 has all three words: bara, asah, yasar:
Isa 45:18 kjv For thus saith the LORD that created (bara) the heavens; God himself that formed (yasar) the earth and made (asah) it; he hath established it, he created (bara) it not in vain, he formed (yasar) it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
Isa 45:18 niv For this is what the LORD says -- he who created (bara) the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned (yasar) and made (asah) the earth, he founded it; he did not create (bara) it to be empty, but formed (yasar) it to be inhabited -- he says: "I am the LORD, and there is no other.
In the New Testament the Greek word "ktizo" (verb form), "ktisis" (noun form) is used for "create, creation, creator, or creature" [Ref. 9 p. 254-255].
Context determines when the creative act could be "creation from nothing".
Col 1:15 kjv Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Col 1:15 niv He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Conclusion on the meaning of the word "create" in the Bible:
The Hebrew word bara is frequently used of God creating something out of nothing. However Creation ex nihilo is not necessarily inherent within the meaning of the word. Context is all important!
Refs.
Harris, R. Laird; Gleason L. Archer, Jr.; Bruce K. Waltke, editors. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. 2 vols. Chicago: Moody Bible Institute, 1980.[up]
Young, Robert. Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible New York, Funk & Wagnalls, 1936. [This source used to identify words in the original languages.][up]
Vine, W. E.; Merrill F. Unger; William White, Jr. Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1996.[up]
Ross, Allen P. (Genesis); John F. Walvoord & Roy B. Zuck, editors. The Bible Knowledge Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.[up]
Yates, Kyle M., Jr. (Genesis author); Charles F. Pfeiffer (Old Testament), Everett F. Harrison (New Testament), editors. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Nashville: The Southwestern Company, 1962.[up]
Goodrick, Edward W. & others, editors, The NIV Exhaustive Concordance. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1990.[up]
Waltke, Bruce K., Genesis: A Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001[up]
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1973[up]
Vine, W. E., An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words. Old Tappen NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1940.[up]
Henry, Matthew; Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the whole Bible. Marshallton DE: Sovereign Grace Publishers, 1972 [London, Fisher edition, 1845] [up]
Copyright © 2003, Thomas H. Henderson
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