Genesis 1:3

Modern

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Traditional

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

Literal

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Latin

Dixitque Deus: Fiat lux. Et facta est lux.

Hebrew

English

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

And God said: God created everything in chapter 1 by his powerful word (compare Psalm 33:6, 9).
“Let there be … and there was": God's command put his will into action to create the world. God is not part of creation or limited by it. He supremely rules over everything (see Nehemiah 9:6).

In the first three days, God shaped the formless world into a place where people and animals could live.

These verses introduce the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible). They teach Israel that one true God created, ordered, and populated the world, not the gods of nearby nations.
God blessed three specific things:
- animal life (1:22–25),
- human life (1:27), and
- the Sabbath day (2:3).
These three blessings emphasize the Creator's plan. God made humans in his image to rule in his place over earth's creatures and to join in God's Sabbath rest.

Theme notes and profiles

2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
John 1:5
The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Isaiah 45:7
I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.
Isaiah 60:19
No longer will the sun be your light by day, nor the brightness of the moon shine on your night; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your splendor.
1 John 1:5
And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
Ephesians 5:8
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,
John 1:9
The true Light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
John 3:19
And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.
Psalm 97:11
Light shines on the righteous, gladness on the upright in heart.
Psalm 33:6
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the stars by the breath of His mouth.
Psalm 148:5
Let them praise the name of the LORD, for He gave the command and they were created.
Psalm 33:9
For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.