ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν (Genesis 1:1 LXX)
The Opening Word: A Dative Without an Article
The phrase ἐν ἀρχῇ begins the Septuagint with a striking grammatical choice — a preposition ἐν followed by a dative singular feminine noun ἀρχῇ, meaning “beginning.” Notably, it lacks a definite article, unlike its classical counterpart ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ which would be expected in Attic prose.
This anarthrous use opens interpretive and theological space. Grammatically, the omission likely reflects Semitic influence, mirroring the Hebrew בְּרֵאשִׁית (bəreshit), which is likewise without an article. Linguistically, it signals an absolute beginning — not just a specific, known beginning in time, but the very commencement of time itself.
Prepositional Case Dynamics
– ἐν governs the dative case, which here expresses temporal location (“at the time of beginning”).
– Absence of the article in Koine Greek can indicate qualitative or eternal categories, rather than particularized events. Thus, ἐν ἀρχῇ can be understood theologically as: “in an originating act,” or “in primal beginning.”
The Verb: Aorist Indicative and the Shape of Creation
The verb ἐποίησεν is a third person singular aorist active indicative of ποιέω, meaning “he made” or “he created.” This tense and mood set a specific grammatical frame for interpreting divine action.
Aorist Aspect: Snapshot of Totality
– The aorist captures the act of creation as complete, punctiliar, and unfolding without reference to duration.
– Unlike the imperfect or present, which describe action in progress, the aorist tells us: “It happened, once and decisively.”
Theology in Morphology
The use of the aorist reflects the biblical theology of creation as a singular divine initiative — not the result of struggle, process, or emanation, but the sovereign act of a Creator. The indicative mood anchors this in reality, not myth or abstraction.
The Subject and Object: Article Usage in Divine Order
ὁ θεὸς: The Definite Creator
The article ὁ before θεὸς marks this noun as the subject of the verb ἐποίησεν. In Greek, the article plays a crucial syntactical role in identifying who does what when word order is flexible. This is especially vital in Koine, where thematic emphasis or poetic effect may lead to rearrangement.
– ὁ θεὸς = “the God” — not any god, but the one presupposed and unique.
– Unlike in Classical Greek, where θεός without an article might refer to divine nature, the articular use here stresses personhood and identity.
τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν: Objects in Accusative Case
The accusative forms τὸν οὐρανὸν and τὴν γῆν are coordinated objects of ἐποίησεν. These phrases are:
– Definite, using the articles τὸν and τὴν
– Accusative singular, matching the verb in transitivity
– Ordered to reflect cosmic totality — heaven and earth as a merism (a figure where two extremes signify the whole)
Word Order and Emphasis: A Theological Syntax
Koine Greek permits significant word order flexibility, but the opening verse of Genesis follows a theologically potent sequence:
1. Temporal setting: ἐν ἀρχῇ
2. Action: ἐποίησεν
3. Subject: ὁ θεὸς
4. Objects: τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν
This progression moves from context, to act, to actor, to object — mirroring the movement from chaos to cosmos. God’s verb precedes his name, stressing action over speculation — a theology of doing, not merely being.
Septuagint vs Classical Greek: A Sacred Shift
In Classical Greek, one might expect more articles, stricter word order, or poetic modifiers. But in the LXX:
– There is a Semitic flavor: anarthrous phrases, emphasis on the verb, and simplified syntactic structures.
– This reflects translation technique from Hebrew: striving for faithfulness to Hebrew idiom while preserving intelligibility in Greek.
This verse exemplifies how the LXX became its own dialect, neither purely Greek nor purely Hebraic — but a sacred linguistic bridge.
Grammatical Echoes from the Beginning
From the first line of Scripture in the Septuagint, we encounter a grammar that shapes theology. A temporal dative lacking an article evokes the mystery of time’s origin. A decisive aorist verb conveys the completeness of divine creation. Articles and cases map out a cosmos ordered by a Creator.
Greek grammar is not just a tool for clarity — in Genesis 1:1, it is the vehicle of revelation. Through syntax and morphology, the text proclaims that God did not emerge from creation — creation emerged from God.
Let this be our takeaway: every grammatical form is a stone in the temple of meaning. And here, in the first sentence, the temple begins to rise.
