Genesis 1:18
New International Version
to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.

New Living Translation
to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

English Standard Version
to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

Berean Standard Bible
to preside over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.

NASB 1995
and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.

NASB 1977
and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.

Legacy Standard Bible
and to rule the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.

Amplified Bible
to rule over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good and He affirmed and sustained it.

Christian Standard Bible
to rule the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
to dominate the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
to rule day and night, and to separate light from darkness. God looked at what he had done, and it was good.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
to dominate the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good.

Good News Translation
to rule over the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God was pleased with what he saw.

International Standard Version
to differentiate between day and night, and to distinguish light from darkness. And God saw how good it was.

Majority Standard Bible
to preside over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

NET Bible
to preside over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good.

New Heart English Bible
and to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and to rule over day and over night, and to make a separation between the light and the darkness; and God sees that [it is] good;

Young's Literal Translation
and to rule over day and over night, and to make a separation between the light and the darkness; and God seeth that it is good;

Smith's Literal Translation
And to rule in the day and in the night, and to separate between the light and between the darkness: And God will see that it is good.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And to rule the day and the night, and to divide the light and the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

Catholic Public Domain Version
and to rule over the day as well as the night, and to divide light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.

New American Bible
to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good.

New Revised Standard Version
to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And to rule by day and by night and to separate between the light unto the darkness, and God saw that it was good.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and to regulate day and night, and to divide between the light and the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Fourth Day
17God set these lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth, 18to preside over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.…

Cross References
Psalm 136:7-9
He made the great lights—His loving devotion endures forever. / the sun to rule the day, His loving devotion endures forever. / the moon and stars to govern the night. His loving devotion endures forever.

Jeremiah 31:35
Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day, who sets in order the moon and stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD of Hosts is His name:

Job 38:12-13
In your days, have you commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place, / that it might spread to the ends of the earth and shake the wicked out of it?

Psalm 19:1-6
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. / Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. / Without speech or language, without a sound to be heard, ...

Isaiah 45:7
I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.

Psalm 104:19-20
He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows when to set. / You bring darkness, and it becomes night, when all the beasts of the forest prowl.

Job 38:31-33
Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loosen the belt of Orion? / Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear and her cubs? / Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth?

Deuteronomy 4:19
When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.

Psalm 8:3-4
When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place— / what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?

Isaiah 40:26
Lift up your eyes on high: Who created all these? He leads forth the starry host by number; He calls each one by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

Matthew 5:45
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

John 1:3-5
Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. / In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. / The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Colossians 1:16-17
For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. / He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Hebrews 1:2-3
But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. / The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Revelation 21:23
And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its lamp.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

Psalm 19:6
His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

Jeremiah 31:35
Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:

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Dark Darkness Divide Division Good Govern Light Night Rule Separate Separation
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Dark Darkness Divide Division Good Govern Light Night Rule Separate Separation
Genesis 1
1. God creates heaven and earth;
3. the light;
6. the firmament;
9. separates the dry land;
14. forms the sun, moon, and stars;
20. fishes and fowls;
24. cattle, wild beasts, and creeping things;
26. creates man in his own image, blesses him;
29. grants the fruits of the earth for food.














to govern the day and the night
This phrase highlights the divine order established by God in creation. The Hebrew word for "govern" is "מָשַׁל" (mashal), which implies authority and dominion. In the ancient Near Eastern context, celestial bodies were often seen as deities or powerful entities. However, Genesis 1:18 emphasizes that the sun and moon are not gods but creations of the one true God, serving His purpose to regulate time and seasons. This reflects God's sovereignty over the cosmos, establishing a rhythm and order that humanity can rely on.

and to separate light from darkness
The act of separation is a recurring theme in the creation narrative, underscoring God's power to bring order out of chaos. The Hebrew word "בָּדַל" (badal) means to divide or distinguish. This separation of light from darkness is not just a physical act but also a metaphorical one, symbolizing the distinction between good and evil, knowledge and ignorance. In a broader theological sense, it points to the moral order God instills in creation, where light often represents God's presence and truth.

And God saw that it was good
This declaration of goodness is a divine affirmation of creation's inherent value and purpose. The Hebrew word "טוֹב" (tov) means good, pleasant, or agreeable. Each act of creation is pronounced good, indicating that everything God creates is perfect and complete in its intended function. This goodness reflects God's character and His intentions for a harmonious and flourishing world. It reassures believers of the trustworthiness of God's design and His ongoing care for creation.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
to preside over
וְלִמְשֹׁל֙ (wə·lim·šōl)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 4910: To rule, have dominion, reign

the day
בַּיּ֣וֹם (bay·yō·wm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

and the night,
וּבַלַּ֔יְלָה (ū·ḇal·lay·lāh)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3915: A twist, night, adversity

and to separate
וּֽלֲהַבְדִּ֔יל (ū·lă·haḇ·dîl)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 914: To be divided, separate

the light
הָא֖וֹר (hā·’ō·wr)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 216: Illumination, luminary

from
וּבֵ֣ין (ū·ḇên)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 996: An interval, space between

the darkness.
הַחֹ֑שֶׁךְ (ha·ḥō·šeḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2822: The dark, darkness, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness

And God
אֱלֹהִ֖ים (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

saw
וַיַּ֥רְא (way·yar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

that
כִּי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

[it was] good.
טֽוֹב׃ (ṭō·wḇ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good


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OT Law: Genesis 1:18 And to rule over the day (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 1:17
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