A number of biblical words meaning fashioning, shaping, or making an object are used in connection with the concept of creation (e.g., Genesis 2:7, 22). However, the distinctive element in biblical creation is derived from a word that refers to the bringing into existence of something new. Used only for divine activity in Scripture, this word does not itself mean creation ex nihilo (out of nothing). However, its emphasis on the initiation of the new makes it a suitable term for this concept. The scope of the divine creation encompasses all that exists apart from God Himself, whether material or spiritual. Because of sin's ruination of the original creation, the regeneration of that work with its newness of spiritual life and holiness is also termed a new creation.

This topic is from the Lockman Foundation.