THIS MIGHT SURPRISE YOU
The answer
Darkness over the deep. Before God speaks, Genesis 1:2 lists an earth that was "complete chaos," darkness over "the face of the deep," and waters with "a wind from God" sweeping over them. God's first command, in Genesis 1:3, is for light. Light, dry land and the stars all come later in the chapter.
Why it’s interesting
Christian readers have often seen the Holy Spirit in that "wind from God," and the NRSVue footnote keeps "the spirit of God" as an option. The New Oxford Annotated Bible, a study Bible, says wind fits the ancient setting better: a divine breath just before God speaks.
Scholarly consensus
Learn the Bible.
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