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Writer's pictureEdward D. Andrews
Aug 185 min read

Was Light Created or Made, and Was It on the First Day or the Fourth?

The account of creation in Genesis is a fundamental narrative in the Bible, yet it poses intriguing questions that have been the subject of theological exploration for centuries. One such question arises from the description of the creation of light. According to Genesis 1:3-5, light was created on the first day. However, Genesis 1:16-19 mentions the creation of the sun, moon, and stars on the fourth day. This raises the question: Was light created or made, and was it on the first day or the fourth? To address this question, we must carefully examine the Hebrew text, the sequence of creation events, and the theological implications.



Understanding the Creation of Light on the First Day


Genesis 1:3-5 states, "And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. And God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day."


The Hebrew word used here for light is ohr (אוֹר), which refers to light in a broad sense. This light was not yet associated with any specific celestial bodies, such as the sun or the moon. It was simply light that dispelled the darkness, a basic form of illumination that existed independently of any light sources.


This initial act of creating light served to introduce order into the chaotic state described in Genesis 1:2, where "the earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep." By bringing forth light, God began the process of forming and filling the earth, preparing it for the life that would follow in the subsequent days of creation.



The Creation of the Sun, Moon, and Stars on the Fourth Day (Continued)


Genesis 1:16-19 continues, "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. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning, the fourth day."


In this passage, the Hebrew word used for "made" is asah (עָשָׂה), which means to "make" or "do," rather than bara (בָּרָא), which means "to create" out of nothing, as used in Genesis 1:1. This distinction is important because it suggests that the sun, moon, and stars were not created from nothing on the fourth day. Instead, they were "made" in the sense that they were appointed, positioned, or revealed to function in specific roles concerning the earth's atmosphere and the cycle of day and night.



Resolving the Apparent Discrepancy Between the First and Fourth Days


The light mentioned on the first day (ohr) was a general illumination that dispersed the primordial darkness, allowing the separation of light from darkness. On the fourth day, the light sources—the sun, moon, and stars—were either brought into focus or given their specific roles concerning the earth.


Several possible explanations harmonize these two accounts:


  1. Diffused Light on the First Day: Some scholars suggest that the light on the first day was a diffused, non-specific light that did not come from the sun. This diffused light provided illumination but did not yet have a visible source from the earth’s surface. The appearance of the sun, moon, and stars on the fourth day was when the earth's atmosphere became clear enough for these celestial bodies to be distinctly visible from the earth.

  2. Creation of Light's Source on the First Day, Functionality on the Fourth: Another interpretation is that the sources of light (the sun, moon, and stars) were created in a basic form on the first day but were not assigned their specific functions until the fourth day. The term asah used on the fourth day might indicate that God was organizing or assigning roles to the already created celestial bodies.

  3. Perspective of an Earthly Observer: The creation narrative may also be understood from the perspective of an observer on earth. On the first day, light was created to pierce the darkness. By the fourth day, as the atmosphere cleared, the observer could see the sources of that light—the sun, moon, and stars.



Theological Implications of Light and Creation


The concept of light in the creation account holds deep theological significance. Light, in Scripture, often symbolizes the presence of God, knowledge, truth, and life. In John 1:4-5, Jesus is described as "the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." This aligns with the idea that the first act of creation was to bring forth light, symbolizing God’s first step in overcoming the chaos and bringing order.


Moreover, the separation of light from darkness on the first day mirrors the ongoing biblical theme of God separating, distinguishing, and making order out of chaos. This act foreshadows the moral distinctions between light and darkness, good and evil, that will be developed throughout the Bible.


By analyzing the creation of light on the first day and the making of the sun, moon, and stars on the fourth day, we gain a deeper understanding of the creation narrative. Light was created as an initial act of bringing order into chaos, and the sun, moon, and stars were later assigned their specific roles. This distinction not only resolves the apparent discrepancy but also enriches our understanding of the theological themes of light and creation in the Bible.



About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220 books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).


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