Christian Standard Bible
Genesis 1:14
14Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signs for seasons and for days and years.
Genesis 1:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
- New International Version (NIV)And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years,
- English Standard Version (ESV)And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;
Context of Genesis 1:14
12The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13Evening came and then morning: the third day. Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signs for seasons and for days and years. 15They will be lights in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth.” And it was so. 16God made the two great lights — the greater light to rule over the day and the lesser light to rule over the night — as well as the stars.
Read all of Genesis 1Genesis 1:14 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים יְהִ֤י מְאֹרֹת֙ בִּרְקִ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם לְהַבְדִּ֕יל בֵּ֥ין הַיּ֖וֹם וּבֵ֣ין הַלָּ֑יְלָה וְהָי֤וּ לְאֹתֹת֙ וּלְמ֣וֹעֲדִ֔ים וּלְיָמִ֖ים וְשָׁנִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Let there be lightsמָאוֹרmâ'ôr mâ'ôr me'ôrâh me'ôrâh · lightH3974
- in the firmamentרָקִיעַrâqîya‛ · expanseH7549
- of the heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- to divideבָּדַלbâdal · to separateH914
- the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- from the nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
- and let them be for signsאוֹת'ôth · sign: indicatorH226
- and for seasonsמוֹעֵדmô‛êd mô‛êd mô‛âdâh · meeting: time appointedH4150
- and yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
Cross-references for Genesis 1:14
- Deuteronomy 4:19When you look to the heavens and see the sun, moon, and stars — all the stars in the sky — do not be led astray to bow in worship to them and serve them. The Lord your God has provided them for all people everywhere under heaven.
- Job 25:3Can his troops be numbered? Does his light not shine on everyone?
- Job 38:12Have you ever in your life commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place,
- Psalms 8:3When I observe your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you set in place,
- Psalms 19:1The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands.
- Psalms 74:16The day is yours, also the night; you established the moon and the sun.
- Psalms 104:19He made the moon to mark the festivals; the sun knows when to set.
- Psalms 119:91Your judgments stand firm today, for all things are your servants.
- Psalms 136:7He made the great lights: His faithful love endures forever.
- Psalms 148:3Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars.
- Isaiah 40:26Look up and see! Who created these? He brings out the stars by number; he calls all of them by name. Because of his great power and strength, not one of them is missing.
- Jeremiah 31:35“This is what the Lord says: The one who gives the sun for light by day, the fixed order of moon and stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea and makes its waves roar — the Lord of Armies is his name:
- Jeremiah 33:20“This is what the Lord says: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night so that day and night cease to come at their regular time,
- Genesis 1:3Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
- Genesis 8:22As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.”
- Genesis 9:13I have placed my bow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
Commentaries on Genesis 1:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14And God said, Let there be lights, etc. - One principal office of these was to divide between day and night. When night is considered a state of comparative darkness, how can lights divide or distinguish it? The answer is easy: The sun is the monarch of the day, which is the state of light; the moon, of the night, the state of darkness. The rays of the sun, falling on the atmosphere, are refracted and diffused over the whole of that hemisphere of the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14-19Verses 14-19 - VI. The Fourth Day 14. מאור mā'ôr “a light, a luminary, a center of radiant light.” מועה mô‛ēd “set time, season.” Words beginning with a formative מ m usually signify that in which the simple quality resides or is realized. Hence, they often denote place. 17. נתן nāthan “give, hold out, show, stretch, hold out.” Latin: tendo, teneo; ́ teinō darkness has been removed from the face of the deep, its waters have been distributed in due…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-19Verses 14-19 In the fourth day's work, the creation of the sun, moon, and stars is accounted for. All these are the works of God. The stars are spoken of as they appear to our eyes, without telling their number, nature, place, size, or motions; for the Scriptures were written, not to gratify curiosity, or make us astronomers, but to lead us to God, and make us saints. The lights of heaven are made to serve him; they do it faithfully, and shine in their…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14let them … mark the seasons and days and years: The movement of the heavenly objects ordered Israel’s liturgical calendar. This calendar, rooted in creation, provided sacred timing for Israel’s festivals and celebrations (see Exodus 23:15; Leviticus 23:4).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-1914. let there be lights in the firmament--The atmosphere being completely purified, the sun, moon, and stars were for the first time unveiled in all their glory in the cloudless sky; and they are described as "in the firmament" which to the eye they appear to be, though we know they are really at vast distances from it.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 1:14
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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