The Definition of Light ( ‫)מָּ ֤אֹור‬

Peter Allison © 2023

Definition of Light
1. Origin of this discussion
This present discussion on the definition of light arises from within a broader discussion on whether the
moon emits visible light or only reflects visible light emitted by another source.

One view understands the plain reading of Genesis 1:14-16 (that God created two lights) to exclude the
possibility that the lights could just be reflectors of light and not emitters of light. Other similar passages
that speak of the moon’s light include Is. 13:10, 30:26, Ezek. 32:7, and Matt. 24:291. The basis of this
belief is that a body that merely reflects light does not meet the ordinary definition of a light. We’ll call
this the Emitted Light Only view or ELO.

The other view believes a plain reading of the text does not exclude the lights from being reflectors. The
basis of that belief is the understanding that a body that merely reflects light does meet the definition of
“a light”. We’ll call this the Reflected Light Allowed view or RLA.

While this question is similar to the debate over the “days” of Genesis 1 and 2, it is not analogous. In the
debate over the days, both sides agree on the definition of the word day (yom), but differ on which of
the several definitions of day apply to its usage in the text. The different definitions of day are illustrated
in the sentence, “In my father’s day, people could drive across the country in 5 days driving only during
the day.” The first usage of day in that sentence refers to an indefinite period of time. The second usage
to a 24 hour day, and the third usage to a the daylight portion of a 24 hour day. Determining which
definition of a word applies to a particular passage is an exegetical question. When expositors tell us
that they believe the days are long ages because science says the earth was formed over millions of
years, we rightly see these people engaging in exegesis that that puts science above God’s word, which
is an inherently unbiblical practice.

This question, however, is not an exegetical question as much as it is a linguistic question around the
meanings of the word and whether the linguistic range of the word “light” includes emitters and
reflectors of light or just emitters. The definition of a word is found through a search of extant literature
for how the word is used, without consideration of whether or not the resulting declaration of scripture
fits the majority scientific view. This paper addresses the question of whether or not the English word
“light” is restricted to just light emitters in common usage and writing. The other alternative is that
authors also commonly use the word “light” to refer to objects which only reflect light.

1
Isaiah 13:10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in
its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine. Isaiah 30:26 Moreover the light of the moon will be
as the light of the sun, And the light of the sun will be sevenfold, As the light of seven days, In the day that the
LORD binds up the bruise of His people And heals the stroke of their wound. Ezekiel 32:7 When I put out your
light, I will cover the heavens, and make its stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, And the moon shall not
give her light.
Matthew 24:29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not
give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
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 Definition of Light ( ‫)מָּ ֤אֹור‬

2. Designations & Definitions

Working definitions of emitted and reflected light are:

Emitted light (EL) is electromagnetic energy (i.e. light) that is transmitted (i.e. given off) by a body (i.e.
mass or matter) that is above 0 °K. The specific frequency and wavelength of the transmitted light varies
as a function of the temperature of the emitting body.
(Note: The term does not differentiate whether the source of the transmitted energy is from nuclear or
chemical reactions of the body’s mass or from incident electromagnetic energy that is absorbed by the
body.)

Reflected light (RL) is electromagnetic energy that is received from another body and retransmitted
without being absorbed by the transmitting body. The frequency and wavelength of the reflected
electromagnetic energy is identical to the frequency and wavelength of the incident electromagnetic
energy, assuming the bodies are moving much slower than the speed of light.

3. The Linguistic Question

Both the ELO and RLO views agree that Genesis 1:14-16 speaks of God creating two lights, a greater light
to rule the day and a lesser light to rule the night.

The difference between the views centers on whether the Hebrew word used for light ( ‫ )מָּ ֤אֹור‬can mean
reflected or emitted light (RLA) or whether it can only refer to emitted light (ELO). If it can only refer to
emitted light, then the light from the moon would have to be emitted light and not reflected light from
the sun. On the other hand, if the word can refer to bodies that emit or reflect light, then this passage of
scripture would not preclude moonlight from being reflected sunlight.

This is a linguistic question about the meaning of the Hebrew word ( ‫ )מָּ ֤אֹור‬used in Genesis 1:14-16 and
its corresponding English word, light or luminary. God gave us the Bible in the predominate language of
the church at the time it was written. The meaning of words used in the Bible is the meaning of those
words in the literature of their respective languages. Dictionaries determine the meaning of words by
how those words are used in the best writing of the day. Good dictionaries, such as the Oxford
Dictionary of the English language or Websters 1828 dictionary provide the citations to the literary
sources from which their definitions are derived.

When seeking to understand words in the Bible, the Bible becomes the first and most important source
for understanding how a particular word is used. This is because the Bible is the source of all truth,
including the definition of words. However dictionaries (or lexicons) can be very helpful where words, or
some of the various nuances of a word with a wide semantic range of meanings, are unfamiliar. There
are also many words that are only used once or twice in scripture, which is usually not enough get a
good sense of the word’s meaning. If the words are widely used in other literature, dictionaries become
helpful resources in providing definitions. So I’ll begin our exploration of the meaning of this word
(ma’or) with definitions from some Hebrew lexicons. Then we’ll look at what Christian writers
understood the word ma’or means and we’ll show examples where they used its English counterpart,
luminary, in their works. The purpose of reviewing these works is to understand the meaning of these
words. It is not to directly answer whether or not the moon reflects light.

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 Definition of Light ( ‫)מָּ ֤אֹור‬

4. Dictionary Definition of ‫מָ אֹור‬

Brown -Driver- Briggs, 1904
‫ – מָ אֹור‬noun, masculine – luminary
absolute – Genesis 1:16 & other places; [i.e. used as an absolute. -PA]
construct ‫ – ְמאֹור‬Proverbs 15:30 (‫) ְמאֹור־עֵי ַניִם‬: the luminary of the eyes gives the light of joy to the heart
(The eyes are called a light or luminary).
Psalm 90:8 (‫) ְמאֹור ָפנֶיָך‬: the luminary of thy face in the light of which the secrets are exposed.(God’s face
is called a light or luminary). 2

The face of God and the eyes are called luminaries because they give light. These are not metaphorical.
The face of God will light the New Jerusalem eliminating the need for a sun; that light is reflected in the
eyes of those in whom the Spirit dwells. See attached letter from a modern missionary describing the
visible light in the face and eyes of a person who has been given light by the Holy Spirit.

Gesenius, 1825
‫ מָ אֹור‬masculine
1. Light. Applied to the sun and moon.
2. Candlestick

Figure 1: Gesenius, Trans. Christopher Leo, 1825

The root word of ma’or is the word for light (‘or) e.g. Gen 1:3 – “Then God said, ‘Let there be light.’”
They are so closely related that many lexicons list ma’or under the primary listing for light (‘or). A later
edition of Gesenius refers the reader to the entry for light to explain the difference between these two
words for light.

2
BDB, s.v. “‫אֹור‬,” 22.
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 Definition of Light ( ‫)מָּ ֤אֹור‬

Figure 2: Gesenius, 1857, entry for ma’or

Under the entry for (֙‫ )אֹור‬is the following explanation:

“Wherein it differs from

(‫ ) מָּ ֑אֹור‬is shown by Gen 1:3;
compare verses 14, 16. Thus
(‫ )ּ ָּ֑אֹור‬is light everywhere
diffused, such as that of the
day, and the sun, while
(‫ )מָּ ֑אֹור‬is properly that which
affords light, a luminary,
and thus it can take a plural
number…”
Figure 3: Gesenius, 1857, entry for light

Ludwig Koehler & Walter Baumgartner, 2000, The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament
‫מָ אֹור‬, ‫ מָ אֹ ר‬Ex 256; ‫אור‬, Bauer-L. Heb. 491g; MHeb.: ‫ ְמאֹור‬, ‫אֹורים‬ ִ ‫ ְמ‬, ‫ ְמאֹ )ֹו(רֹות‬, ‫אֹורי‬
ֵ ‫ ְמ‬, masc.: —1. source of light,
‫אֹורי אֹור‬
ֵ ‫ ְמ‬Ezk 328; —2. luminous body, a) luminary, the sun Ps 7416, sun and moon Gn 114–16; 11Q Ps 1367
Psa (DJD 4, p. 36, 10) ‫ מאורות‬for ‫אֹורים‬ ִ ; ? glance ‫אֹורי‬
ֵ ‫ ְמ‬, cj. Song 49 for ‫ →( אחד‬Rudolph); b) luminaries (→
‫נֹורה‬
ָ ‫ ) ְמ‬Ex 256 2720 358.14.28 3937 Lv 242 Nu 49.16; —3. ‫ ְמאֹור עֵי ַניִם‬sparkling, bright eyes Pr 1530 (parallel with
‫) ְשמּועָה טֹובָ ה‬, ‫ ְמ׳ ָפנִים‬radiant countenance Ps 908. †3
(Emphasis added to more easily identify the basic definition.)

3
HALOT, s.v. “‫מָאֹר‬ ‫מָאֹור‬,” 2:539.
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 Definition of Light ( ‫)מָּ ֤אֹור‬

Brenner, 2005, Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible

Figure 4: Brenner, 2005

Matthew Poole, Commentary on the Bible

Matthew Poole makes an interesting grammatical point about mem being prefixed to a word – adding
the mem prefix denotes ma’or to be an instrument by which light is disbursed.

5. Summary
So in summary, for at least the past 2000 years, there is no disagreement among any of the Hebrew
lexicons that I found that ma’or means luminary or light.

A luminary is defined by Webster, 1913, as:

“1. Any body that gives light, especially one of the heavenly bodies.

‘Radiant luminary.’ Skelton”

‘Where the great luminary dispenses light from afar,’ Milton.4

This same dictionary defines moon as “a secondary planet, whose light, borrowed from the sun, is
reflected to the earth, and serves to dispel the darkness of night.”

This implies the editors of this dictionary understand the meaning of the English word luminary (a body

4Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, s.v. “Luminary Luminaries,” paragraph 148720.

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 Definition of Light ( ‫)מָּ ֤אֹור‬

which gives light) to include a body that is primarily a reflector of light.

In order to verify this definition, we’ll look next at how a few Christian authors have used the word
“luminary” in their writings. I have selected men who are faithful expositors of the Bibles and not
compromised with unbelief or occult. Many have endured some measure of persecution for their belief
in scriptures that were contrary the prevailing views of the day.

While some of these men rejected the Copernican theory of cosmology, they all believed the moon was
a reflector. However the selections from their material do not, and are not intended to, prove or
disprove whether the moon is a reflector or not. The point of these selections is to show what they
understood me’or and luminary to mean.

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 Definition of Light ( ‫)מָּ ֤אֹור‬

Christian Expositors
1. John Maynard
John Maynard was a Westminster divine (i.e. a minister who was a member of the Westminster
Assembly that authored the Westminster Confession, catechisms and directories.) His commentary on
Genesis is helpful in this discussion because it reveals how a reliable Christian author understands and
uses the words “gives light” and “reflects light.”

In his 1668 commentary on Genesis, Mr. Maynard regards a body reflecting the light of the sun as
synonymous with giving light. Maynard’s work assumes the reader understands that the moon reflected
light. Otherwise none of his analogies would work . Believing the moon reflected light and writing to
people who believed the moon reflected sunlight, he describes the moon as giving light. His belief is not
a proof one way or the other of whether the moon is a reflector of sunlight or not. But it as a linguistic
data point establishing the meaning of luminary as including a body that reflects light.

The numbered text below is a transcription of his commentary. The picture of the source document
is on the left.

2. The moon in respect of the sun is as the church in respect of Christ; the moon borrows her light of
the sun: so does the church her graces, righteousness, and all her happiness of Christ, the Sun of
Righteousness. What a poor creature is the moon! How dark is it when the earth comes between the
sun and her! [i.e. lunar eclipse – PA] How empty would the church be of all light, grace, comfort, if Christ
should be hidden from her! When the
moon is most enlightened by the sun, yet
there are some dark spots to be discerned
in her; so when the church is most
replenished with the beams of the Sun of
Righteousness, viz. the graces of Christ
Jesus, yet she has her spots in this life
which shall never wholly be done away
until the life to come, when she shall be
presented by Christ to the Father, not
having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing.
And therefore to imagine a church on
earth free from all blemishes is to fancy a
moon without spots.

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 Definition of Light ( ‫)מָּ ֤אֹור‬

3. As the moon having received light from the sun, gives light to others, so that they see by the light of
the sun shining in the moon, and then reflecting from the moon upon the Creatures here below: so the
church, and every true
member of it, having
received the light of
heavenly knowledge and
sanctification from the
sun, must cause this light
to shine before men, that
they may see his good
works, and so be moved
to glorify his Father which
is in Heaven; yea, to
glorify Christ Jesus, who is
the Sun from whom the
light which shines in their
hearts is derived and
received. And to be
wholly dark, and void of
the fruits of holiness is an
argument that we have
no communion with
Christ Jesus. You must
therefore shine to others
by an holy example, that
they which will not see by
the Sunshine of the word,
may yet see by the
moonlight of their lives
derived from this sun.

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 Definition of Light ( ‫)מָּ ֤אֹור‬

4. Again, as you see the moon to shine in a very dark night; as it cannot choose but to shine having
received light from the sun; so in the midst of a most crooked generation in evil times, in places that
abound with children of darkness, and works of darkness, a Christian must not forbear to shine in
holiness, having received light from Jesus Christ.

5. The moon cares not, though thievish persons hate her light, because it discovers their works of
darkness, neither does she cease to shine because the dogs bark at her. So a Christian having received
light from Christ must not care though the wicked are offended at that light which shineth in his life,
whereby their contrary practices are discovered the more clearly to be hateful works of darkness. .
Neither must he cease to show forth this light, because the doggish tongues of wicked railers and
scoffers be moved against him. Keep on in your course as the moon does all this while and let your light
shine before men, that even the night walkers and children of darkness may be converted and
convinced by it.

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 Definition of Light ( ‫)מָּ ֤אֹור‬

6. As the moon by being

eclipsed does show that the
light it has is not its own, but is
received from the sun, in as
much as the body of the earth
coming between the sun and it
is seen to take away her light;
which, if she had of herself, she
needed not to look toward
another for it, so also the
eclipse and intermission of the
acts of grace and motions of
the spirit in a Christian, do
often times make it manifest to
himself, an sometimes to
others too, that the light which
he has is not of himself, but
received from Christ, at whose
pleasure it is either imparted or
denied. Therefore you learn to
work this good out of evil, even
by your failings to see your
emptiness, and to give glory to
him by whose free grace you
are what you are.

7. Again, as the moon is unconstant and full of changes, yet still receives some light,… so the church has
been in an unsonstant unsettled position, is full of changes, yet never without some light. She is
sometime waxing, sometimes
waning, sometimes flourishing
in grace, and in the purity and
plenty of the word preached,
like the full moon; and then
again declining, then again
renewing. So that although the
moon be always visible, yet is
she sometimes but darkly
visible; so the church is always
visible unto them who have
eyes to see her, but at
sometimes she makes a
dimmer appearance than at
other.

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8. Moreover, as the moon when she is in conjunction with the sun, does then shine less unto us than
when she is in opposition one half space of heaven distant from it – for when she is joined with the sun
she is at the change, but
when there is this
diametrical opposition she is
at the full – so when Christ
was here in the flesh
conversing with the Church,
it was then but in mean
condition even in the change
from Judaism to
Christianism, so that now
presently it became a new
moon, changed from a
Jewish synagogue to a
Christian church but in short
time after his ascension
through his Spirit abundantly
poured down upon it. When
there was a diametrical
opposition between Him and
it, then it was at the full. And
therefore he told them
aforehand that it was
expedient he should go away
from them, and then he
would send the Comforter,
even his blessed Spirit,
whereby they should be
made to shine the more
brightly in knowledge and
graces than before while he
was with them.

These selections show he

didn’t see any contradiction in saying the moon reflected light and that the moon was a giver of light
and he didn’t expect his readers to see an contradiction either. In other words, he considered an object
that reflected light to be a luminary.

2. John Calvin
Calvin, who believed the moon reflected sunlight, nevertheless said that the moon gave light to the
world, writing of Psalm 105, “He does not intend to include as among these wonders, that the sun,

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moon, and stars, daily rise to give light to the world.”5 Whether he’s right or wrong about the moon is
irrelevant to this discussion. Right or wrong, he is an example of a literate man, fluent in many
languages, including French, Greek, Hebrew, and Latin, who believed a reflector of light was a luminary
that “give light”.

3. Henry Ainsworth
Mr. Ainsworth was a Puritan persecuted for the faith leading him to flee to Amsterdam in 1593
where he labored as a pastor and teacher. One of his many contributions to Christian literature was his
metrical version of the Psalms used by the separatists in the Netherlands and carried by the Pilgrims to
Plymouth Plantation two years before his death. He was widely recognized as a learned Biblical
commentator and a brilliant Hebraist. Like Bunyan, he suffered persecution from other believing
Christians for his separatist views, but he was certainly not compromised with unbelief or masonic
occult ideas.

In his Annotations on the Pentateuch (the full title of which is: Wherein the Hebrew words and
sentences are compared with & explained by the ancient Greek and Chaldee versions, but chiefly by
conference with the Holy Scriptures) he writes regarding Genesis 1:14:

Genesis 1:14, 16: Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the
day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; … Then God made
two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars
also.

“Lights, or lighters, that is

lightsome bodies, or instruments that
show light. This name Paul applies to
the saints that shine in the world,6
Philippians 2:15.

For signs, to signify things, both

natural and ordinary; and
extraordinary, for mercy and judgment.
Luke 11:25, Acts 2:19, 20, Psalms 65:9 ”

5
John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries (Complete), trans. John King,. (Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1847),
paragraph 15830.
6
I was not aware of his usage here when I made the same connection in the following paragraph, Do people reflect
light.
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Do People Reflect the Glory of God?

The LXX translates the Hebrew word for light in verse Genesis 1:16 as φωστῆρα (phōstēra is the
accusative singular form of phōstēr). This is the same word used in Philippians 2:15 where children of
God are said to shine as lights in the world. However, Christians are not the source of the light
themselves. The light we give off is given to us by God. (See John 8:12 - Then Jesus spoke to them again,
saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of
life.” 2 Corinthians 4:6 - For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone
in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Ephesians
5:14 - Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”)

When a body gives off light, it is said to shine. When it gives off light that was given to it by another
source, it is said to reflect light. The dictionary defines reflected as:

Reflected, adjective.

1. Thrown back after striking a surface; as, reflected light, heat, sound, etc.
2. Hence: Not one’s own; received from another; as, his glory was reflected glory. 7

The scriptures tell us (Phil 2:15) that we shine as lights (i.e. give off light), and that the light we give
off has been given to us (Eph 5:14). Giving off light that we have been given is, by definition, reflection.
This is why Christian writers have long said we are reflectors of God’s light or glory.

For example, in his commentary of Colossians 3:10 Calvin says, “Now, the image of God resides in
the whole of the soul, inasmuch as it is not the reason merely that is rectified, but also the will. Hence,
too, we learn, on the one hand, what is the end of our regeneration, that is, that we may be made like
God, and that his glory may shine forth in us; and, on the other hand, what is the image of God, of which
mention is made by Moses in Genesis 9:6, the rectitude and integrity of the whole soul, so that man
reflects, like a mirror, the wisdom, righteousness, and goodness of God. He speaks somewhat differently
in the Epistle to the Ephesians [Ephesians 4:24], but the meaning is the same. Paul, at the same time,
teaches, that there is nothing more excellent at which the Colossians can aspire, inasmuch as this is our
highest perfection and blessedness to bear the image of God.8 Commenting on Psalm 105 he says, “He
does not intend to include as among these wonders, that the sun, moon, and stars, daily rise to give light
to the world.9

As Matthew Poole noted, the addition of mem to a root can signify instrumentality. If our eyes are
called a ma’or (a word formed by adding a mem to the word for light) that would make us instruments
of light. As instruments of God’s light we give light that has been given to us by Christ. Since giving light
that has been given to us is the definition of reflection, we are rightly said to be reflectors of God’s glory.

7
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, s.v. “Reflected,” paragraph 201893.
8
John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries (Complete), trans. John King, (Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1847), paragraph
91182.
9
John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries (Complete), trans. John King,. (Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1847), paragraph
15830.
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1. Concluding Thoughts
None of the foregoing discussion does anything to prove one way or the other whether the moon is
a reflector of the sun’s light or not. What it does seek to show is that linguistically me’or can be used of
light reflectors as well as emitters. This was shown by

1. The linguistic range of the Hebrew word me’or includes bodies which reflect light
2. The scriptures use me’or to refer to bodies that reflect light when they use that word of the
eye and of people. They also use the word to refer to bodies that emit light when they use that
word of the sun and of the face of God.

While the difference between light emitters and light reflectors is very real, it is not the huge
differentiator that some are trying make it. Take an ordinary light in a typical house, for example. It is a
light emitter. But it is an emitter of electromagnetic energy that was received in real time from another
source of electromagnetic energy (i.e. electricity). The incoming energy is absorbed and then re-
transmitted. The moment that incoming energy source is cut off, the light goes out. The heating
elements in a toaster oven are light emitters. But they only emit when they receive electromagnetic
energy (i.e. electricity) from an outside source. When that source is removed, they quickly cease to emit
visible light. Another light emitter is an ingot of steel heated in a blast furnace. It receives thermal
energy which is absorbed and retransmitted as visible light. When it is removed from the blast furnace,
it’s light soon fades away. So the mere fact that a light reflector goes dark when the incoming light is cut
off is no different than many light emitters.

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