Devine Scripture

Genesis 1:4

What does Genesis 1:4 mean?

A plain-English look at Genesis 1:4 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Genesis 1:4 means

Upon creating light, God evaluated it and declared it "good." This divine affirmation signifies that what God creates is inherently perfect and serves His divine purpose. Immediately after creating light, God separated it from the darkness. This act of division is crucial; it established the fundamental distinction between opposing elements, creating order where there was previously undifferentiated gloom. This division is not merely a physical act but reflects God's orderly nature, laying the groundwork for all subsequent distinctions in creation.

Genesis 1:4 in context

Genesis 1 — The Six Days of Creation

The Bible opens not with an argument for the existence of God but with the announcement of his creative act. In six measured days God speaks the cosmos into being — light, sky, sea, land, plants, sun and moon, fish and birds, animals, and finally man and woman in his own image. Each act ends with the refrain, 'and God saw that it was good.' The chapter establishes God's sovereignty, the goodness of the material world, the dignity of humanity, and the rhythm of work and rest that will shape all of Scripture.

  • Creation ex nihilo
  • The image of God
  • The goodness of creation
  • Sabbath rhythm

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And God, looking on the light, saw that it was good: and God made a division between the light and the dark,

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

And God seeth the light that <FI>it is<Fi> good, and God separateth between the light and the darkness,

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And God saw the light that it was good; and he divided the light from the darkness.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

AndGod saw the light that it was good; andGod divided between the light and the darkness.

Context

Following the instantaneous creation of light in verse 3, this verse describes God's immediate evaluation and ordering of it. The declaration of "good" introduces a recurring theme throughout the chapter, affirming the perfection of God's work. The act of dividing light from darkness is the first step in establishing rhythms and boundaries within creation, preparing for the naming of these divisions and the formal structuring of the first day.

v.3And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

v.4This passage

v.5And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Genesis 1:10

    And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

  • Genesis 1:31

    And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

  • Genesis 1:18

    and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

  • Genesis 1:12

    And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good.

  • Ecclesiastes 11:7

    Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun.

  • Ecclesiastes 2:13

    Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

Sermon ideas from Genesis 1:4

Angles a pastor or small-group leader might preach or teach from this passage, drawn from the chapter's main themes.

  • What Genesis 1:4 teaches us about creation ex nihilo

  • What Genesis 1:4 teaches us about the image of god

  • What Genesis 1:4 teaches us about the goodness of creation

  • What Genesis 1:4 teaches us about sabbath rhythm

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