Day 3: Dry Land and Vegetation (1:9-13)

Day 3: Dry Land and Vegetation (1:9-13)

⁹ Elohim said, "Let the water under the heavens be gathered to one place and let dry land appear." And it happened. ¹⁰ Elohim called the dry ground earth and the waters gathered to one place he called seas. Elohim saw that it was good. ¹¹ Elohim said, "Let the earth sprout greenery on the earth, seed-producing plants, fruit trees producing fruit according to their type. And it happened. ¹² The earth brought forth greenery, seed-producing plants according to their type, and trees producing fruit which have their seed in it. Elohim saw that it was good. ¹³ So evening and morning of the third day came about. (1:9-13)

    At the end of the second day the water under the barrier was still mixed with what was to become dry land. These two elements were separated on the third day. The dry land was called earth and the water was called sea. As a second act the ground sprouted with plants that could propagate themselves. The work of creation took the shape of separating, gathering, and growing. Thus, by the end of three days God had created a basic environment with light, the heavens, the seas, and the earth.

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Creation of the World, by Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516) This depiction of the world after the third day of creation imaginatively renders the biblical cosmology of a life-space surrounded by a dome-like protective barrier. c. 1504. Triptych, plus shutters; Museo del Prado, Madrid -- WebMuseum, Paris