MPV Commentary

The First Day.

In Genesis 1:3-5, we see God's creative power at work on the first day of creation. The phrase "God said" is used repeatedly in this account to emphasize that God's will was followed by an immediate result. When God spoke, things happened. On this first day, a thick fog or mist covered the earth, making it dark and gloomy. But with God's command, light broke through, dispelling the darkness and revealing the beauty of creation.

The word "day" in Hebrew means "warmth" or "heat," while "night" refers to the rolling up or covering of things in a shadowy veil. This distinction highlights the contrast between light and darkness, which would become a recurring theme throughout the Bible.

In verse 4, God divides the light from the darkness, creating an alternating pattern that we experience as day and night due to the earth's rotation on its axis. This division sets the stage for the cycles of life and rest that humans would later experience.

The first day is described as a natural day, marked by two distinct periods: evening and morning. Moses follows the common practice in ancient cultures of counting days from sunset to sunset, rather than using our modern convention of dividing the day into morning and afternoon.