Day Three has left us with an earth full of greenery — and as we now understand, that green color is chlorophyll. Most plant life on earth “feeds” off solar energy. So we had better get a sun in place. That is the part of the work of Day Four, which we’ll turn to now.
We are starting to pick up the pace a bit, both because there is a fair amount of repetition (evening and morning, and so forth) and because the main characters introduced in v. 1, Sky and Earth, have already been created, on Days Two and Three respectively. As I’ve said before, we cannot possibly continue throughout at the excruciatingly slow pace we started with at first. Have no fear, we will slow down to discuss even a single word as often as seems necessary.
Think of this as a guided tour of the Bible. Other guides might want to point out different things than I do; I do have a PhD in Bible, but I’m also trying to understand Genesis (and however far we get) from the perspective of a writer.
Let me also remind you that I’m not claiming my new translation is more correct, let alone better, than existing translations. I’m just using it to help me focus more clearly on what the Bible is actually saying. Readers who are new to this Substack can see more about the purpose of the blog here and here. Now, Day Four.
Here’s the translation I’m beginning our discussion with. As always, I may change my mind as we proceed, and I will certainly change things if I (or you) catch a mistake.
14 God thought, Let there be lights in the Sky cupola to distinguish Day and Night. They will be for calendar dates — that is, days and years. 15 And they shall become lights in the Sky cupola to shine on the earth. And it was so. 16 God made the two big lights – the big light to rule over the day and the small light to rule over the night, and the stars. 17 And God put them in the Sky cupola to shine on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and the night, and to distinguish light and darkness. God saw that it was good. 19 There was an evening and then a morning, a fourth day.
And here is the English verse-by-verse with interlinear Hebrew in audio and print:
14 God thought, Let there be lights in the Sky cupola to distinguish day and night. They will be for calendar dates — that is, days and years.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים יְהִ֤י מְאֹרֹת֙ בִּרְקִ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם לְהַבְדִּ֕יל בֵּ֥ין הַיּ֖וֹם וּבֵ֣ין הַלָּ֑יְלָה וְהָי֤וּ לְאֹתֹת֙ וּלְמ֣וֹעֲדִ֔ים וּלְיָמִ֖ים וְשָׁנִֽים׃
15 And they shall become lights in the Sky cupola to shine on the earth. And it was so.
וְהָי֤וּ לִמְאוֹרֹת֙ בִּרְקִ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם לְהָאִ֖יר עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַֽיְהִי־כֵֽן׃
16 God made the two big lights – the big light to rule over the day and the small light to rule over the night, and the stars.
וַיַּ֣עַשׂ אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֶת־שְׁנֵ֥י הַמְּאֹרֹ֖ת הַגְּדֹלִ֑ים אֶת־הַמָּא֤וֹר הַגָּדֹל֙ לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת הַיּ֔וֹם וְאֶת־הַמָּא֤וֹר הַקָּטֹן֙ לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת הַלַּ֔יְלָה וְאֵ֖ת הַכּוֹכָבִֽים׃
17 And God put them in the Sky cupola to shine on the earth,
וַיִּתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֛ם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בִּרְקִ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם לְהָאִ֖יר עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
18 to rule over the day and the night, and to distinguish light and darkness. God saw that it was good.
וְלִמְשֹׁל֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם וּבַלַּ֔יְלָה וּֽלֲהַבְדִּ֔יל בֵּ֥ין הָא֖וֹר וּבֵ֣ין הַחֹ֑שֶׁךְ וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים כִּי־טֽוֹב׃
19 There was an evening and then a morning, a fourth day.
וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם רְבִיעִֽי׃ פ
Those who have been wondering all these weeks where the original non-sunlight light came from may want to have a look at Zev Farber’s column, “If the Sun Is Created on Day 4, What Is the Light on Day 1?” We’ll begin examining Day Four in Bible-Guy fashion next time.