And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
What does Genesis 1:3 mean?
God said, Let there be light; he willed it, and at once there was light. Oh, the power of the word of God!
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Genesis 1:3-5 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Genesis 1:3
The First Day 3. 'amar, "say, bid." After this verb comes the thing said in the words of the speaker, or an equivalent expression. In this respect it corresponds with our English "say." 'or, "light." Light is simply what makes a sensible impression on the organs of vision. It belongs to a class of things which occasionally produce the same effect. vayo'mer "then said." Here we have come to the narrative or the record of a series of events. The conjunction is prefixed to the verb, to indicate the connection of the event it records with what precedes. There is here, therefore, a sequence in the order of time.
Key words
- said
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" After this verb comes the thing said in the words of the speaker, or an equivalent expression.
- light
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Perhaps the divine Person speaking here is the Logos or Word of God, which was in the beginning with God, and was God, and who himself is the light that lightens every creature.
- light
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Perhaps the divine Person speaking here is the Logos or Word of God, which was in the beginning with God, and was God, and who himself is the light that lightens every creature.
Context in Genesis 1
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Genesis 1 belongs to the opening movement of the book, especially the section often described as primeval history from creation to Babel. Genesis opens the whole Bible with creation, fall, flood, Babel, and the long patriarchal story that carries the reader from Eden to Egypt. Read this chapter with the wider themes of creation, fall, and covenant in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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A collection of passages on hope under pressure, future inheritance, resurrection expectation, and confidence in God’s final faithfulness.
Passages on the nature of truth, honesty, deception, the word of God as truth, and Jesus' claim to be the truth.
Who quoted Genesis 1:3?
Find out who used Genesis 1:3 in their speeches and writings. Which famous people quoted Genesis 1:3?
Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders used Genesis 1:3 in Apollo 8 Christmas Eve broadcast.