Text
Genesis 1:1
Genesis 1:1
Layers
Letters · vowels · accents
Letters · vowels · accents
Skill
See all three at once
See all three at once
Joy
A whole verse you can revisit forever
A whole verse you can revisit forever
I. The verse in full dress
Genesis 1:1 is many learners’ first complete biblical sentence in Hebrew. Below it appears with traditional pointing. Read right to left. Take it word by word.
בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ׃
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
II. Word-by-word tour
| Hebrew | Sound (approx.) | Sense | What to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| בְּרֵאשִׁית | be-re-SHIT | In-beginning-of | Sheva under bet; long word built from rosh “head/start.” |
| בָּרָא | ba-RA | He created | Qamats vowels; verb of creation. |
| אֱלֹהִים | e-lo-HIM | God | Ḥataf vowel under aleph—short and light. |
| אֵת | et | (object marker) | Not translated; points to the next object. |
| הַשָּׁמַיִם | ha-sha-MA-yim | the heavens | Definite article ha-; shin with dagesh. |
| וְאֵת | ve-et | and (object marker) | Vav “and” + object marker again. |
| הָאָרֶץ׃ | ha-A-rets | the earth | Ends with sof pasuq ׃ — verse complete. |
III. Layer checklist
- Calligraphy layer: Can you name five different letters in the verse?
- Niqqud layer: Find a ḥireq (single under-dot) and a qamats (T-shape).
- Cantillation layer: Find the sof pasuq at the end. Notice mid-verse accents if your edition shows them clearly.
Performance: Whisper the verse once for letters, speak it once for vowels, then hum a simple two-note melody on the English translation. You have practiced all three crafts!
IV. Video: Genesis 1 recited
V. Bridge
Explore codices that preserve such pointing: Leningrad Codex, Aleppo Codex. For English Bible history after Hebrew study, see Hampton Court & the AV.