Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 4. God divided the light from the darkness.] This does not imply that light and darkness are two distinct substances, seeing darkness is only the privation of light; but the words simply refer us by anticipation to the rotation of the earth round its own axis once in twenty-three hours, fifty-six minutes, and four seconds, which is the cause of the distinction between day and night, by bringing the different parts of the surface of the earth successively into and from under the solar rays; and it was probably at this moment that God gave this rotation to the earth, to produce this merciful provision of day and night. For the manner in which light is supposed to be produced, see ver. 16, under the word sun.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 3-5 - God said, Let there be light; he willed it, and at once there wa light. Oh, the power of the word of God! And in the new creation, the first thing that is wrought in the soul is light: the blessed Spiri works upon the will and affections by enlightening the understanding Those who by sin were darkness, by grace become light in the Lord Darkness would have been always upon fallen man, if the Son of God ha not come and given us understanding, 1Jo 5:20. The light which God willed, he approved of. God divided the light from the darkness; for what fellowship has light with darkness? In heaven there is perfec light, and no darkness at all; in hell, utter darkness, and no gleam of light. The day and the night are the Lord's; let us use both to his honour, by working for him every day, and resting in him every night meditating in his law both day and night.
Original Hebrew וירא7200 אלהים430 את853 האור216 כי3588 טוב2896 ויבדל914 אלהים430 בין996 האור216 ובין996 החשׁך׃2822
