After this, the waters which covered the earth-disk, under the
firmament, were drawn away into certain regions, which became
seas, while the part laid bare became dry land. In accordance
with the notion, universally accepted in antiquity, that moist
earth possesses the potentiality of giving rise to living
beings, the land, at the command of Elohim, "put forth" all
sorts of plants. They are made to appear thus early, not, I
apprehend, from any notion that plants are lower in the scale of
being than animals (which would seem to be inconsistent with the
prevalence of tree worship among ancient people), but rather
because animals obviously depend on plants; and because, without
crops and harvests, there seemed to be no particular need of
heavenly signs for the seasons.

These were provided by the fourth day's work. Light existed
already; but now vehicles for the distribution of light, in a
special manner and with varying degrees of intensity, were
provided. I conceive that the previous alternations of light and
darkness were supposed to go on; but that the "light" was
strengthened during the daytime by the sun, which, as a source
of heat as well as of light, glided up the firmament from the
east, and slid down in the west, each day. Very probably each
day's sun was supposed to be a new one. And as the light of the
day was strengthened by the sun, so the darkness of the night
was weakened by the moon, which regularly waxed and waned every
month. The stars are, as it were, thrown in. And nothing can
more sharply mark the doctrinal purpose of the author, than the
manner in which he deals with the heavenly bodies, which the
Gentiles identified so closely with their gods, as if they were
mere accessories to the almanac.