King James Bible
"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day."
God exercises sovereign authority by naming both light and darkness, establishing the fundamental rhythm of time. In ancient Near Eastern thought, naming demonstrated dominion and purpose—God transforms primordial elements into an ordered system that will govern human existence. This phrase establishes the Hebrew pattern of reckoning days from sunset to sunset, with evening preceding morning. It marks the completion of God's first creative act and introduces the seven-day structure that will frame the entire creation narrative.