Genesis 1:16

God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. And He made the stars as well.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The narrator reports God's action on the fourth day, executing the command given in verse 15. No one is addressed; this is a declarative statement of what God did.

The words — מְאֹרֹת (me'orot), "luminaries" or "lights that give light," from the root אֹר (to shine), is used instead of the common names for sun and moon. The verb עָשָׂה (asah, "made") appears here rather than the more formal בָּרָא (bara, "created").

The thread — Psalms 136:7 echoes the "great lights" language; Deuteronomy 4:19 names sun, moon, and stars explicitly as objects Israel must not worship; Psalms 8:3 calls the moon and stars the work of God's fingers.

Why it lands — The text deliberately withholds the names "sun" and "moon," treating them as functional lights subordinate to God's command rather than as divine beings. Deuteronomy 4:19 makes the underlying concern explicit: these are the very objects that tempt worship.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיַּ֣עַשׂva/i.Ya.'asand/ he made אֱלֹהִ֔ים'E.lo.HimGod אֶת־'et-<obj.>שְׁנֵ֥יshe.Nei[the] two הַמְּאֹרֹ֖תha./me.'o.Rotthe/ luminaries הַגְּדֹלִ֑יםha./ge.do.Lim<the>/ great אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַמָּא֤וֹרha./ma.'orthe/ luminary הַגָּדֹל֙ha./ga.Dol<the>/ great לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶתle./mem.She.letfor/ [the] dominion of הַיּ֔וֹםhai./Yomthe/ day וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>הַמָּא֤וֹרha./ma.'orthe/ luminary הַקָּטֹן֙ha./ka.Ton<the>/ small לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶתle./mem.She.letfor/ [the] dominion of הַלַּ֔יְלָהha./Lay.lahthe/ night וְאֵ֖תve./'Etand/ <obj.>הַכּוֹכָבִֽים׃ha./ko.kha.Vimthe/ stars

King James Version

And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

Cross-references

Psalms 136:7 He made the great lights—His loving devotion endures forever.
Deuteronomy 4:19 When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.
Psalms 8:3 When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place—
Psalms 74:16 The day is Yours, and also the night; You established the moon and the sun.
Psalms 148:5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for He gave the command and they were created.
Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high: Who created all these? He leads forth the starry host by number; He calls each one by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
Job 38:7 while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Psalms 148:3 Praise Him, O sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars.
Psalms 19:6 it rises at one end of the heavens and runs its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.
Isaiah 13:10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light. The rising sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.