Genesis 1:16 God made two great lights--the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.

◄ Genesis 1:16 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
God made two great lights--the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.

English Standard Version
And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars.

New American Standard Bible
God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.

King James Bible
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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
God made the two great lights--the greater light to have dominion over the day and the lesser light to have dominion over the night--as well as the stars.

International Standard Version
God fashioned two great lights—the larger light to shine during the day and the smaller light to shine during the night—as well as stars.

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

Douay-Rheims Bible
And God made two great lights: a greater light to rule the day; and a lesser light to rule the night: and the stars.

Darby Bible Translation
And God made the two great lights, the great light to rule the day, and the small light to rule the night, and the stars.

Young's Literal Translation
And God maketh the two great luminaries, the great luminary for the rule of the day, and the small luminary -- and the stars -- for the rule of the night;

Cross References

Genesis 1:15
And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light on the earth: and it was so.

Job 38:7
When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Psalm 8:3
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained;

Psalm 136:8
The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endures for ever:

Psalm 136:9
The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endures for ever.

Isaiah 40:26
Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who has created these things, that brings out their host by number: he calls them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one fails.

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Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

1:14-19 In the fourth day's work, the creation of the sun, moon, and stars is accounted for. All these are the works of God. The stars are spoken of as they appear to our eyes, without telling their number, nature, place, size, or motions; for the Scriptures were written, not to gratify curiosity, or make us astronomers, but to lead us to God, and make us saints. The lights of heaven are made to serve him; they do it faithfully, and shine in their season without fail. We are set as lights in this world to serve God; but do we in like manner answer the end of our creation? We do not: our light does not shine before God, as his lights shine before us. We burn our Master's candles, but do not mind our Master's work.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

16. two great lights—In consequence of the day being reckoned as commencing at sunset—the moon, which would be seen first in the horizon, would appear "a great light," compared with the little twinkling stars; while its pale benign radiance would be eclipsed by the dazzling splendor of the sun; when his resplendent orb rose in the morning and gradually attained its meridian blaze of glory, it would appear "the greater light" that ruled the day. Both these lights may be said to be "made" on the fourth day—not created, indeed, for it is a different word that is here used, but constituted, appointed to the important and necessary office of serving as luminaries to the world, and regulating by their motions and their influence the progress and divisions of time.