In verses 3-5 we have the first and most complete poetic structure of the narration of God’s creative acts. Verse 3 contains the introduction, the command, and the completion of the first act.

And God said …: And marks the beginning of a series of separate events and at the same time indicates that what follows is the next in the series. Accordingly Good News Translation and others say “Then God commanded.” Some translators prefer to omit any formal connective and instead begin a new paragraph, as in New Jerusalem Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy. For comments on God, ʾelohim, see verse 1.

Said and the other verbs throughout this passage are in the standard forms for narrative in Hebrew. They are rendered quite naturally in the past tense in English versions; but translators are advised to consider very carefully which aspect and tense of the verb is most appropriate for this type of narrative in their own language, and not copy unthinkingly the forms that are found in English or some other major language. See comments under the discussion of narrated report at the opening of this chapter, page 21. See also “Discourse types in Genesis” in “Translating Genesis,” page 5.

Let there be light: Let indicates in English a command addressed to someone in the third person, in contrast to “let” meaning to permit. Therefore Good News Translation and others translate God said as “God commanded.” It is apparent that God did not address this command to an agent who should carry out the order. Consequently in some languages it will not be possible to use a word meaning to command that will require a person or other living being to do what is commanded. It may therefore be necessary to say “God said to himself” or “God said these words to himself.” It is also possible to express this command as an indirect quotation: “God said that the light should appear.” It may also be possible to make the light the object of the command and say, for example, “God commanded the light to appear” or “God spoke and commanded the light to appear.”

Light translates the ordinary Hebrew word that is the opposite of darkness in Gen 1.2. In languages that distinguish various lights according to the nature of their source or their quality, it will be best to use the most general word, even if the source of such light is the sun. It is important, of course, to remember that no source of light had yet been created, such as the sun or moon. The point is that light is being distinguished from darkness, as is made clear in Gen 1.4. The command may also be rendered “Light must now shine,” “There must be light,” “Light, appear!” or “Light, you now come on!”

And there was light: these words record the completion of the first act of creation. In Hebrew they are identical to the words of God’s command, suggesting that it happened exactly as God had said. Translators should try to convey this feature of the text, either by keeping the form of this expression as close as possible to the form of the command, or by expressing it directly in other words. For instance, one translation says “And the light appeared, just as he had said.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .