14
And 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.
Berean Standard Bible · CC0
Hebrew — tap a word ↓
’ĕ·lō·hîm way·yō·mer yə·hî mə·’ō·rōṯ bir·qî·a‘ haš·šā·ma·yim lə·haḇ·dîl bên hay·yō·wm ū·ḇên hal·lā·yə·lāh wə·hā·yū lə·’ō·ṯōṯ ū·lə·mō·w·‘ă·ḏîm ū·lə·yā·mîm wə·šā·nîm
Word by word16 · parsed
√ ʼĕlôhîym — gods in the ordinary senseNounmasculine plural
God (’ĕlōhîm, H430) — grammatically plural, governing a singular verb; the unbroken subject of every creative act in the chapter.
√ ʼâmar — to say (used with great latitude)Conjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
The waw-consecutive way·yō·mer (“and-said”) continues the chain of fiats; creation on day four still proceeds by spoken word, not manufacture.
√ hâyâh — to exist, iVerbQalImperfect Jussivethird person masculine singular
yə·hî (“let-there-be”) is singular though its subject mə·’ō·rōṯ is plural. Keil & Delitzsch and the Pulpit Commentary both pause here: the predicate precedes its plural subject (Gesenius §147), so the singular stands — the same construction as v. 3's first yə·hî ’ôr, deliberately echoing day one.
√ mâʼôwr — properly, a luminous body or luminary, iNounmasculine plural
mə·’ō·rōṯ (H3974) — the pivot of the verse. A mâ’ôwr is a luminous body, a lamp; the identical word names the lamps of the tabernacle (Exodus 35:14; Leviticus 24:2). Creation's sky is furnished like a sanctuary.
√ râqîyaʻ — properly, an expanse, iPreposition-bNounmasculine singular construct
bir·qî·a‘ (H7549) — the expanse hammered out on day two (1:6–8). The lights are set in what was already made, not in a fresh creation.
√ shâmayim — the sky (as aloftArticleNounmasculine plural
√ bâdal — to divide (in variation senses literally or figuratively, separate, distinguish, differ, select, etcPreposition-lVerbHifilInfinitive construct
lə·haḇ·dîl (H914, Hifil infinitive) — “to cause separation”; the structural hinge linking day four to days one and two.
√ bêyn — between (repeated before each noun, often with other particles)Preposition
bên…ū·ḇên (H996, “between…and-between”) — the doubled preposition the Hebrew repeats before each member of a separation, exactly as in 1:4 and 1:6.
√ yôwm — a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)ArticleNounmasculine singular
√ bêyn — between (repeated before each noun, often with other particles)Conjunctive wawPreposition
√ layil — properly, a twist (away of the light), iArticleNounmasculine singular
√ hâyâh — to exist, iConjunctive wawVerbQalConjunctive perfectthird person common plural
√ ʼôwth — a signal (literally or figuratively), as aflag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etcPreposition-lNouncommon plural
’ō·ṯōṯ (H226, “signs”) — the heavens are appointed witnesses. Keil cites Matthew 2:2 and Luke 21:25; the star over Bethlehem and the signs in sun and moon both draw on this office.
√ môwʻêd — properly, an appointment, iConjunctive waw, Preposition-lNounmasculine plural
mō·w·‘ă·ḏîm (H4150) — “appointed times”; the LORD ties the festal calendar (cf. Psalm 104:19, “He made the moon for the mo‘edim”) to the motion of the lights.
√ yôwm — a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)Conjunctive waw, Preposition-lNounmasculine plural
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Conjunctive wawNounfeminine plural
šā·nîm (H8141, “years”) — the year is the interpretive key to day four as “day” was to day one (so Barnes): the annual circuit of the earth completes what the diurnal circuit began.