The Pulpit Commentary — Genesis — Section 102

plnccs whrro light is, light-hol,lcrR, I's. !xiv, gnnl the tl,rce plirnscs ns ,·o-onli11atc; 16 ; tpwarijp•c, LXX. ; lurnincwia, Vulgatc ; Rose11miiller, Gesenins, De Wettc, Baum- epokon of lnmps nnd cnndlesticks, Exo<l. xxv. garten take the first two as a hendiadya 6; Num. iv. D, 16) in the firmament (liter- for "signs of the seasons ; " Kalisch con- ally, tho expanse) of the heaven. 1i)! in the sidera the second to be in opposilion to the ■ingular with n1'N,;, in the plnrnl is ex- first ; Tnd1 translateA, " for signs, as well plnine<l by Gescnius ·on tho ground that tl1e for the times as also for the days and years." prodicnte precedes the suhjeet (vid. 'Gram.,' The first, which accords with the English § 147). The scientific accurncy of tl,e language version, is the simplest, and, most probably, here used to describe the celestial luminniies the correct interpretiition. 3. And let them relie'°es the Mosaic cosmogony of at least be for lights in the firmament of the heaven one supposed irreconcilable contradiction, to give light upon the earth. Not to intro- that of representing light as having on exist- duce light for the first time to this lower ence independent of the sun. Equally does world, but to serre as a new and permanent it dispense exegesis from the necessity of arrangement for the distribntion of the light accollllting for what appears a threefold already called into existence. And it was creation of the heavenly bodies-in the begin- so. Like every other fint which Elc-him ning (vcr. l), on tho first day (ver. 3), and issued, this was in due time followed Ly again 011 tile fourth (vor. 14). The reference complete realisation. in the last of these verses is not to the Yer. 16.-And God made two great lighU. original creation of the matter of the s,1pra- Perhaps no part or the ma tern! uni'°erse more mundane spheres (Gerlach), which was per- irresistibly demands R snpreme .l ntelligence fonned in the beginning, nor to the first pro- as its only proper 01igin and cause. " Ele- duction of light, which was the specific work of gantissima hrecce solis, planet.arum et cornet- <lay one ; but to the permanent appointment arum compages non nisi consilio et dominio of the former to Le the place, or centre of ml ia- entis intelligentis et potentis oriri potuit" tion, for the latter. '£he purpose for which (Newton, 'Principia,' lib. iii. sub fin. E,1. this arrangement was designed, so for, at of Le Seur and Jacquier, vol. ii. p. 199). least, a.s the earth was concerned, was three- The greater light to rule (literally, to mi.lke fold :-1. To divide the day from the night. like ; hence to judge; then to rule. l,Jashal; Literally, betwce11 the day and the ni~ht ; cf. ,Baa,A,,'.,w-Gesenins) the day, and the or, as in ver. 18, to divide the light 1rom lesser light to rule the night. Tl1e gt·ea tcr the darkness, to continue and render per- light is obviously the sun, which is some- manent the separation and distinction which times denominated chammah, "the ,rn1m" was effected on the first day. 2. And let (Ps. xbr. 7 ; Isa. XX:."t. 26); sometimes cheres, them be for signs, and for seasons, and for "the glistering" (Joh ix. 7); bnt usually days, and years. The celestial lights were shemesh, "tho minister" (Deut. iv. 19; to serve-(1) For signs. Othiith, from oth, xxxiii. 14). Here it is described by its bnlk anything engraved, hence a mark (Gen. iv. or magnitude, which is larger than thnt of 15; 2 Kings xx. 8), is employed to designate the moon, the second of the two lnminaries, a poi·tent, or sign of warning or instruction which is also spoken of as great relatively to (Ps. !xv. 8; Isa. viii. 18; xx. 3; LXX., the stars, which, though in reality immensely aqµ.,iov; cf. Luke xxi. 25; Acts ii. 19), and exceeding it in size, yet appear like little here probably refers to the subsequen~ em- balls of light (kokhai·im) bestudding the blue 11loyrnent of the henvenly bodies "as marks canopy of night, and are so depicted-the or sign.s of importnnt changes and occur- Iliblical narrativo being geocentric and phe- rences in the kingdom of Providence" nomenal, not heliocentric or scientific. How (.Mncdo11ald). "That they may hnve been the work of tl.!is dav was effccte<l ,loes not designed also to subscrve important purposes fall within the writer's scope to declare, tho in the various economy of huma11 life, as in precise object of revelation being to teach affording signs to the mariner and husLand- not astronomy, or any other merely human man, is not improbable, though this is not gnosis, but religion. Accepting, however, so strictly the import of the original" the guidance of physical astronomy, we mny (Dush). Still less, of course, docs the word imngine that the cosmical light of day one, refer to medimval astrology or to modern which had up to this point continued either meteorology. (2) For seasons. Moradhim, encompassing onr globe like a luminous set times, from ya'ad, to indicate, definr, atmosphere, or existing at a distance from fix, is used of yearly returning periods (Gen. it, but in the plar.e of the earth's orbit, xvii. 21 ; xvii1. 14)-the timo of tho migrn- wns now, if in the first of these positions, tion of birds (Jer. viii. 7), the time of grndually broken up, doubtless through the festivals (Ps. civ. HI ; Zech. viii. 19). (3) shrinking of the earth's moss and the con- For daya and years, i. e. for tl18 calculation sequent lessening of its power of attraction of time. Luthor, Calvin, Mercer, Pisco.tor, and slowly drown off towards, and finally Delitzsch, lllurphy, ?.for<lonnld, et alii re- concrn•rntccl, as a photosphere round the  22 TTIF: noolt OF m:NER!R. [di. I, 14--10,