What does Genesis 1:4 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Darkness was not a creation like light but the absence of light (cf. Genesis 1:2). Darkness (Heb. hosek) in Scripture often connotes evil (cf. Exodus 10:21-23; 1 Samuel 2:9; Job 3:4-5; Psalm 35:6; Joel 2:2). [source][source]

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Moses presented God as knowing what was good for man (wise) and as providing that for him (loving). This not only reveals aspects of the Creator"s character, but it also prepares the reader for the tragedy of the Fall (ch3). [source][source]

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Context Summary

All beginnings must begin with God. Always put God first. The first stone in every building, our first thought every morning, the first aim and purpose of all activity. Begin the book of the year with God, and you will end it with the glory of the New Jerusalem. At first, as in the physical creation, your heart and life may seem to be "without form and void." Do not be discouraged, the Spirit of God is within you, brooding amid the darkness, and presently His Light will shine through. It is the blessed presence of the Lord Jesus that stirs in your heart and will presently rule your life, John 1:4. His Presence divides between the good and evil. You must distinguish between Christ and self. Follow the gleam, and you shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. God's days begin in evenings, and always end in mornings. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 1

¹  God creates heaven and earth;
³  the light;
⁶  the firmament;
⁹  separates the dry land;
¹⁴  forms the sun, moon, and stars;
²⁰  fishes and fowls;
²⁴  cattle, wild beasts, and creeping things;
²⁶  creates man in his own image, blesses him;
²⁹  grants the fruits of the earth for food