DISCOVERIES WITH SACRED HISTORY. 31 . 



We have farther mention of this ancient earth and ancient 

 sea in the ninth verse, in which the waters are commanded 

 to be gathered together into one place, and the dry land to 

 appear; this dry land being the same earth whose material 

 creation had been announced in the first verse, and whose 

 temporary submersion and temporary darkness are described 

 in the second verse; the appearance of the land and the 

 gathering together of the waters are the only facts affirmed 

 respecting them in the ninth verse, but neither land nor 

 waters are said to have been created on the third day. 



A similar interpretation may be given of the fourteenth 

 and four succeeding verses; what is herein stated of the 

 celestial luminaries seems to be spoken solely with reference 

 to our planet, and more especially to the human race, then 

 about to be placed upon it. We are not told that the sub- 

 stance of the sun and moon were first called into existence 

 upon the fourth day:"* the text may equally imply that 

 these bodies were then prepared, and appointed to certain 

 offices, of high importance to mankind ; " to give light upon 

 the earth, and to rule over the day, and over the night," " to 

 be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years." 

 The fact of their creation had been stated before in the first 

 verse. The stars also are mentioned (Gen. i. 16) in three 

 words only, almost parenthetically; as if for the sole pur- 

 pose of announcing, that they also were made by the same 

 Power, as those luminaries which arc more important to us, 

 the sun and moon.f This very slight notice of the count- 

 less host of celestial bodies, all of which are probably suns, 

 the centres of other planetary systems, whilst our little 

 satellite, the moon, is mentioned as next in importance to the 

 sun, shows clearly that astronomical phenomena are here 



parts of God's creation, or liad existed upon tliis eartii, before the darkness 

 described in v. 2, is foreign to the purpose of the narrative. 



* See notes, p. 27 and p. 30- 



t The literal translation of the words veclh haccocabim, is, " And the 

 stars." — E. B. Pusev, 



