The Real Creation Story, part 3: God Rests

God Rests

Before we move on to the next phase of earth’s physical creation, let us look at the following verses:

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. (Genesis 2:2-3.)

What exactly is meant by the word “rested”? It certainly implies a ceasing of some sort of activity; i.e., in this case, the physical creation of the earth, as well as the spirit formation of heaven and earth’s flora and fauna established in Genesis chapter 1. But is there anything else we might learn from this word?


I think many people believe that when we are told the God rested, that he had completely finished his work, no more to exert himself in behalf of his creation, certainly at this point in time. This is implied by the word “ended.” But we shall see that this isn’t so.

From Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible we find the word “rested” (#7673) is a primitive root meaning, “to repose, i.e. desist from exertion; used in many imp[lied] relations (caus[itive], fig[urative] or spec[ific]).”

So far, we have only discovered what the verses imply: that God ceased his work. But let us look a little further.

The Webster’s NewWorld Dictionary, Second Concise Edition gives us a number of meanings, including the first one, “to be at ease or at peace” and “to be quiet or still for awhile.” Of course, there are many other definitions, including “to sleep,” which I think we can rule out, if Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s declaration has any truth to it:

In his poem, “Christmas Bells,” which later became the Christmas hymn, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” he states: “God is not dead, nor doth he sleep.”

I believe the above two definitions come closest to describing God’s state of mind at this stage in his creative process. Therefore, we with reverence might say, “And on the seventh day God ceased from his work which he had made; and he was at peace on the seventh day and became still/quiet for awhile from all his work which he had made.”

As we shall see, God’s work was not finished and Genesis chapter 2 tells us of his continued work of creation/formation.

A Mist

But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. (Genesis 2:6.)

We really don't know exactly what this “mist” was, and Strong’s offers us little help. Word #108 says this: “from the same as 181 (in the sense of enveloping), a fog,” translated variously as “mist” and “vapor.”

Word #181 doesn’t even seem remotely connectec to #108, as it gives us: “to rake together; a poker (for turning or gathering embers,” translated as “(fire-)brand.”

The word “watered” is only slightly more helpful. Strong’s renders it (#8248) as “to quaff, i.e. (caus[itive]) to irrigate or furnish a potion,” translated variously as “cause to (give, give to, let, make to) drink, drown, moisten, water.”

Whatever this mist was, it was far-reaching in its effect, as it “watered (i.e. moistened, irrigated, etc.) the whole face of the ground.”

Of course, we don’t know how extensive “the whole face of the ground” was at the time. I think most assume that it was equal to our present land mass, only, perhaps, and likely, all gathered into one place, such as what some people call Pangea.

Genesis 1:9 does state that “the waters under the heavens [were] gathered together unto one place, and . . . the dry land appear[ed].” So, the idea of a super continent such as Pangea has some Biblical basis for belief.