Genesis 1:3
 | It has been suggested that this article be merged into Genesis 1:4. (Discuss) Proposed since August 2012. |
Genesis 1:3 is the third verse of the first chapter in the Book of Genesis. It takes place after the initial creation according to Genesis. In it, God (the Hebrew word used for God, like in all of Genesis 1, is Elohim) made light by declaration ("God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light"). It is a part of the Torah portion Bereshit (Genesis 1:1-6:8).
"Let there be light" (like "in the beginning" in Genesis 1:1) has entered into common usage as a phrase. It is the motto (sometimes in its Latin form, fiat lux) for many educational institutions (using light as a metaphor for knowledge). The University of California is one example.[1] The phrase also forms the chorus of John Mariott's hymn about Creation, "Thou, Whose Almighty Word."[2]
Interpretation
Augustine of Hippo, in his City of God, sees the verse as indicating "not only that God had made the world, but also that He had made it by the word."[3] The Latin for "let there be light" is "fiat lux," and this description of creation by command has led to the theological phrase "creation by fiat."[4] In the words of Peter Kreeft, God "simply spoke... and it came to be."[5]
The light is described as being created here before the sun, moon, and stars, which appear on the fourth day (Genesis 1:14–19).[6] In some Jewish interpretations, the light created here is a primordial light, different in nature from (and brighter than) that associated with the sun.[7]
Some writers have seen a connection between this verse and the Big Bang in physical cosmology.[6][8][9][10]
Text
Vayomer Elohim yehi-or vayehi-or.
| Translation | Text |
|---|---|
| American Standard Version | "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." |
| Bible in Basic English | "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." |
| Darby Bible | "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." |
| God's Word | "Then God said, "Let there be light!" So there was light." |
| Holman Christian Standard Bible | "Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light." |
| Jewish Publication Society (3rd ed.) | "God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light. |
| King James Version | "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." |
| The Message | "God spoke: "Light!" And light appeared." |
| New King James Version | "Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light." |
| Webster's Bible Translation | "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." |
| World English Bible | "God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light." |
| Young's Literal Translation | "and God saith, 'Let light be;' and light is." |
References
- ^ University of California website, accessed 25 August 2012.
- ^ Morgan, Robert J., Near to the Heart of God: Meditations on 366 Best-Loved Hymns, Revell, 2010, ISBN 0800733959, p. 141.
- ^ Augustine, City of God, Book XI, Chapter 21.
- ^ Hamilton, Victor P., The Book of Genesis: Chapters 1-17, 7th ed., Eerdmans, 1990, ISBN 0802825214, p. 119.
- ^ Kreeft, Peter, Catholic Christianity: A Complete Catechism of Catholic Beliefs Based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Ignatius Press, 2001, ISBN 0898707986, p. 48.
- ^ a b Albl, Martin C., Reason, Faith, and Tradition: Explorations in Catholic Theology, Saint Mary's Press, 2009, ISBN 0884899829, p. 82.
- ^ Schwartz, Howard, Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism, Oxford University Press, 2004, ISBN 0199879796, p. lxxii.
- ^ Cootsona, Gregory S., Creation and Last Things: At the Intersection of Theology and Science, Westminster John Knox Press, 2002, ISBN 0664501605, p. 49.
- ^ Gasperini, Maurizio, The Universe Before the Big Bang: Cosmology and String Theory, Springer, 2008, ISBN 3540744193, p. 195.
- ^ Jammer, Max, Einstein and Religion: Physics and Theology, Princeton University Press, 2011, ISBN 069110297X, p. 255.