Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· γενηθήτω φῶς. καὶ ἐγένετο φῶς.
And God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light.
ויאמר אלהים יהי אור ויהי־אור׃
Other Greek Versions
Gen 1:3 [Aquila of Sinope]
γενεσθω φως· και εγενετο φως.
Gen 1:3 [Symmachus]
εστω φως· και εγενετο φως.
Gen 1:3 [Theodotion]
γενηθήτω φῶς· καὶ ἐγένετο φῶς.
Morphology of the Septuagint
1. Καὶ (ke)
- Root: καί
- Form: Conjunction
- Lexical Meaning: “and”
- Contextual Notes: Connects phrases or clauses, here introducing God’s command.
2. εἶπεν (ípen)
- Root: λέγω
- Form: Verb, Aorist Active Indicative, 3rd Person Singular
- Parsing Details: Aorist tense, indicating a completed action in the past.
- Lexical Meaning: “said”
- Contextual Notes: Represents God’s act of speaking creation into existence.
3. ὁ (o)
- Root: ὁ
- Form: Definite Article, Nominative Singular Masculine
- Lexical Meaning: “the”
- Contextual Notes: Marks Θεός (God) as the subject.
4. Θεός (Theós)
- Root: Θεός
- Form: Noun, Nominative Singular Masculine
- Parsing Details: Subject of εἶπεν (said).
- Lexical Meaning: “God”
- Contextual Notes: Identifies the speaker as the deity, performing the act of creation.
5. γενηθήτω (yenithíto)
- Root: γίνομαι
- Form: Verb, Aorist Passive Imperative, 3rd Person Singular
- Parsing Details: Aorist imperative indicates a command for an event to happen immediately.
- Lexical Meaning: “Let there be”
- Contextual Notes: Divine command for light to come into existence.
6. φῶς (fos)
- Root: φῶς
- Form: Noun, Nominative Singular Neuter
- Lexical Meaning: “light”
- Contextual Notes: The object of creation, representing illumination or the first act of creation.
7. καὶ (ke)
- Root: καί
- Form: Conjunction
- Lexical Meaning: “and”
- Contextual Notes: Connects the command with its fulfillment.
8. ἐγένετο (eyéneto)
- Root: γίνομαι
- Form: Verb, Aorist Middle Indicative, 3rd Person Singular
- Parsing Details: Aorist tense indicates a completed action; middle voice shows the result of God’s command.
- Lexical Meaning: “there was” or “it came to be”
- Contextual Notes: Expresses the fulfillment of God’s command for light to exist.
9. φῶς (fos)
- Root: φῶς
- Form: Noun, Nominative Singular Neuter
- Lexical Meaning: “light”
- Contextual Notes: Repeats the object of the command, showing that light indeed came into existence as commanded.
Septuagint Manuscripts
Gen 1:3 [Codex Alexandrinus (A) (5th century)]1c1
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ΘC; γενηθήτω φῶς καὶ ἐγένετο φῶς
Critical Apparatus :
LXX Editions:
- Robert Holmes (1798)
- Paul Anton de Lagarde (1868)
- Tischendorf-Nestle (1880)
- Henry Barclay Swete (1887)
- Cambridge (Alan England Brooke & Norman McLean) (1906)]