OET interlinear GEN 1:14

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-quotations

וַ⁠יֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים

(Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_said ʼElohīm let_it_be lights in_the=firmament the=heavens to=separate between the=day and=between the=night and=they_will_be to/for=signs and=to/for=seasons and=to/for=days and=years )

Alternate translation: [Then God commanded]

יְהִ֤י מְאֹרֹת֙

let_it_be lights

These lights refer to the sun, the moon, and stars that give off light. But it is important to keep this general in your translation (like the Hebrew text does) and not specify the names of these lights. Alternate translation: [Let there be objects that give light]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicitinfo

בִּ⁠רְקִ֣יעַ הַ⁠שָּׁמַ֔יִם

(Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_said ʼElohīm let_it_be lights in_the=firmament the=heavens to=separate between the=day and=between the=night and=they_will_be to/for=signs and=to/for=seasons and=to/for=days and=years )

It might seem that the expression the expanse of the heavens contains extra information that would not be natural to express in your language. If so, you could shorten it. The expanse is the same thing as the heavens ([verse 8](../01/08.md)), so some translations leave the expanse of implied here. Alternate translation: [in the space of the sky] or [in the open space of the sky] or [in the heavens]

לְ⁠הַבְדִּ֕יל

(Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_said ʼElohīm let_it_be lights in_the=firmament the=heavens to=separate between the=day and=between the=night and=they_will_be to/for=signs and=to/for=seasons and=to/for=days and=years )

Alternate translation: [to divide] or [that separate]

וְ⁠הָי֤וּ לְ⁠אֹתֹת֙

and=they_will_be to/for=signs

Alternate translation: [Let those lights also be] or [They will also serve as markers] or [I also command those lights to serve as]

וּ⁠לְ⁠מ֣וֹעֲדִ֔ים וּ⁠לְ⁠יָמִ֖ים וְ⁠שָׁנִֽים

and=to/for=seasons and=to/for=days (Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_said ʼElohīm let_it_be lights in_the=firmament the=heavens to=separate between the=day and=between the=night and=they_will_be to/for=signs and=to/for=seasons and=to/for=days and=years )

The sun and moon show the passing of time. For example, the 30-day month is determined by the phases of the moon, and the 365-day year is determined by the time it takes for the earth to travel around the sun. The seasons are regular times of the year, such as seed-planting and harvesting times, and the seasons of spring, summer, fall and winter (Genesis [8:22](../08/22.md)), as well as the special festivals which God appointed for his people to meet with him. You could put some of that information in a footnote.