Lesson 5.2 In the Beginning: Genesis 1:1

Steps

1. Warm-up

   Do this together: How many words are in Genesis 1:1 in English? Count them: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Ten. In Hebrew there are only seven. Today you read all seven.

2. Teach the new idea

   Read aloud: The story. The Bible begins with God. Before anything else existed, God was there, and He created the heavens and the earth out of nothing. The Hebrew verb bara, created, is used in the Bible only for what God does. People make things; only God creates.

   Read aloud: Word by word. בְּרֵאשִׁית in the beginning; בָּרָא created; אֱלֹהִים God; אֵת (object marker); הַשָּׁמַיִם the heavens; וְאֵת and (object marker); הָאָרֶץ the earth.

   Read aloud: Notice. Hebrew often puts the verb before its subject: bara Elohim, created God. And הַ at the front of a word means the: הַשָּׁמַיִם the heavens, הָאָרֶץ the earth. You will study it in Grade 5.

3. New words

   Do this: Say each word clearly; your child says it back twice. Point to a picture or the real thing when you can.

   • בְּרֵאשִׁית (bereshit) [b’ray-SHEET]: in the beginning
   • בָּרָא (bara) [bah-RAH]: he created
   • שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) [shah-MAH-yeem]: heavens, sky
   • אֶרֶץ (erets) [EH-rets]: earth, land
4. Show how

   Show: Read: בְּרֵאשִׁית

   Say this: “bet with dagesh + vocal shewa = b’.”

   Say this: “resh + tsere + silent alef = ray; shin + hireq yod = shee; tav = t.”

   Answer: b’ray-SHEET.

   Show: Read: הָאָרֶץ

   Say this: “he + qamets = hah (the).”

   Say this: “alef + qamets = ah; resh + segol = reh; end-tsade = ts.”

   Answer: hah-AH-rets (the earth).

5. Practice together

   Do this: Ask out loud. Let your child try first; help only after a real try.

   Ask: Read and translate: בָּרָא

   Listen for: bara, he created.

   Ask: Read and translate: הַשָּׁמַיִם

   Listen for: hashamayim, the heavens.

   Ask: How many Hebrew words are in Genesis 1:1?

   Listen for: Seven.

   3 more on the lesson page.

6. Project: Seven-word verse chain

   Read aloud: Make a paper chain of the seven words of Genesis 1:1.

   Steps:

   1. Write one Hebrew word of Genesis 1:1 on each strip, with its English meaning on the back.
   2. Link the strips into a chain in order, starting with בְּרֵאשִׁית.
   3. Hang the chain from right to left and read it.

   Tips for you:

   • Check every vowel against the Bible text.

   Done when your child can say:

   • My chain has all seven words in order.
   • I can read the verse aloud.
7. Sketchbook

   Do this: Your child picks one or more; you write the date.

   1. Copy Genesis 1:1 in your neatest writing, with the meaning of each word underneath.
8. From history

   Read aloud: In Hebrew, the book of Genesis is called Bereshit, after its first word. The other books of Moses are also named by their first important words.

9. Watch for
   • Reading the alef in בְּרֵאשִׁית. After tsere it is silent.
   • Translating אֵת as a word. It only marks the object.
10. Game: Seven-word race

    Shuffle seven word cards of Genesis 1:1. Put them in order from right to left as fast as you can, then read the verse. Try to beat your time.

11. Narration

    Say this: “Tell me what you learned today.”

    Listen for: Read Genesis 1:1 aloud in Hebrew.; Tell what each of its seven words means.; Know בָּרָא, שָׁמַיִם and אֶרֶץ.

12. Scripture

    In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

    Hebrew (Westminster Leningrad Codex, vowel points shown, cantillation marks left out): <span class="heb-block" lang="he" dir="rtl">בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ׃</span> Read all seven words. You can now read the first verse of the Bible in the language Moses wrote it in.

Spread over the week

3 sessions of 20–30 minutes. Stop while it is still going well.

1. Session 1. Warm-up, then read and teach the new idea and the new words. Show how.
2. Session 2. Practice together, then start the project. Finish the project, then the sketchbook.
3. Session 3. Narration, the game and the Scripture.