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The Septuagint 1.16 · 1.16

Two great lights

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καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τοὺς δύο φωστῆρας τοὺς μεγάλους, τὸν φωστῆρα τὸν μέγαν εἰς ἀρχὰς τῆς ἡμέρας καὶ τὸν φωστῆρα τὸν ἐλάσσω εἰς ἀρχὰς τῆς νυκτός, καὶ τοὺς ἀστέρας.

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καὶkaìandἐποίησενepoíēsenmadehotheθεὸςtheòsGodτοὺςtoùstheδύοdýotwoφωστῆραςphōstêraslightsτοὺςtoùstheμεγάλουςmegálousgreat,τὸνtòntheφωστῆραphōstêralightτὸνtòntheμέγανmégangreaterεἰςeisforἀρχὰςarkhàsdominionτῆςtêstheἡμέραςhēmérasof the dayκαὶkaìandτὸνtòntheφωστῆραphōstêralightτὸνtòntheἐλάσσωelássōlesserεἰςeisforἀρχὰςarkhàsdominionτῆςtêstheνυκτόςnyktósof the night,καὶkaìandτοὺςtoùstheἀστέραςastérasthe stars.

The setting

The sun and moon are made but, strikingly, never named as such — only “the greater light” and “the lesser light,” ruling by turn. ἀρχάς, “dominion/rule,” is the very word ἀρχή from 1:1 now in its other common sense — not “beginning” but “principality, government” (compare Luke 12:11, Titus 3:1, of civil “rulers”).

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The Septuagint 1.16 — The Great Library Project interlinear edition · greatlibraryproject.com/book/septuagint/1.16/