Genesis 1:1 is the first verse of the first chapter in the Book of Genesis in the Bible and forms the opening of the Genesis creation narrative.

In the Masoretic Text the verse consists of 7 words and 28 letters and is as follows:

The first word is b'reishit, or bereishit (בְּרֵאשִׁית). The definite article (i.e., the Hebrew equivalent of "the") is missing, but implied. The complete word literally means "in [the] beginning [of]". The same construction is found elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible, usually dealing with the beginning of a reign.[1]

The second word is the Hebrew verb bara (ברא) ("([he] created/creating"). It is in the masculine singular form, so that "he" is implied; and perfect aspect, commonly translated by English past tense. "Bara" is also used in Genesis 2 verses 3 and 4. John Walton claims that the meaning of "bara" is not "create" in the modern sense, but to differentiate/separate and to allocate roles – e.g., in the creation of Adam and Eve, God allocates gender roles to "male and female".[2]

Elohim (אלהים) is the generic word for God, whether the God of Israel or the gods of other nations. It is used throughout Genesis 1, and contrasts with the phrase Elohim YHWH, "God YHWH", introduced in Genesis 2.