Genesis 1:18 kjv
And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:18 nkjv
and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:18 niv
to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:18 esv
to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:18 nlt
to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1:4 | And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. | Initial light-dark separation. |
| Gen 1:14-16 | "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night...to govern the day and the night." | Commission of luminaries. |
| Gen 1:31 | God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. | Overall creation good. |
| Psa 19:1-4 | The heavens declare the glory of God... Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. | Heavens proclaim God's work. |
| Psa 74:16 | The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun. | God's ownership of day and night. |
| Psa 104:19 | He appointed the moon for seasons; the sun knows the place of its setting. | God assigns roles to celestial bodies. |
| Psa 136:7-9 | To Him who made the great lights... The sun to rule by day, the moon and stars to rule by night, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. | God made and appointed the rulers of day/night. |
| Psa 147:4 | He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. | God's absolute control over stars. |
| Jer 31:35 | 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 established cosmic order. |
| Jer 33:20 | If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night... | God's unbreakable covenant with day and night. |
| Job 38:12 | "Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, And caused the dawn to know its place?" | God alone controls the coming of day. |
| Job 9:7-9 | He commands the sun not to shine... He makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades... | God's absolute power over creation. |
| Isa 40:26 | Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars... | God as sole Creator of heavens. |
| Isa 45:7 | The One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these things. | God as author of light and darkness. |
| Jn 1:4-5 | In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it. | Spiritual light-darkness contrast (Christ). |
| Jn 8:12 | Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." | Jesus as true light over spiritual darkness. |
| 1 Jn 1:5 | This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. | God's inherent nature is light. |
| 2 Cor 4:6 | For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. | God's light in spiritual transformation. |
| Col 1:13 | He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. | Deliverance from spiritual darkness. |
| Gen 1:26 | Then God said, "Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky..." | Foreshadows human dominion (root mashal). |
| Heb 1:3 | And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. | Christ's sustaining power over creation. |
Genesis 1 verses
Genesis 1 18 Meaning
Genesis 1:18 describes the completed divine commission of the greater light and the lesser light (sun and moon). Their primary purpose, as established by God on the fourth day of creation, is to govern the realms of day and night and to consistently maintain the separation between light and darkness. This verse concludes with God's divine affirmation, declaring that this established order and function of the celestial bodies was "good," signifying its perfection and suitability for the world.
Genesis 1 18 Context
Genesis 1:18 is part of the account of the fourth day of creation, where God addresses the expanse (sky) created on the second day. On Day One, God created light and separated it from darkness, but the source of light was not specified. On Day Four, God explicitly appoints the sun, moon, and stars – not as independent deities to be worshipped, but as subordinate "lights" or "luminaries" with specific functions: to give light, mark times and seasons, and govern the day and night. This particular verse, 1:18, focuses on their role in governing and maintaining the separation of light and darkness, completing the commission from verses 1:14-16. This entire day's account holds strong polemical significance against contemporary ancient Near Eastern cosmologies (like Babylonian or Egyptian myths) which deified the sun, moon, and stars, worshipping them as powerful deities. Genesis asserts Yahweh's sole, transcendent power over creation, stripping the celestial bodies of any inherent divinity and establishing them merely as functional objects of His design.
Genesis 1 18 Word analysis
- and to rule (וּלְמְשֹׁל - ulemashol):
- Meaning: From the Hebrew root מָשַׁל (mashal), meaning "to rule," "govern," "have dominion," "exercise power over."
- Significance: This active participle emphasizes the assigned function of the greater and lesser lights to exercise governance over their respective domains (day and night). It points to a structured, orderly cosmos where roles are defined and executed under divine authority. This concept of "rule" is pivotal in Genesis, echoing in Gen 1:26, where humanity is given dominion (mashal) over the Earth, establishing a purposeful cosmic hierarchy.
- over the day (בַּיּוֹם - bayyom):
- Meaning: Literally "in the day" or "by the day." Here, "over" conveys the sphere of their authority. It specifically refers to the period of light.
- Significance: Defines the sun's primary domain of influence, marking its authority and purpose in defining the temporal state of "day."
- and over the night (וְעַל הַלַּיְלָה - ve'al hallaylah):
- Meaning: "And over the night."
- Significance: Establishes the moon and stars' domain, defining their authority and purpose in defining the temporal state of "night." This bilateral dominion ensures comprehensive coverage of time.
- and to separate (וּלְהַבְדִּיל - ulehavdil):
- Meaning: From the Hebrew root בָּדַל (badal), meaning "to divide," "separate," "make a distinction."
- Significance: This word is a direct echo of Gen 1:4, where God initially separated light from darkness. Here, the luminaries are appointed to maintain this distinction. This highlights that creation is not just about making things, but about establishing and sustaining order and clear boundaries. It’s an ongoing, functional role of the lights.
- the light from the darkness (בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ - bein ha'or u'vein ha'choshekh):
- Meaning: "Between the light and between the darkness."
- Significance: Reaffirms the fundamental distinction established on Day One. The luminaries don't create light or darkness, but their function is to ensure their perpetual distinction and regulation. This serves to structure time and reality.
- And God saw that it was good. (וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים כִּי־טוֹב - vayyar' Elohim ki-tov):
- Meaning: A recurring divine assessment in the Genesis creation account.
- Significance: This affirmation signifies divine approval and indicates that the established order and the functioning of the luminaries fully align with God's purpose and design. It declares the successful completion of the creative act for this particular aspect. It's "functionally perfect" and serves its intended role without flaw, preparing the way for life to thrive on Earth.
Genesis 1 18 Bonus section
- The repeated phrase "God saw that it was good" (used seven times, a number signifying completeness in the Bible) is a declaration of functional integrity rather than moral goodness. It confirms that everything made operates precisely as intended by God.
- The lack of specific names (Sun, Moon) for the greater and lesser lights initially (they are called "lights" or "luminaries" - מאֹרֹת me'orot) further underscores the polemic against the deification of celestial bodies in other ancient cultures. It avoids linguistic associations that could imply divinity, presenting them as mere creations rather than divine beings.
- The progression from God separating light and darkness on Day One to the luminaries maintaining that separation on Day Four demonstrates a deepening of established order and complexity in the creation process, where initial commands are then executed and sustained by delegated elements of the created world.
Genesis 1 18 Commentary
Genesis 1:18 crystallizes the theological implications of the fourth day of creation, shifting focus from the initial formation of celestial bodies to their assigned, ongoing purpose. The primary role of the sun, moon, and stars is emphatically one of "ruling" (governing) the periods of day and night and actively "separating" light from darkness. This language directly combats pagan cosmologies prevalent in the ancient Near East, which deified these very same celestial bodies. By stating that God "appointed" them "to rule" and "to separate," Genesis strips them of any inherent divine power, establishing them as mere functional instruments of Yahweh's supreme design. The continued separation of light from darkness, initiated on Day One, is now institutionalized through these heavenly bodies, ensuring cosmic order and temporal regularity. God's declaration that "it was good" reaffirms His satisfaction with this created order, signaling its perfect suitability for His plan, particularly in relation to the coming emergence of life. This functional emphasis foreshadows the human dominion introduced later in the chapter, suggesting a divine principle of delegated authority within the created order.