O Be Careful Little Eyes What You See

(Gen 1:1 KJV)  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

This month I am reading Proverbs in the Moffatt Translation.  As my mind wandered I got to thinking about the creation account and the question of literal vs figurative.  I thought I would take a look at how Moffatt started his work.  It was interesting because he starts off with what he claims is Genesis 2:4, “This is the story of how the universe was formed.”  I am not sure what rule of translation allows you to move verses around at your convenience but that is what he did.

That was one issue but the second act was to take an ax to the root of creation.  

(Gen 1:1 Moffatt) When God began to form the universe, the world was void and vacant,...

A verse like this is to be read with discernment.  It tells you a lot about whether you can trust the basic assumptions of the translator.  According to Moffatt’s translation the universe was already in existence when God began to work.  Troubling.

So?  Don’t ever turn off your mind, even when you are reading a “Bible”.  I guess I would say, especially when you are reading a “Bible.”