On the fourth day thou didst command the brightness of the sun, the light of the moon, and the arrangement of the stars to come into being: See Gen 1.14-19. The translation of this verse must not imply that the sun and moon already existed and were here commanded to shine. Rather, God commanded them to exist. The arrangement of the stars refers to the constellations—the unchanging patterns that the stars have in the sky. This phrase may be rendered “the stars, arranged in their patterns [or, constellations].” An alternative model for this verse is:

• “On the fourth day you commanded the bright sun and the shining moon [or, the moon with its light] to come into being. You also created the stars and arranged them in patterns.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.