Genesis 1:13

Berean Standard Bible

And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

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The Third Day's Work

The Spirit stirred the formless deep,

Where waters rolled in endless tide.

God spoke, and land from seas did creep,

Dry earth emerged, with valleys wide.

The evening passed, the morning glowed,

The third day’s frame, His will bestowed.

Then life He called from barren ground,

The grass, the herb, the fruitful tree,

Each seed to spread its kind around,

A verdant world, alive, set free.

No hand but His could weave such green,

A living stage, a holy scene.

And God beheld, and it was good,

The earth adorned in vibrant hue.

Day three complete, creation stood,

Its rhythm set, its purpose true.

From chaos shaped to order grand,

The world took form by His command.

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This brief verse concludes the account of the third day of creation in the Genesis creation narrative. At first glance, the wording might appear repetitive or formulaic, but it carries theological weight and structural significance. It marks the close of a creative cycle, punctuating the orderliness and intentional rhythm of God’s work in the formation of the cosmos.

The phrase “And there was evening and there was morning” is part of a refrain that appears six times in Genesis 1, each time concluding a day of creation (verses 5, 8, 13, 19, 23, and 31). This formula has led to various interpretations over the centuries, particularly about the nature of the “days” of creation and the implications for the passage’s genre and theological meaning. But regardless of one’s view on the duration or literalness of the days (whether 24-hour periods, symbolic epochs, or literary structures), this recurring phrase signifies the closure of a distinct phase of divine creative activity. It creates a rhythm, underscoring that creation is not chaotic or accidental, but ordered, deliberate, and purposeful.

The sequence “evening… morning” might seem inverted to modern readers, who usually reckon days from morning to evening. However, in ancient Hebrew thought and in the Jewish calendar still today, the day traditionally begins in the evening. This is evident, for example, in the timing of Sabbath observance—from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. The phrase may also symbolically suggest a movement from darkness to light, a theological pattern that aligns with the unfolding of creation as an emergence from formlessness and void (Genesis 1:2) into structure, life, and illumination. God’s creative work brings increasing form and fullness, and the pattern from evening to morning reflects a trajectory from obscurity and chaos to clarity and order.

The clause concludes with “the third day,” affirming that this is the third successive act in the divine work week. Each day in Genesis 1 is marked by a numbered conclusion, helping structure the text into a coherent, progressive framework. The third day is distinctive in that it includes a double creative act. Earlier in verses 9–10, God gathered the waters and caused dry land to appear, naming them “Earth” and “Seas.” Then in verses 11–12, God commanded the earth to bring forth vegetation—plants yielding seed and fruit trees bearing fruit. This is the first time God’s creative word results in something that grows and reproduces. It’s a transition from forming the environment to filling it with life that has the capacity to sustain itself and others.

In that sense, the third day carries symbolic significance throughout Scripture. It introduces the principle of life arising from the earth by God’s command—something that will later find theological echoes in Christ rising from the dead on the third day, and in agricultural metaphors used to describe resurrection (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:20, 36–38). The third day in Genesis sets a precedent for life, fruitfulness, and divine provision.

Another important dimension of the third day is that it is the first time God’s work is called “good” twice (once in verse 10 and again in verse 12). This double commendation of goodness highlights the value of what has been created—both the order of land and sea and the vitality of vegetation. It reinforces the view that creation is not only functional but also morally and aesthetically pleasing to God. This sets a theological foundation for understanding the created world not as an illusion or trap (as in some ancient worldviews) but as something intrinsically good, reflecting the character of the Creator.

Genesis 1:13, then, is not simply a closing phrase; it encapsulates the completion of a key stage in creation and prepares the reader for the days to come. The cumulative structure of Genesis 1 shows a pattern of forming (days 1–3) and filling (days 4–6). The third day completes the forming phase of the terrestrial world, making it ready to host creatures, including humanity, in the following days.

In summary, Genesis 1:13 functions both literarily and theologically. It concludes the third day with a rhythmic refrain that reinforces the order and cadence of God’s creative work. It subtly invites the reader to contemplate not only the chronology of creation but its direction—toward life, goodness, and a well-ordered world. It stands as a witness to the intentionality and precision of God’s design and the goodness of the world He is shaping, one day at a time.

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To the beloved of God in every land, to those who are called according to His purpose, who walk by faith and not by sight, who are sanctified in Christ Jesus and set apart for the Kingdom of light, grace and peace be multiplied to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I write to you not by the wisdom of men, but by the testimony of the Word of God which abides forever, and I urge you to consider again the foundation laid in the beginning, for the Spirit speaks through all Scripture to instruct, to correct, to strengthen, and to establish the people of God.

It is written in Genesis 1:13, “And the evening and the morning were the third day.” This verse, while brief in its words, is great in its meaning. For in these early words of the sacred record we see the order, the power, and the faithfulness of God displayed. Each day of creation did not unfold by accident nor by random force, but by the command of the Living God who speaks and it is done, who commands and it stands fast. The third day was not the first, nor the last, but it was appointed, defined, and completed by the sovereign hand of the Creator.

You must understand, dear brethren, that the days of creation reveal more than the structure of the natural world; they reveal the nature of our God and the pattern of His dealings with mankind. The third day speaks of progress, of order, and of divine intention. Just as each day followed the other with purpose and sequence, so too does the work of God unfold in our lives and in the history of redemption. There is no wasted moment in the plan of God, no forgotten day, no unordered season. Even the passage of “evening and morning” testifies that God governs both the darkness and the light, both the silence and the sound, both the trial and the triumph.

On the third day, God commanded the waters under the heavens to be gathered, and the dry land appeared. Then He called forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and trees bearing fruit. Out of chaos came order. Out of what was hidden came what was revealed. Out of what was barren came life. This is the work of our God—not only in the physical world but in the heart of every believer. He gathers the scattered. He brings form to what is formless. He causes fruit to spring forth where there was once only barrenness. He is not only the God of the beginning, but the God of progress and fulfillment.

Let this truth bring peace to the anxious and strength to the weary. Some of you find yourselves in the evening, and others in the morning. Some feel as though the waters still cover the land, and others are beginning to see the fruit. But know this: your season is not random. God has appointed your days, and His Word is still going forth. If you are in the evening, wait for the morning. If you are in the silence, trust that the voice of God is not far. If you are in the in-between, be steadfast, for He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. The third day came just as surely as the first, and the fourth followed the third. So too will His plan unfold for you.

Consider also the prophetic power of the third day. For it was on the third day that the earth began to bear fruit, and it was on the third day that our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead. In the creation, the third day marked the beginning of visible life; in the resurrection, the third day marked the triumph of eternal life. Thus, we see in this early verse a shadow of what was to come—that out of the depths would come deliverance, that from death would come life, and that what God declares finished will indeed be brought to pass.

Therefore, let your faith be grounded not in your emotions or your circumstances, but in the unchanging Word of God. If He spoke light into darkness, He can speak peace into your storm. If He caused the dry land to appear, He can bring stability to your life. If He called forth fruit from the earth, He can produce fruit in your soul. And if He raised Christ on the third day, then He is able to raise you from every form of death and despair. The same Spirit that hovered over the waters in the beginning now dwells in you, and the same voice that ordered the first day still speaks to your spirit today.

I exhort you, then, to walk not as those without hope, but as those who know the Author of time and the Governor of days. Let no one say, “God has forgotten me,” for He who ordered the evening and the morning has also numbered your days. Let no one say, “There is no purpose in my season,” for God brings beauty out of process and fruit out of waiting. Let no one rush ahead of the Lord, for every day has its purpose, and every purpose will be revealed in its appointed time.

Remain steadfast in faith, abounding in thanksgiving, rooted in the truth, and watchful in prayer. The God who began all things in the beginning is the God who finishes what He starts. He is not the author of confusion but of peace. He is not distant, but present. He is not silent, but speaking. And even now, His Spirit is working in you, bringing forth light, life, and order.

May the Lord strengthen you to endure your evening and embrace your morning. May He cause you to bear fruit in your season. May He keep you in the knowledge of His will and in the assurance of His Word. And may you never lose sight of this: that your days are written, your path is known, and your future is secured in the hand of the One who called light out of darkness and life out of the dust.

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Almighty God, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Sustainer of all that lives, and the One who holds time and seasons in Your hands, we come before You in reverence and thanksgiving. You are the God who spoke in the beginning, and it was so. You are the One who brings order out of chaos, light out of darkness, and fruitfulness out of what was empty and void. We worship You for Your wisdom, Your power, and Your unwavering faithfulness.

We thank You, Lord, for the words of Scripture that speak not only of what You have done but of who You are. In Genesis 1:13, we read, “And the evening and the morning were the third day.” We receive this not merely as history, but as revelation. You are the God of progression and purpose. You divide the times. You ordain the days. You establish boundaries. You fulfill what You begin. You bring forth life in Your appointed hour, and Your plans are not hindered by the passage of time or the resistance of creation.

We see, Lord, that on the third day You gathered the waters together and caused dry land to appear. You spoke, and it was so. You named the land and the seas, and You called forth vegetation—grass, herbs, trees bearing fruit after their kind. You caused the earth to yield what was hidden within it, and You looked upon it and saw that it was good. O Lord, we see Your hand of order, Your voice of authority, and Your work of fruitfulness. You, O God, are not the author of confusion but of design. And You are still speaking. You are still bringing forth, still forming, still calling into being those things which are not as though they were.

So we come to You in our generation, asking You to speak once more into our days. Bring forth order where there is confusion. Bring forth fruit where there is barrenness. Bring forth clarity where there is obscurity. As You formed creation in its time, form in us the likeness of Christ. As You gathered the waters and revealed what was beneath, gather the scattered pieces of our lives and reveal Your purpose through them. Where we see only evening, let us trust that morning is coming. Where we feel hidden beneath the waters of uncertainty, let us believe that You are preparing something to emerge.

Father, we confess that we do not always understand the structure of our seasons. We do not always see the progress of Your plan. But we know that You are the God who moves in days and works in time, and we believe that You have not abandoned the order of Your creation nor the direction of our lives. Let us trust You as the God who works in the evening and the morning. Let us not be discouraged by darkness, nor impatient in the waiting. Help us to endure the process, knowing that each day, whether seen or unseen, is filled with Your presence and governed by Your Word.

We ask You, Lord, to make the third day reality in us. Cause us to bear fruit in our appointed time. Let the hidden seeds of faith, obedience, and righteousness begin to rise. Let the roots of Your truth go deep in our hearts. Let the work of Your Spirit not be rushed but be complete. Give us patience in the evening and strength in the morning. Let us live in rhythm with Your design, not striving ahead in our flesh, but walking in step with Your voice.

We pray for Your Church, that she would be like the earth on the third day—gathered, revealed, and fruitful. Let her not remain buried beneath the waters of division, fear, or distraction. Call her forth. Establish her. Nourish her. Let the roots of holiness go deep, and let the fruit of righteousness be evident in every nation, tribe, and tongue. Let Your people be fruitful trees planted by the rivers of Your Word, bearing fruit in season and showing forth Your glory to a watching world.

Lord, we give You the evening and the morning of our own lives. We give You the uncertainty, the hidden things, the quiet processes, and the moments of clarity. We trust You with the days we do not understand, and we worship You for the days when we see clearly. We believe You are the same God who ordered creation in the beginning and who orders our steps even now.

May we walk before You with faith, knowing that every day You ordain is purposeful. May we not despise the process of formation, nor grow weary in the waiting, but may we trust that the third day always comes—bringing life, growth, and Your divine declaration that it is good.

We ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ, through whom all things were made, and in whom all things hold together,

Amen.