Genesis 1:17

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Genesis 1:17 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And God set them in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth,” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And God set them in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth,
Genesis 1:17 — American Standard Version

Context — Genesis 1

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
17And God set them in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth,

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And God set them in the firmament of the heaven, etc.] He not only ordered that there they should be, and made them that there they might be, but he placed them there with his own hands; and they are placed, particularly the sun, at such a particular distance as to be beneficial and not hurtful: had it been set nearer to the earth, its heat would have been intolerable; and had it been further off it would have been of no use; in the one case we should have been scorched with its heat, and in the other been frozen up for the want of it. The various expressions used seem to be designed on purpose to guard against and expose the vanity of the worship of the sun and moon; which being visible,…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“- VI. The Fourth Day 14. מאור mā'ôr, “a light, a luminary, a center of radiant light.” מועה mô‛ēd, “set time, season.” Words beginning with a formative מ musually signify that in which the simple quality resides or is realized. Hence, they often denote place. 17. נתן nāthan “give, hold out, show, stretch, hold out.” Latin: tendo, teneo; τείνω teinō. The darkness has been removed from the face of the deep, its waters have been distributed in due proportions above and below the expanse; the lower waters have retired and given place to the emerging land, and the wasteness of the land thus exposed to view has begun to be adorned with the living forms of a new vegetation. It only remains…”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Gen 9:13; Job 38:12; Psa 8:1, Psa 8:3; Act 13:47 Genesis 1:18”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification