John Calvin Bible Commentary Online

Reformer of Geneva. Wrote a small book called the Institutes. Big on the sovereignty of God, small on free will. TULIP before it was cool. đź“Ť Geneva

Reformed · 1509-1564 · 11,063 comments · Calvin's Commentaries

From the commentary

  • Genesis 1:1: COMMENTARIES ON THE FIRST BOOK OF MOSES CALLED GENESIS BY JOHN CALVIN TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL LATIN, AND COMPARED WITH THE FRENCH EDITION, BY THE REV. JOHN KING, M.A., OF QUEEN'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, INCUMBENT OF CHRIST'S CHURCH, HULL VOLUME FIRST CHRISTIAN CLASSICS ETHEREAL LIBRARY GRAND RAPIDS, MI http://www.ccel.org Translator’s Preface Several of the Commentaries of Calvin on different portions of the Holy Scripture having been...
  • Genesis 1:2: 2. And the earth was without form and void. I shall not be very solicitous about the exposition of these two epithets, תוהו, ( tohu, ) and בוהו, ( bohu. ) The Hebrews use them when they designate anything empty and confused, or vain, and nothing worth.
  • Genesis 1:3: 3. And God said Moses now, for the first time, introduces God in the act of speaking , as if he had created the mass of heaven and earth without the Word. “Sans sa Parole” — “without his Word.” — French Tr.
  • Genesis 1:4: 4 And God saw the light Here God is introduced by Moses as surveying his work, that he might take pleasure in it. But he does it for our sake, to teach us that God has made nothing without a certain reason and design. And we ought not so to understand the words of Moses as if God did not know that his work was good, till it was finished.
  • Genesis 1:5: 5. And God called the light That is, God willed that there should be a regular vicissitude of days and nights; which also followed immediately when the first day was ended. For God removed the light from view, that night might be the commencement of another day.
  • Genesis 1:6: 6 Let there be a firmament “Sit extensio.” In the next verse he changes the word to “expansio”. “Fecit expansionem.” — “He made an expanse.” The work of the second day is to provide an empty space around the circumference of the earth, that heaven and earth may not be mixed together.
  • Genesis 1:9: 9. Let the waters... be gathered together This also is an illustrious miracle, that the waters by their departure have given a dwelling-place to men. For even philosophers allow that the natural position of the waters was to cover the whole earth, as Moses declares they did in the beginning; first, because being an element, it must be circular, and because this element is heavier...
  • Genesis 1:11: 11. Let the earth bring forth grass Hitherto the earth was naked and barren, now the Lord fructifies it by his word. For though it was already destined to bring forth fruit, yet till new virtue proceeded from the mouth of God, it must remain dry and empty.