And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse doesn't just state the creation of light, but emphasizes God's spoken word as the direct cause, showing that His will and His command are intrinsically linked to bringing existence into being. This highlights the power and authority of God's decree, where simply speaking something into existence demonstrates His absolute control and creative capacity.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The account begins with God preparing to create the cosmos. After the initial statement that God created the heavens and the earth, the text describes the earth as formless and void, covered in darkness. God's Spirit is then shown hovering over the waters, setting the stage for God's spoken commands to bring order to this primordial state.
How can mere words bring something into existence?
In Genesis 1:3, we witness the sheer power and authority of God's spoken word. The text says, 'And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.' This isn't a hesitant suggestion or a laborious process. It's an immediate, declarative act.
Why was light the very first thing God created?
Genesis 1:3 begins the creation narrative with light. This isn't just about illumination; it signifies a fundamental shift from formlessness and darkness to order and revelation.
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Understand the original words
’ôr · Hebrew Noun
The first element called into existence by God's word; it represents physical illumination and is often a metaphor for truth, holiness, and God's presence.
This passage explicitly connects the creative 'Word' of God with Jesus, identifying Him as the light that came into the world, echoing Genesis 1:3 where God's spoken word brings forth light.
2 Corinthians 4:6This verse draws a parallel between God's command for light to shine out of darkness in creation and the spiritual illumination that occurs when God shines His light into the hearts of believers.
Psalm 33:6This Psalm highlights the power and efficacy of God's spoken word in creation, stating that the heavens were made by the word of the Lord, which directly relates to the 'And God said' of Genesis 1:3.
Job 38:19This passage questions Job about the dwelling place of light and darkness, highlighting the mysterious and divinely appointed nature of light, which Genesis 1:3 introduces as God's first act of creation.
Colossians 1:16This verse affirms that all things were created through Christ, the Word of God, reinforcing the idea that God's spoken word in Genesis 1:3 was not just a command, but the powerful agent of Christ Himself.
clarkeGenesis 1:3: "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light."
And God said, Let there be light - הי אור ויהי אור Yehi or, vaihi or. Nothing can be conceived more dignified than this form of expression. It argues at once uncontrollable authority, and omnific power; and in human language it is scarcely possible to conceive that God can speak more like himself. This passage, in the Greek translation of the Septuagint, fell in the way of Dionysius Longinus, one of the most judicious Greek…
calvinGenesis 1:1-31: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Terra autem erat informis et inanis; tenebraeque erant in superficie voraginis, et Spiritus Dei agitabat se in superficie aquarum.
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Et dixit Deus, Sit lux. Et fuit lux.
And God saw the light, that it was good:…
The verse doesn't just state the creation of light, but emphasizes God's spoken word as the direct cause, showing that His will and His command are intrinsically linked to bringing existence into being. This highlights the power and authority of God's decree, where simply speaking something into existence demonstrates His absolute control and creative capacity.
The account begins with God preparing to create the cosmos. After the initial statement that God created the heavens and the earth, the text describes the earth as formless and void, covered in darkness. God's Spirit is then shown hovering over the waters, setting the stage for God's spoken commands to bring order to this primordial state.
The account begins with God preparing to create the cosmos. After the initial statement that God created the heavens and the earth, the text describes the earth as formless and void, covered in darkness. God's Spirit is then shown hovering over the waters, setting the stage for God's spoken commands to bring order to this primordial state.
"And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light." — The verse doesn't just state the creation of light, but emphasizes God's spoken word as the direct cause, showing that His will and His command are intrinsically linked to bringing existence into bei…
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Last reviewed October 2026