BHS (Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia): The last phrase is not in the TM

ESV (English Standard Version):  Not included here

NLT (New Living Translation): …and that is what happened

The NLT is obviously not leaning solely on the BHS. It had to get this from the LXX or the VUL. However, it puts this phrase as part of verse 7.

 

LXX (Septuagint): καὶ ἐγένετο οὕτως.

BETS (Brenton English translation Septuagint):

NETS (New English Translation Septuagint):

OSB (Orthodox Study Bible):

My Translation: Thus, it came to be or Thus, it happened.

 

The LXX adds at the end of this verse, “and it was so.” This formula, which appears in vv. 11, 15 and 24, in each case after the words of Divine fiat, seems more suitable here than at the close of v. 7, as in the Hebrew text.

  1. and it was so] This formula is here out of place. See previous note.[1]

 

VUL (Latin Vulgate): This phrase is not in the Latin vulgate

DRB (Douay Rheims Bible): This phrase is not in the DRB

NAB: (New American Bible): Then God said, “Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from the other.” And so it happened:

It’s strange that the NAB should have it if it is supposed to favor the VUL.

 

English Translations with variant readings:

 

GNB: Let there be a dome to divide the water and to keep it in two separate places”—and it was done.

NJB: God said, ‘Let there be a vault through the middle of the waters to divide the waters in two.’ And so it was.

 

Out of 40 english translations compared. Only the GNB, NJB, and the NAB are the only ones with the final phrase found in the LXX.

 

Observations & Comments:

If verse five closes the work of the first day, verse 6 starts the 2nd day. Day six begins with a need to separate the waters but we don’t see the two waters in the first day or do we?

 

CLV (Chuck Larsen Version): And so it was.

CLV In the beginning God created heaven and earth but the earth was invisible and incomplete. And darkness covered the abyss. The spirit of God was brooding over the abyss’ darkness so God issued a decree that there should be light, and there was light. God saw the light and declared that the light was very good. Then God named the light “day” and he named the darkness “night.” And it was evening and it was morning: Day One! And God declared, “Let there be some solid border that will keep the waters above separated from the waters below.” And so it was.

[1] Herbert E. Ryle, The Book of Genesis in the Revised Version with Introduction and Notes, The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1921), 9.