Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Cross-reference
Genesis 2:1 closes the creation account: 'the heavens and the earth were completed' — the bookend to 1:1's opening declaration of creation begun.
In Psalm 146:6, God made heaven, earth, sea, and all, expanding the scope of creation to include everything.
In Exodus 20:11, the Sabbath commandment grounds weekly rest in creation: 'In six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them.'
In Psalm 148:5, creation happens by God's command, directly echoing the spoken creation in the beginning.
In Proverbs 3:19, the earth and heavens are founded by wisdom, adding insight into the method of creation.
In Isaiah 37:16, Hezekiah prays to God as the one 'who made heaven and earth' — directly echoing Scripture's opening declaration in a plea for deliverance.
In Isaiah 42:5, God identifies himself as the one 'who created the heavens and spread out the earth' — the same creative act now grounding his call of a servant.
In Isaiah 44:24, God declares he alone 'stretched out the heavens and spread out the earth' — emphasizing sole authorship of creation against rival gods.
In Isaiah 45:18, God 'created the heavens and formed the earth' — but adds he did not make it empty, forming it to be inhabited, giving creation purposeful intent.
Jeremiah 10:12 echoes this creation declaration, attributing earth and heavens to God's power, wisdom, and understanding.
Jeremiah 32:17 directly echoes this declaration — God made heaven and earth — then draws the conclusion that nothing is too hard for him.
Jeremiah 51:15 echoes this same creation language, attributing earth and heavens to God's power and wisdom.
In Mark 13:19, Jesus references 'the beginning, when God created the world' as history's starting point, directly grounding his warning in the creation event.
In John 1:1-3, the evangelist deliberately echoes 'In the beginning' to reveal the Word as present with God and the agent through whom all things were made.
Acts 4:24 directly echoes this declaration — the apostles praise God as the one who made heaven and earth.
Acts 14:15 echoes this creation claim — Paul and Barnabas point to the living God who made heaven, earth, and sea.
Acts 17:24 echoes this — Paul declares God made the world and all things, concluding he cannot dwell in temples.
In Colossians 1:16, this creation is attributed to Christ: 'by Him all things were created' — heaven, earth, visible and invisible, all powers.
In Hebrews 1:2, the Son is the agent 'through whom He made the worlds' — directly attributing this creation to Christ.
In Hebrews 1:10, the Father addresses the Son: 'In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth' — attributing creation to Christ.
In Hebrews 11:3, creation is understood by faith: the worlds were 'framed by the word of God,' made from nothing visible — elaborating how it happened.
In 2 Peter 3:5, this creation is recalled explicitly: 'by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth' — to argue God can also judge by His word.
In Revelation 4:11, the heavenly worship declares God worthy because he 'created all things' — a doxological restatement of creation's opening claim.
In Revelation 14:7, the eternal gospel calls all to 'worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea' — creation is the basis for worship.
In Psalm 134:3, blessing flows from the LORD who made heaven and earth, affirming His creative authority in blessing.
In Psalm 124:8, help is in the name of the LORD, Maker of heaven and earth, echoing creation's power for deliverance.
In 1 Chronicles 16:26, a thanksgiving psalm declares the LORD 'made the heavens' as contrast to lifeless idols — creation as proof of God's supremacy.
In Nehemiah 9:6, a prayer elaborates on creation — naming heavens, earth, seas, and all in them — as the foundation for worship of the LORD alone.
In Psalm 136:5, God's wisdom in making the heavens is praised, highlighting a specific attribute of the creation act.
In Psalm 121:2, help comes from the LORD who made heaven and earth, linking creation to divine assistance.
Job 38:4 challenges Job by asking where he was when God laid the earth's foundation, directly referencing the act of creation introduced in Genesis 1:1.
In Psalm 115:15, God is blessed as Maker of heaven and earth, reinforcing His creative authority in a worship context.
In Psalm 104:30, God's Spirit creates and renews the earth, showing ongoing creative power beyond the initial act.
Psalm 33:9 emphasizes the efficacy of God's creative command, stating 'he spoke, and it came to be'—the very mechanism of creation.
Psalm 33:6 specifies the method: the heavens were made by the LORD's breath/wind, echoing the Spirit hovering and the power of God's word.
John 1:3 identifies the Word as the agent of all creation — 'without him was not anything made,' revealing who was behind 'God created' in the beginning.
Mark 10:6 directly cites 'from the beginning of creation, God made them' — grounding Jesus' teaching on marriage in the Genesis creation account.
Psalm 90:2 pushes behind 'the beginning' to affirm God existed before creation itself — from everlasting to everlasting, he precedes even the 'In the beginning.'
In Revelation 21:6, God declares 'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end' — spanning from creation's origin to its consummation.
In Romans 1:20, creation becomes evidence for God's invisible qualities — what was made reveals the Maker's eternal power and divine nature.
Isaiah 65:17 reuses this creation language — 'I create new heavens and a new earth' — applying the same divine power to eschatological renewal.
In 1 Corinthians 8:6, Paul echoes this creation declaration but attributes it to both the Father ('of whom are all things') and the Son ('through whom are all things').
In Ephesians 3:9, Paul identifies God as 'who created all things through Jesus Christ,' adding a Christological agent to the creation declaration.
In Revelation 22:13, Christ says 'I am...the beginning and the end,' echoing creation's opening — his identity spans from the first moment to the last.
Psalm 8:3 reflects on the heavens God created, viewing the work of the Creator's fingers as an object of wonder and praise.
In Revelation 3:14, Christ is called 'the Beginning of the creation of God,' echoing the archē of creation — identifying him with the origin of all that was made.
In Colossians 1:17, Christ is 'before all things' and holds all things together — His existence precedes and sustains this creation.
Job 26:7 echoes God's creative sovereignty — stretching out the heavens and suspending the earth over nothing, expanding on how God brought the cosmos into being.
In Revelation 10:6, the angel swears by God 'who created heaven and the earth and the sea' — grounding the oath's authority in his role as Creator.
Zechariah 12:1 alludes to this creation, describing the LORD as the one who stretches out the heavens and lays earth's foundation.
Psalm 96:5 contrasts other gods with the LORD who made the heavens, a worshipful declaration rooted in His unique role as Creator.
Psalm 102:25 addresses God as the one who founded the earth and made the heavens, a plea based on His eternal, creative power.
In Isaiah 51:16, God is the one 'establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth' — the same creative authority now placing his words in the prophet's mouth.
In Isaiah 51:13, God is 'your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations' — yet Israel has forgotten this Creator amid oppression.
In Isaiah 40:28, God is called 'the Creator of the ends of the earth' who never grows weary — adding the dimension of his eternal endurance to his creative identity.
In Isaiah 40:26, the prophet appeals to God's creation of the starry host as evidence of his sustaining power — pointing to the same Creator's authority over the cosmos.
In Ecclesiastes 12:1, the same Creator from the beginning is invoked as someone to remember before youth fades — applying creation theology to life's brevity.
Proverbs 8:26 recalls 'the first of his acts of old' — Wisdom personified was present at the very start of creation, echoing 'In the beginning.'
In Proverbs 8:22-24, personified Wisdom speaks of existing 'at the beginning' before the earth was formed — echoing creation language and adding a witness to the event.
In 2 Kings 19:15, Hezekiah prays to God 'who have made heaven and earth' — grounding his plea for deliverance in God's creative authority.
Psalm 89:12 details God creating north and south, a poetic summary of establishing the entire geographical cosmos.
In 1 Chronicles 29:11, David praises God whose are 'everything that is in the heavens and the earth' — sovereignty rooted in creation.
In 2 Chronicles 2:12, even the pagan Hiram blesses 'the LORD...who has made heaven and earth' — Gentile acknowledgment of the Creator God.
In Hebrews 3:4, 'He who built all things is God' echoes this declaration while arguing that Christ deserves greater honor than Moses.
Psalm 89:11 attributes the heavens and earth to God, affirming Him as their owner and maker, a doxology based on the creation account.
Isaiah 66:2 declares 'my hand has made all these things,' echoing God's role as creator of heaven and earth established in the opening of Scripture.
Psalm 104:24 marvels at the multitude of God's works, made in wisdom—a meditation on the created order's intricacy introduced in Genesis.
In Psalm 148:4, the heavens are called to praise their Creator, presupposing God's foundational creative act.