# Creation: 1st Day = 4th Day?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creation-1st-day-4th-day/270532>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 22, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creation-1st-day-4th-day/270532 "2004-10-22T02:23:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creation-1st-day-4th-day/270532/1 "2004-10-22T02:23:29Z")

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Both the 1st day and 4th day seem to describe the same thing regarding the separation of light from darkness. Allthough the 4th day provides more detail, what’s the deal with this? What is the accepted meaning to this? - Jinx

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**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creation-1st-day-4th-day/270532/2 "2004-10-22T02:45:07Z")

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It’s been noted by Jewish commentators that the first three days of Creation parallel the second three days.

On Day 1, light and darkness were created.  
On Day 4, the sun, moon and stars were created.

On Day 2, the heavens and oceans were created  
On Day 5, the birds and fish were created.

On Day 3, the dry land was created  
On Day 6, the creatures that inhabit the dry land were created.

Zev Steinhardt

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**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creation-1st-day-4th-day/270532/3 "2004-10-22T03:18:37Z")

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Ditto what **zev** said. Three days of forming. Three days of filling.

And the account in Genesis 2 focuses on the sixth day.

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**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creation-1st-day-4th-day/270532/4 "2004-10-22T23:39:25Z")

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> [@zev\_steinhardt](#):
>
> On Day 1, light and darkness were created.  
> On Day 4, the sun, moon and stars were created.

This distinction has been pointed out as one of the reasons that the account of creation is not scientifically or historically accurate, since we have light being created before light sources.

To which, some would say, but in the big bang, there was light before there were stars.

To which the reply is, did this light stay on one half of the universe separate from the dark side of the universe and rotate around each other on a 24 hour cycle? Because that’s what Genesis has in mind in order for their to be ‘days’ before the creation of the sun or earth.

Peace.

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**Author:** ![rwjefferson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a6a055/32.png) [@rwjefferson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rwjefferson)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creation-1st-day-4th-day/270532/5 "2004-10-23T00:07:55Z")

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Try this [link](http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/gen/1.html).  
rwj