14 And God saith, `Let luminaries be in the expanse of the heavens, to make a separation between the day and the night, then they have been for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years,
To Him making great lights, For to the age `is' His kindness. The sun to rule by day, For to the age `is' His kindness. The moon and stars to rule by night, For to the age `is' His kindness.
Thus said Jehovah, Who is giving the sun for a light by day, The statutes of moon and stars for a light by night, Quieting the sea when its billows roar, Jehovah of Hosts `is' His name:
He made the moon for seasons, The sun hath known his place of entrance. Thou settest darkness, and it is night, In it doth every beast of the forest creep.
Thine `is' the day, also Thine `is' the night, Thou hast prepared a light giver -- the sun. Thou hast set up all the borders of earth, Summer and winter Thou hast formed them.
`And lest thou lift up thine eyes towards the heavens, and hast seen the sun, and the moon, and the stars, all the host of the heavens, and thou hast been forced, and hast bowed thyself to them, and served them, which Jehovah thy God hath apportioned to all the peoples under the whole heavens.
Praise ye Him, sun and moon, Praise ye Him, all stars of light.
The maker of Kimah and Kesil, And the turner to morning of death-shade, And day `as' night He hath made dark, Who is calling to the waters of the sea, And poureth them on the face of the earth, Jehovah `is' His name;
`And there shall be signs in sun, and moon, and stars, and on the land `is' distress of nations with perplexity, sea and billow roaring; men fainting at heart from fear, and expectation of the things coming on the world, for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
Sun and moon have been black, And stars have gathered up their shining.
And I have given wonders in the heavens, and in the earth, Blood and fire, and columns of smoke. The sun is turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, Before the coming of the day of Jehovah, The great and the fearful.
And in quenching thee I have covered the heavens, And have made black their stars, The sun with a cloud I do cover, And the moon causeth not its light to shine. All luminaries of light in the heavens, I make black over thee, And I have given darkness over thy land, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah,
`Thus said Jehovah: If ye do break My covenant of the day, And My covenant of the night, So that they are not daily and nightly in their season,
Thus said Jehovah: Unto the way of the nations accustom not yourselves, And by the signs of the heavens be not affrighted, For the nations are affrighted by them.
Hast thou commanded morning since thy days? Causest thou the dawn to know its place? To take hold on the skirts of the earth, And the wicked are shaken out of it, It turneth itself as clay of a seal And they station themselves as clothed.
and he did open the pit of the abyss, and there came up a smoke out of the pit as smoke of a great furnace, and darkened was the sun and the air, from the smoke of the pit.
My bow I have given in the cloud, and it hath been for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth;
Let the stars of its twilight be dark, Let it wait for light, and there is none, And let it not look on the eyelids of the dawn.
Lo -- unto the moon, and it shineth not, And stars have not been pure in His eyes.
To the Overseer. -- A Psalm of David. The heavens `are' recounting the honour of God, And the work of His hands The expanse `is' declaring. Day to day uttereth speech, And night to night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech, and there are no words. Their voice hath not been heard. Into all the earth hath their line gone forth, And to the end of the world their sayings, For the sun He placed a tent in them, And he, as a bridegroom, goeth out from his covering, He rejoiceth as a mighty one To run the path. From the end of the heavens `is' his going out, And his revolution `is' unto their ends, And nothing is hid from his heat.
According to Thine ordinances They have stood this day, for the whole `are' Thy servants.
Thus said Jehovah: If My covenant `is' not daily and nightly, The statutes of heaven and earth I have not appointed --
during all days of the earth, seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, do not cease.'
At their face trembled hath the earth, Shaken have the heavens, Sun and moon have been black, And stars have gathered up their shining.
saying, `Where is he who was born king of the Jews? for we saw his star in the east, and we came to bow to him.'
and he answering said to them, `Evening having come, ye say, Fair weather, for the heaven is red, and at morning, Foul weather to-day, for the heaven is red -- gloomy; hypocrites, the face of the heavens indeed ye do know to discern, but the signs of the times ye are not able!
and the sun was darkened, and the vail of the sanctuary was rent in the midst,
and I will give wonders in the heaven above, and signs upon the earth beneath -- blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke, the sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the day of the Lord -- the great and illustrious;
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Genesis 1
Commentary on Genesis 1 Matthew Henry Commentary
An Exposition, With Practical Observations, of
The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis
Chapter 1
The foundation of all religion being laid in our relation to God as our Creator, it was fit that the book of divine revelations which was intended to be the guide, support, and rule, of religion in the world, should begin, as it does, with a plain and full account of the creation of the world-in answer to that first enquiry of a good conscience, "Where is God my Maker?' (Job 35:10). Concerning this the pagan philosophers wretchedly blundered, and became vain in their imaginations, some asserting the world's eternity and self-existence, others ascribing it to a fortuitous concourse of atoms: thus "the world by wisdom knew not God,' but took a great deal of pains to lose him. The holy scripture therefore, designing by revealed religion to maintain and improve natural religion, to repair the decays of it and supply the defects of it, since the fall, for the reviving of the precepts of the law of nature, lays down, at first, this principle of the unclouded light of nature, That this world was, in the beginning of time, created by a Being of infinite wisdom and power, who was himself before all time and all worlds. The entrance into God's word gives this light, Ps. 119:130. The first verse of the Bible gives us a surer and better, a more satisfying and useful, knowledge of the origin of the universe, than all the volumes of the philosophers. The lively faith of humble Christians understands this matter better than the elevated fancy of the greatest wits, Heb. 11:3.
We have three things in this chapter:-
Gen 1:1-2
In these verses we have the work of creation in its epitome and in its embryo.
Gen 1:3-5
We have here a further account of the first day's work, in which observe,
Gen 1:6-8
We have here an account of the second day's work, the creation of the firmament, in which observe,
Gen 1:9-13
The third day's work is related in these verses-the forming of the sea and the dry land, and the making of the earth fruitful. Hitherto the power of the Creator had been exerted and employed about the upper part of the visible word; the light of heaven was kindled, and the firmament of heaven fixed: but now he descends to this lower world, the earth, which was designed for the children of men, designed both for their habitation and for their maintenance; and here we have an account of the fitting of it for both, and building of their house and the spreading of their table. Observe,
Gen 1:14-19
This is the history of the fourth day's work, the creating of the sun, moon, and stars, which are here accounted for, not as they are in themselves and in their own nature, to satisfy the curious, but as they are in relation to this earth, to which they serve as lights; and this is enough to furnish us with matter for praise and thanksgiving. Holy Job mentions this as an instance of the glorious power of God, that by the Spirit he hath garnished the heavens (Job 26:13); and here we have an account of that garniture which is not only so much the beauty of the upper world, but so much the blessing of this lower; for though heaven is high, yet has it respect to this earth, and therefore should have respect from it. Of the creation of the lights of heaven we have an account,
Gen 1:20-23
Each day, hitherto, has produced very noble and excellent beings, which we can never sufficiently admire; but we do not read of the creation of any living creature till the fifth day, of which these verses give us an account. The work of creation not only proceeded gradually from one thing to another, but rose and advanced gradually from that which was less excellent to that which was more so, teaching us to press towards perfection and endeavour that our last works may be our best works. It was on the fifth day that the fish and fowl were created, and both out of the waters. Though there is one kind of flesh of fishes, and another of birds, yet they were made together, and both out of the waters; for the power of the first Cause can produce very different effects from the same second causes. Observe,
Gen 1:24-25
We have here the first part of the sixth day's work. The sea was, the day before, replenished with its fish, and the air with its fowl; and this day were made the beasts of the earth, the cattle, and the creeping things that pertain to the earth. Here, as before,
Gen 1:26-28
We have here the second part of the sixth day's work, the creation of man, which we are, in a special manner, concerned to take notice of, that we may know ourselves. Observe,
Gen 1:29-30
We have here the third part of the sixth day's work, which was not any new creation, but a gracious provision of food for all flesh, Ps. 136:25. He that made man and beast thus took care to preserve both, Ps. 36:6. Here is,
Gen 1:31
We have here the approbation and conclusion of the whole work of creation. As for God, his work is perfect; and if he begin he will also make an end, in providence and grace, as well as here in creation. Observe,