Genesis
Genesis 1:14–17
14And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to distinguish between the day and the night, and let them be signs to mark the seasons and days and years. 15And let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth.” And it was so.
16God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. And He made the stars as well.
17God set these lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth,
Word by word
Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.
Genesis 1:14
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| And God | אֱלֹהִ֗ים | ’ĕ·lō·hîm | Noun - masculine plural | H430 God |
| said | וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | way·yō·mer | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | H559 utter, say |
| Let there be | יְהִ֤י | yə·hî | Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular | H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be |
| lights | מְאֹרֹת֙ | mə·’ō·rōṯ | Noun - masculine plural | H3974 luminary |
| in the expanse | בִּרְקִ֣יעַ | bir·qî·a‘ | Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct | H7549 extended surface |
| of the sky | הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם | haš·šā·ma·yim | Article; Noun - masculine plural | H8064 sky, aloft |
| to distinguish | לְהַבְדִּ֕יל | lə·haḇ·dîl | Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | H914 be divided, separate |
| between | בֵּ֥ין | bên | Preposition | H996 interval, space between |
| the day | הַיּ֖וֹם | hay·yō·wm | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H3117 day |
| and | וּבֵ֣ין | ū·ḇên | Conjunctive waw; Preposition | H996 interval, space between |
| the night | הַלָּ֑יְלָה | hal·lā·yə·lāh | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H3915 twist, night, adversity |
| and let them be | וְהָי֤וּ | wə·hā·yū | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural | H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be |
| signs to mark | לְאֹתֹת֙ | lə·’ō·ṯōṯ | Preposition-l; Noun - common plural | H226 sign |
| seasons | וּלְמ֣וֹעֲדִ֔ים | ū·lə·mō·w·‘ă·ḏîm | Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural | H4150 appointed time, place, meeting |
| and days | וּלְיָמִ֖ים | ū·lə·yā·mîm | Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural | H3117 day |
| and years | וְשָׁנִֽים׃ | wə·šā·nîm | Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine plural | H8141 year |
Genesis 1:15
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| And let them serve | וְהָי֤וּ | wə·hā·yū | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural | H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be |
| as lights | לִמְאוֹרֹת֙ | lim·’ō·w·rōṯ | Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural | H3974 luminary |
| in the expanse | בִּרְקִ֣יעַ | bir·qî·a‘ | Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct | H7549 extended surface |
| of the sky | הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם | haš·šā·ma·yim | Article; Noun - masculine plural | H8064 sky, aloft |
| to shine | לְהָאִ֖יר | lə·hā·’îr | Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | H215 be or become light |
| upon | עַל־ | ‘al- | Preposition | H5921 height |
| the earth | הָאָ֑רֶץ | hā·’ā·reṣ | Article; Noun - feminine singular | H776 earth, land |
| And it was | וַֽיְהִי־ | way·hî- | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be |
| so | כֵֽן׃ | ḵên | Adverb | H3651 right, veritable, honest |
Genesis 1:16
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| God | אֱלֹהִ֔ים | ’ĕ·lō·hîm | Noun - masculine plural | H430 God |
| made | וַיַּ֣עַשׂ | way·ya·‘aś | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | H6213 do, make |
| two | שְׁנֵ֥י | šə·nê | Number - masculine dual construct | H8147 two |
| great | הַגְּדֹלִ֑ים | hag·gə·ḏō·lîm | Article; Adjective - masculine plural | H1419 great |
| lights | הַמְּאֹרֹ֖ת | ham·mə·’ō·rōṯ | Article; Noun - masculine plural | H3974 luminary |
| the greater | הַגָּדֹל֙ | hag·gā·ḏōl | Article; Adjective - masculine singular | H1419 great |
| light | הַמָּא֤וֹר | ham·mā·’ō·wr | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H3974 luminary |
| to rule | לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת | lə·mem·še·leṯ | Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular construct | H4475 rule, dominion, realm |
| the day | הַיּ֔וֹם | hay·yō·wm | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H3117 day |
| and | וְאֶת־ | wə·’eṯ- | Conjunctive waw; Direct object marker | H853 mark of the accusative |
| the lesser | הַקָּטֹן֙ | haq·qā·ṭōn | Article; Adjective - masculine singular | H6996 small, young, unimportant |
| light | הַמָּא֤וֹר | ham·mā·’ō·wr | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H3974 luminary |
| to rule | לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת | lə·mem·še·leṯ | Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular construct | H4475 rule, dominion, realm |
| the night | הַלַּ֔יְלָה | hal·lay·lāh | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H3915 twist, night, adversity |
| And | וְאֵ֖ת | wə·’êṯ | Conjunctive waw; Direct object marker | H853 mark of the accusative |
| the stars | הַכּוֹכָבִֽים׃ | hak·kō·w·ḵā·ḇîm | Article; Noun - masculine plural | H3556 star |
Genesis 1:17
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| God | אֱלֹהִ֖ים | ’ĕ·lō·hîm | Noun - masculine plural | H430 God |
| set | וַיִּתֵּ֥ן | way·yit·tên | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | H5414 give, put, set |
| in the expanse | בִּרְקִ֣יעַ | bir·qî·a‘ | Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct | H7549 extended surface |
| of the sky | הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם | haš·šā·mā·yim | Article; Noun - masculine plural | H8064 sky, aloft |
| to shine | לְהָאִ֖יר | lə·hā·’îr | Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | H215 be or become light |
| upon | עַל־ | ‘al- | Preposition | H5921 height |
| the earth | הָאָֽרֶץ׃ | hā·’ā·reṣ | Article; Noun - feminine singular | H776 earth, land |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
Genesis 1:14 Psalm 104:19–20 · Deuteronomy 4:19 · Psalm 74:16–17 · Jeremiah 31:35 · Psalm 148:3 · Psalm 136:7–9 · Amos 5:8 · Psalm 148:6 · Psalm 8:3–4 · Joel 3:15 · Joel 2:30–31 · Psalm 81:3
Genesis 1:16 Psalm 136:7–9 · Deuteronomy 4:19 · Psalm 8:3 · Psalm 74:16 · Psalm 148:5 · Isaiah 40:26 · Job 38:7 · Psalm 148:3 · Psalm 19:6 · 1 Corinthians 15:41 · Matthew 27:45 · Revelation 16:8–9
Genesis 1:17 Psalm 8:3 · Psalm 8:1
Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.