Did God create physical darkness during creation?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

In the Coptic Orthodox understanding of the Hexaemeron (the six days of creation), God did not create physical darkness as a positive "substance" or a material entity. Rather, physical darkness is defined as the absence of light.

1. Darkness as an Absence, Not an Essence

According to the teachings of the Church Fathers, such as St. Basil the Great and St. John of Damascus, God is the Creator of all "substances." However, darkness does not have its own substance. When Genesis 1:2 states that "darkness was upon the face of the deep," it describes the state of the world before the command "Let there be light".

St. John of Damascus clarifies that God did not "make" darkness in the same way He made the sun or the earth; instead, darkness is the natural shadow or the state of a place where light has not yet been introduced or is currently obstructed. As noted in the writings of the Fathers, God produced the primordial light on the first day, and by doing so, He defined the boundaries of what we perceive as darkness.

2. The Division of Light and Darkness

Genesis 1:4 states: "And God divided the light from the darkness." From a theological perspective, God "created" the order and the cycle of darkness, but not the darkness itself as a thing. By creating the luminaries (the sun, moon, and stars) on the fourth day, He established a system where darkness serves a purpose for the rest of creation.

As seen in the writings of St. Ephrem the Syrian, the light rendered its service for three days before being concentrated into the celestial bodies. The darkness that follows the setting of the sun is simply the earth's shadow. God saw that the light was "good," but the Scriptures do not explicitly say that the darkness was "good" in the same sense, because darkness is a privation (a lack) of light.

3. God's Authority over Darkness

Even though it is an absence of light, God is the Master of it. The Prophet Isaiah (45:7) says, "I form the light and create darkness." In this context, "create" refers to God's sovereign control over the natural cycles and His use of darkness as a tool for His Providence (such as providing rest for the body or using it as a "dark side" of judgment to discipline the world).

Conclusion

From the Coptic perspective:

• Source of Being: God is the source of all being and light.
• Nature of Darkness: Physical darkness is the privation (absence) of light. It was there because light had not yet been summoned, and it remains there whenever light is withdrawn.
• The Liturgical View: In our prayers, we worship the One who "brought us out of darkness into His marvelous light." We view darkness not as a co-eternal power or a created "thing," but as the veil that is removed by the presence of God.