Genesis 1:7 in Hebrew: Va-Ya'as — God Made the Rakia and It Was So

In verse 6, God decreed: yehi rakia — let there be an expanse. But decree and execution are distinct acts. Verse 7 is where God moves from speaking to making. For the first time in the creation account, the verb עָשָׂה (asah) — to make, do, execute — appears. God doesn't just announce the rakia; He makes it. And at the end of the verse something entirely new appears: the confirmation formula וַיְהִי-כֵן — "and it was so."

Word-by-Word Breakdown

Hebrew	Transliteration	Root / Note	Meaning
וַיַּעַשׂ	va-ya'as	Root ע-שׂ-ה (asah) — to make, do, execute. Vav-consecutive + Qal imperfect, 3rd masc. sing. First appearance of asah in Genesis 1. Previous verses used yehi (let there be) — this verse uses va-ya'as (and He made)	And God made
אֶת-הָרָקִיעַ	et ha-rakia	אֵת = direct object marker. הָרָקִיעַ = the rakia (definite article). Now definite — the rakia decreed in v.6 exists as a specific, made thing	the rakia / the firmament
וַיַּבְדֵּל	va-yavdel	Root ב-ד-ל (badal) — to separate, divide. Third appearance in Genesis 1 (v.4 וַיַּבְדֵּל, v.6 מַבְדִּיל, v.7 וַיַּבְדֵּל). Here the separation is executed, not merely decreed	And He divided / separated
מִתַּחַת לָרָקִיעַ	mi-tachat la-rakia	מִתַּחַת = from below, under (מִן + תַּחַת). Waters that remain below the rakia — the seas, springs, rivers	under the firmament
מֵעַל לָרָקִיעַ	me'al la-rakia	מֵעַל = from above (מִן + עַל). Waters above the rakia — the source of rain and flood (cf. Gen 7:11 "floodgates of heaven opened")	above the firmament
וַיְהִי-כֵן	va-yehi-chen	וַיְהִי = and it was (ה-י-ה). כֵּן = so, thus, exactly as decreed. First appearance of this formula in Genesis 1. It will repeat on days 3–6 confirming that execution matches decree exactly	and it was so

The Creation Pattern: Decree → Execution → Confirmation

Verse 7 reveals the deep grammar of the entire creation week. The account follows a three-step structure that repeats on each day:

For day one (light), decree and execution fused: God said yehi or and light was. No separate making step was needed because light required no craft — it was spoken into existence. But the rakia is different: God decreed (v.6) and then made (v.7). Day two introduces the concept that some creations require making, not just declaring.

The pattern also explains the Sabbath. Genesis 2:2 says God "finished" His work and "rested." Rest implies real work — melaká (מְלָאכָה, skilled craft) — not mere declaration. Verse 7 is the first place in Genesis 1 where creation requires explicit melaká.

Va-Ya'as vs. Bara: Making and Creating

The Torah uses two distinct verbs for divine creative activity: בָּרָא (bara, to create) and עָשָׂה (asah, to make). Only bara appears in Genesis 1:1 ("In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth"). Bara in the Torah almost always denotes creation from nothing — something only God does.

Asah — to make — can refer to both God and humans. Genesis 1:16 uses asah for the luminaries. Genesis 1:26 pairs both for humanity. The distinction matters: bara = bring into existence what did not exist; asah = shape, structure, execute what was decreed. The rakia was decreed (yehi), then made (va-ya'as) — an object requiring craft, not just pronouncement.

Va-Yavdel: The Third Separation

The root ב-ד-ל appears three times in verses 4–7, building into a creation motif:

The badal pattern is not accidental. Creation is fundamentally the act of making distinctions. The same root gives us הַבְדָּלָה (havdalah) — the ceremony separating Sabbath from ordinary time. Ordered existence is constituted by successive separations. Before them: chaos. After them: cosmos.

Va-Yehi-Chen: "And It Was So"

The closing phrase — וַיְהִי-כֵן (va-yehi-chen) — appears here for the first time in Genesis 1. The translation is simple: "and it was so." But the function is profound: it confirms that what God decreed and executed corresponds exactly to what exists.