Bible Strands
Genesis 1:3
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — God addresses the formless, dark, and water-covered earth at the opening of the first creative day.
The words — The imperative יְהִי (ye.Hi) commands “let it be,” paired with א֑וֹר ('or) for “light,” forming the spoken decree that immediately brings the substance into existence.
The thread — The pattern of divine speech generating light appears in Isaiah 45:7, where God claims authorship of both light and darkness, and surfaces in John 1:5 and 2 Corinthians 4:6 as a framework for spiritual illumination overcoming darkness.
Why it lands — The narrative records that God’s spoken command instantly produces the stated reality, requiring the reader to acknowledge that unformed chaos yields only to divine authority.
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
King James Version
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Cross-references
- 2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
- John 1:5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
- Isaiah 45:7 I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.
- Isaiah 60:19 No longer will the sun be your light by day, nor the brightness of the moon shine on your night; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your splendor.
- 1 John 1:5 And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
- Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,
- Psalms 97:11 Light shines on the righteous, gladness on the upright in heart.
- John 3:19 And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.
- John 1:9 The true Light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
- Psalms 33:6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the stars by the breath of His mouth.