Word Study On Bara
Word Study On Bara
Word Study On Bara
WORD STUDY
BY
ELKE B. SPELIOPOULOS
DOWNINGTOWN, PA
GENERAL DEFINITION OF רא
ָ ָב
1. of creation of the physical world (heaven and earth): mankind, the host of heaven,
the heavens, the ends of the earth, north and south, the wind,
2. of people and people groups (individuals): the individual man, the smith and the
3. of new conditions and circumstances: righteousness and salvation, darkness and evil,
fruit of the lips, a new thing, cloud and flame over Zion, and
a) God creating out of nothing: nothing like this has existed before; the creations are
complete originals. They are whole and in perfect union with the rest of creation and
their Creator.
i. The original creation of heaven and earth (Gn. 1:1, 2:4; Ps. 89:12, 148:5; Is.
ii. The original creation of animals, in this case sea creatures, every living thing
iii. The original creation of humans made in His image, initially in the form of
Adam – see also point 1.b) (Gn. 1:27, 5:1, 6:7; Dt. 4:32; Ez. 28:13, 15)
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i. God refines man by gender to find an appropriate helpmate for him – the
a) Part of ongoing creation – God is creating additional humans (Ps. 89:47, 102:18
104:30; Is. 45:12), also those who may not exemplify His perfection, such as the
a) God is starting a special people group for Himself, Israel (Is. 43:1).
b) God is rescuing His people by rejoining them to the people of Israel (Is. 43:7).
a) God creates events and occurrences in nature and in humans to prove His sovereignty
(Ex. 34:10; Nu. 16:30; Is. 4:5, 41:20, 45:7 48:7; 54:16; Jer. 31:22).
a) God brings about changes in His people (Ps. 51:10, Is. 57:19), also salvation (Is. 45:8).
COMPARISON OF רא
ָ ָ בWITH צר
ַ ָי
The verb ָיַצרhas a very similar definition as ָּבָרא, to “form or fashion”. However, in a
departure from the verb ָּבָרא, the verb ָיַצרallows for divine as well as human activity as the
agent behind its execution. In the case of ָּבָרא, the action always originates with God Himself.
A good example in which ָּבָראis paired with ָיַצרis Isaiah 45:18: “For thus says the
ֵ ) בוthe heavens (he is God!), who formed ( ) ֹיֵצרthe earth and made it
LORD,who created (רא
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(he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): "I am the LORD,
On the other hand, an example for the use of the verb ָיַצרwith a human agent is Isaiah 44:9:
ֵ ְ )ֹיצidols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their
“All who fashion (רי
witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame.” This verb can also be found
in the meaning of “of a carver of wood, graven images”, such as in Is. 44:9, 10. As such, it is
does not imply the same sovereignty as the one implied by ָּבָרא, which is always of divine
origin.
Interesting in this comparison is also the Niphal form of the verb as used in Isaiah 43:10:
“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you
may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor
shall there be any after me.”. Here God compares Himself to other gods, all of which were
formed ()נֹוַצר, e.g. they had a beginning brought about by someone or something else. What
this once again reinforces is that God was before all things.
CONCLUSIONS
The investigation of the verb ָּבָראhas shown that a key element of its understanding lies
in its sole use for actions of a divine nature. God, Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel is the sole
subject of the verb in Hebrew Scripture passages. Even in its passive forms, God is the
implied subject.
When God created, He was addressing not things, but elements that signify life. Whether it
is a human being, an animal or a planet to support the life, it is that at which God looked and
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deemed it to be very good. Clearly, God is not a materialistic God Who creates just to
Likewise, in the verb’s use as signifying ongoing creation, God creates with a purpose:
individuals and people groups. It again shows His desire for relationship with those which He
calls into being. It also indicates that God creates those who will fulfill a purpose in His
divine plan, e.g. in Is. 54:16 with the mentioning of the smith and the ravager.
When the verb is used to indicate new events or miraculous occurrences in nature, it again
displays the sovereign nature of God. Nothing is wasted; nothing is done for selfish profit.
Rather, God uses the creation of signs in nature to again bring His creation back into
In its usage of indicating transformation, God shapes and molds that which He has created
back into conformity with His sense of perfection, allowing for a fresh start for His creation.
Finally, while God undoubtedly created this world ex nihilo, the sheer study of the meaning
of the verb ָּבָרא, does not conclusively confirm this as the basis for a creation ex nihilo when
studying all instances in which it is used. Several verses use ָּבָראin a fashion that indicate God
reshaping and re-creating that which already exists, e.g. when speaking of the clean heart
being created in Ps. 51:10, or in the example of “creating fresh lips of praise” in Is. 57:19.
However, the verb ָּבָראalways seems to indicate something God creates that is perfect and
fresh and whole. It is a Hebrew word, which clearly implies the sovereignty and grace of the
Lord God of the universe in that which He created and will continue to create.