Genesis 1:4

Καὶ εἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸ φῶς ὅτι καλόν· καὶ διεχώρισεν ὁ Θεὸς ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ φωτὸς καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σκότους.

And God saw the light that it was good, and God divided between the light and the darkness.

וירא אלהים את־האור כי־טוב ויבדל אלהים בין האור ובין החשׁך׃

* εἶδεν (Holmes; Lagarde; Tischendorf-Nestle; Rahlfs) | ἴδεν (Swete; Cambridge)
* divided OR separated

 

Morphology of the Septuagint

1. Καὶ (ke) (Erasmian: kai)

• Root: καί
• Form: Conjunction
• Lexical Meaning: “and”
• Contextual Notes: Connects phrases or clauses, introducing God’s action.

2. εἶδεν (íden) (Erasmian: eiden)

• Root: ὁράω
• Form: Verb, Aorist Active Indicative, 3rd Person Singular
• Parsing Details: Aorist tense, indicating a completed action in the past.
• Lexical Meaning: “saw”
• Contextual Notes: Refers to God perceiving or observing what He created.

3. ὁ (o) (Erasmian: ho)

• Root: ὁ
• Form: Definite Article, Nominative Singular Masculine
• Lexical Meaning: “the”
• Contextual Notes: Marks Θεὸς (God) as the subject.

4. Θεὸς (Theós) (Erasmian: Theós)

• Root: Θεός
• Form: Noun, Nominative Singular Masculine
• Parsing Details: Subject of εἶδεν (saw).
• Lexical Meaning: “God”
• Contextual Notes: Identifies the subject as the deity observing creation.

5. τὸ (to) (Erasmian: to)

• Root: ὁ
• Form: Definite Article, Accusative Singular Neuter
• Lexical Meaning: “the”
• Contextual Notes: Marks φῶς (light) as the direct object.

6. φῶς (fos) (Erasmian: phôs)

• Root: φῶς
• Form: Noun, Accusative Singular Neuter
• Lexical Meaning: “light”
• Contextual Notes: The object of God’s perception in this verse.

7. ὅτι (óti) (Erasmian: hóti)

• Root: ὅτι
• Form: Conjunction
• Lexical Meaning: “that”
• Contextual Notes: Introduces the reason or result clause describing light.

8. καλόν (kalón) (Erasmian: kalón)

• Root: καλός
• Form: Adjective, Accusative Singular Neuter
• Lexical Meaning: “good”
• Contextual Notes: Describes the light as pleasing or beneficial.

9. καὶ (ke) (Erasmian: kai)

• Root: καί
• Form: Conjunction
• Lexical Meaning: “and”
• Contextual Notes: Connects the observation of the light with the separation action.

10. διεχώρισεν (diechórisen) (Erasmian: diekhôrísen)

• Root: διαχωρίζω
• Form: Verb, Aorist Active Indicative, 3rd Person Singular
• Parsing Details: Aorist tense indicating a completed action.
• Lexical Meaning: “divided” or “separated”
• Contextual Notes: Indicates God’s action of distinguishing between light and darkness.

11. ὁ (o) (Erasmian: ho)

• Root: ὁ
• Form: Definite Article, Nominative Singular Masculine
• Lexical Meaning: “the”
• Contextual Notes: Marks Θεὸς (God) as the subject.

12. Θεὸς (Theós) (Erasmian: Theós)

• Root: Θεός
• Form: Noun, Nominative Singular Masculine
• Parsing Details: Subject of διεχώρισεν (divided).
• Lexical Meaning: “God”
• Contextual Notes: Identifies the subject performing the separation action.

13. ἀνὰ (aná) (Erasmian: aná)

• Root: ἀνά
• Form: Preposition
• Lexical Meaning: “between”
• Contextual Notes: Indicates the division between light and darkness.

14. μέσον (méson) (Erasmian: méson)

• Root: μέσος
• Form: Noun, Accusative Singular Neuter
• Lexical Meaning: “middle” or “midst”
• Contextual Notes: Specifies the midpoint or space in the division.

15. τοῦ (tou) (Erasmian: toú)

• Root: ὁ
• Form: Definite Article, Genitive Singular Neuter
• Lexical Meaning: “the”
• Contextual Notes: Modifies φωτὸς (light), marking it as the genitive object.

16. φωτὸς (fotós) (Erasmian: phôtós)

• Root: φῶς
• Form: Noun, Genitive Singular Neuter
• Lexical Meaning: “light”
• Contextual Notes: Represents the light as one half of the division between light and darkness.

17. καὶ (ke) (Erasmian: kai)

• Root: καί
• Form: Conjunction
• Lexical Meaning: “and”
• Contextual Notes: Connects the division of light with the division of darkness.

18. ἀνὰ (aná) (Erasmian: aná)

• Root: ἀνά
• Form: Preposition
• Lexical Meaning: “between”
• Contextual Notes: Indicates the separation of two distinct entities.

19. μέσον (méson) (Erasmian: méson)

• Root: μέσος
• Form: Noun, Accusative Singular Neuter
• Lexical Meaning: “middle” or “midst”
• Contextual Notes: Specifies the central space in the separation of light and darkness.

20. τοῦ (tou) (Erasmian: toú)

• Root: ὁ
• Form: Definite Article, Genitive Singular Neuter
• Lexical Meaning: “the”
• Contextual Notes: Modifies σκότους (darkness), marking it as the genitive object.

21. σκότους (skótous) (Erasmian: skótous)

• Root: σκότος
• Form: Noun, Genitive Singular Neuter
• Lexical Meaning: “darkness”
• Contextual Notes: Represents darkness as the opposite of light in the division God made.

 

Other Greek Versions

Gen 1:4 [Aquila of Sinope]
συν το φως. for Hebrew את האור ; LXX τὸ φῶς.
και διεχωρισεν ο Θεος μεταξυ του φωτος, και μεταξυ του σκοτους. for Hebrew ויבדל אלהים בין האור ובין החשׁך ; LXX καὶ διεχώρισεν ὁ Θεὸς ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ φωτὸς καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σκότους.

Gen 1:4 [Symmachus]
διεστειλεν for Hebrew יבדל ; LXX διεχώρισεν

 

Septuagint Manuscripts

Gen 1:4 [Codex Alexandrinus (A) (5th century)]1c1
καὶ εἶδεν ὁ ΘC τὸ φῶς ὅτι καλόν· Καὶ διεχώρισεν ὁ ΘC ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ φωτὸς καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σκότους.

 

Critical Apparatus :