Ex nihilo creation

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Creation from nothing (most explicit passages)

Ps 33:6, 9; Ro 4:17; Heb 11:3; Rev 4:11

Nothing exists God did not create

Neh 9:6; Isa 44:24; Jn 1:3; Ac 4:24; Ro 11:36; 1Co 8:6; Eph 3:9; Col 1:16–17

In contrast to creation, God is self-existent

Ge 1:1; Ex 3:14; 1Ch 29:11–16; Job 22:2–3; 35:6–7; 41:11 (cited at Ro 11:35); Ps 50:10–13; 90:1–4; 93:2; Isa 40:13–14; Dan 4:35; Jn 5:26; Ac 17:24–25; Ro 11:33–36 (cites Job 41:11); 1Co 8:5–6; Rev 4:8

God was alone in eternity before creating

Ps 90:2; Pr 8:22–26; Jn 17:5, 24; Eph 1:4; 2Ti 1:9; Tit 1:2; 1Pe 1:20

God is source, absolute ground of all being

Job 12:10; Dan 5:23; Ac 17:28; Heb 2:11

All instances of Heb. bara, to create

Ge 1:1, 21, 27; 2:3–4; 5:1–2; 6:7; Ex 34:10; Nu 16:30; Dt 4:32; Ps 51:10; 89:12, 47; 102:18; 104:30; 148:5; Ecc 12:1; Isa 4:5; 40:26, 28; 41:20; 42:5; 43:1, 7, 15; 45:7–8, 12, 18; 48:7; 54:16; 57:19; 65:17–18; Jer 31:22; Eze 21:30; 28:13, 15; Am 4:13; Mal 2:10

Difficult passages

Water was pre-existent?

Ge 1:2; Ps 24:2; 136:6; 2Pe 3:5 — but see Ps 148:4–5; Pr 8:23–24; Rev 14:7

See also

• Creation
• Creator-creature distinction