Genesis 1:14 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:
Genesis 1:14 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;
Genesis 1:14 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,
Genesis 1:14 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,
Genesis 1:14 nlt
Then God said, "Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years.
Genesis 1 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1:3-5 | And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light... God separated the light from the darkness. | God is the source of light; luminaries serve His purpose. |
| Gen 1:16 | God made the two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night—and the stars. | Specifics of the luminaries, reinforcing their made status. |
| Gen 8:22 | While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease. | God's fixed order guarantees cosmic regularity. |
| Psa 19:1-4 | The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech... | Creation speaks of God's wisdom and glory. |
| Psa 74:16 | The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and the moon. | God alone controls day and night. |
| Psa 104:19 | He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows when to set. | Reinforces moon's role in timekeeping for seasons. |
| Psa 136:7-9 | to Him who made the great lights, for His steadfast love endures forever; the sun to govern the day, for His steadfast love endures forever... | God's eternal love manifest in stable creation. |
| Jer 31:35-36 | Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night... | God's unchangeable covenant linked to cosmic order. |
| Deut 4:19 | And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away... | Warning against deifying celestial bodies. |
| Deut 11:13-14 | ...he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain... | Seasons are essential for life and obedience leads to blessing. |
| Job 38:12 | Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place...? | God's sole control over daily cycles. |
| Isa 13:10 | For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be darkened... | Celestial disruptions as signs of divine judgment. |
| Joel 2:30-31 | I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire... The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon into blood... | Celestial bodies as signs of end-time events. |
| Mat 24:29 | Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light... | Celestial changes signaling Christ's return. |
| Acts 2:19-20 | And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire... the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon... | Echoes Joel's prophecy fulfilled at Pentecost and later. |
| 1 Cor 15:41 | There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars... | Highlights God's diverse glory in creation's luminaries. |
| Jas 1:17 | Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights... | God as the ultimate "Father of lights." |
| Rom 1:20 | For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen... | Creation (including luminaries) reveals God's nature. |
| Rom 1:25 | ...exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator... | Direct warning against worshiping created things. |
| Col 1:16-17 | For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth... all things were created through him and for him. | Christ's centrality in creation, including luminaries. |
| Rev 6:12-13 | ...the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth... | More celestial judgment signs. |
| Rev 21:23 | And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. | Ultimate light source is God, beyond created luminaries. |
Genesis 1 verses
Genesis 1 14 Meaning
Genesis 1:14 establishes the divine purpose and function of the celestial bodies created on the fourth day of creation. These "lights" are appointed by God to serve multiple specific roles: to separate day from night, to act as signs, to mark seasons, days, and years, and to provide light upon the earth. This declaration emphasizes God's intentional design and complete sovereignty over the cosmos, making the sun, moon, and stars subservient to His grand order rather than independent deities.Genesis 1 14 Context
Genesis 1:14 appears on the fourth day of creation, following the initial establishment of light and darkness (Day 1), and the creation of the expanse of the heavens to separate the waters (Day 2) and the formation of dry land and vegetation (Day 3). This verse completes the preparation of the earth as a suitable habitat for living creatures, providing specific and sustained sources of light, as opposed to the general light of Day 1. Historically and culturally, the verse profoundly distinguishes the Israelite understanding of the cosmos from prevailing Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) polytheistic mythologies, where the sun, moon, and stars were often deified and worshipped as active gods or powerful cosmic beings. By calling them mere "lights" (מאֹרוֹת, *ma'orot*), instruments of divine will, Genesis 1:14 deliberately de-divinizes these celestial bodies and highlights the singular sovereignty of the God of Israel as the sole Creator, diminishing any justification for their worship.Genesis 1 14 Word analysis
- And God said, (וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים - waÿyōʾmer ʾĔlōhîm): Signifies divine decree and intentionality. It is a declaration of sovereign power, bringing into existence through speech, rather than a physical struggle, unlike ANE creation myths.
- Let there be lights (יְהִי מְאֹרֹת - yᵉhî mᵉʾōrōṯ):
- lights: The Hebrew term is ma'orot, plural of ma'or (מָאוֹר), meaning "light-bearer" or "luminary." This is distinct from ʾôr (אוֹר), the general "light" created on Day 1 (Gen 1:3). This distinction implies specific, embodied sources of light rather than mere illumination, indicating an advancement in the structured order of creation. They are instruments, not intrinsic light.
- in the expanse of the heavens (בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם - birqîaʿ haššāmāyim):
- expanse: Refers to raqiaʿ (רָקִיעַ), already established on Day 2 as the "firmament" or "stretched-out canopy," separating waters above from waters below. It's the vast, observable sky, a functional space.
- to separate (לְהַבְדִּיל - lᵉhaḇdîl): The root badal (בָּדַל) means "to divide," "distinguish," or "set apart." This verb reappears from Gen 1:4 and 1:7, emphasizing God's continuous ordering of creation by clear distinctions. Here, it signifies a demarcation between day and night, vital for established rhythm.
- the day from the night (בֵּין הַיּוֹם וּבֵין הַלָּיְלָה - bên hayyôm ûbên hallāylāh): Continues the foundational distinction of Day 1, but now through fixed, visible luminaries. It underscores the stable and observable alternation of periods.
- and let them be for signs (וְהָיוּ לְאֹתֹת - wᵉhāyû lᵉʾōṯōṯ):
- signs: The Hebrew ʾotot (אֹתֹת), plural of ʾot (אוֹת), means "signs," "tokens," "omens," or "proofs." These are not merely indicators but can carry symbolic, prophetic, or warning significance. The celestial bodies would mark divine interventions, special events, or acts of judgment (e.g., in biblical prophecy, like the darkening of sun/moon before the day of the Lord).
- and for seasons (וּלְמוֹעֲדִים - ûlᵉmô‘ădîm):
- seasons: The Hebrew mo'adim (מוֹעֲדִים), plural of mo'ed (מוֹעֵד), commonly translated as "appointed times" or "festivals." This has profound significance beyond mere meteorological seasons, pointing directly to the set times for Israel's annual feasts and assemblies (e.g., Passover, Tabernacles in Lev 23), ordained by God and anchored in the natural celestial cycles. It underscores a sacred calendar for humanity.
- and for days and years (וּלְיָמִים וְשָׁנִים - ûlᵉyāmîm wᵉšānîm): Establishes the fundamental units of human chronology and the regularity required for civil and agricultural life. The cosmos becomes a divinely provided clock, regulating time for human existence.
- and let them be for lights on the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth (וְהָיוּ לִמְאוֹרוֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם לְהָאִיר עַל הָאָרֶץ - wᵉhāyû limʾôʾrôt birqîaʿ haššāmāyim lᵉhāʾîr ʿal hāʾāreṣ): This restates their primary practical function: providing ongoing, localized illumination. The repetition emphasizes the immediate benefit and daily functionality for the earthly realm.
Word-Group Analysis:
- "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night": This phrase establishes the purpose of the luminaries within the existing ordered structure (the expanse). Their initial role is to concretize the separation of light from darkness, making it perpetually clear and observable, providing a consistent rhythm.
- "and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and for years": This outlines the calendrical and prophetic functions. It reveals a sophisticated design by which the heavenly bodies not only track time but also signal divine intention, pointing humanity to both a practical temporal order and a spiritual appointed time (mo'adim). This counters any notion of arbitrary celestial events, attributing meaning and purpose directly to God.