GEN 1

Genesis 1:21

WEB

God created the large sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. God saw that it was good.

BSB

So God created the great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters teemed according to their kinds, and every bird of flight after its kind. And God saw that it was good.

KJV

And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Matthew Henry

Verses 20–23

Genesis 1:20–23

Each day, hitherto, has produced very noble and excellent beings, which we can never sufficiently admire; but we do not read of the creation of any living creature till the fifth day, of which these verses give us an account. The work of creation not only proceeded gradually from one thing to another, but rose and advanced gradually from that which was less excellent to that which was more so, teaching us to press towards perfection and endeavour that our last works may be our best works. It was on the fifth day that the fish and fowl were created, and both out of the waters. Though there is one kind of flesh of fishes, and another of birds, yet they were made together, and both out of the waters; for the power of the first Cause can produce very different effects from the same second causes. Observe, 1. The making of the fish and fowl, at first, Gen 1:20, Gen 1:21. God commanded them to be produced. He said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly; not as if the waters had any productive power of their own, but, "Let them be brought into being, the fish in the waters and the fowl out of them." This command he himself executed: God created great whales, etc. Insects, which perhaps are as various and as numerous as any species of animals, and their structure as curious, were part of this day's work, some of them being allied to the fish and others to the fowl. Mr. Boyle (I remember) says he admires the Creator's wisdom and power as much in an ant as in an elephant. Notice is here taken of the various sorts of fish and fowl, each after their kind, and of the great numbers of both that were produced, for the waters brought forth abundantly; and particular mention if made of great whales, the largest of fishes, whose bulk and strength, exceeding that of any other animal, are remarkable proofs of the power and greatness of the Creator. The express notice here taken of the whale, above all the rest, seems sufficient to determine what animal is meant by the Leviathan, Job 41:1. The curious formation of the bodies of animals, their different sizes, shapes, and natures, with the admirable powers of the sensitive life with which they are endued, when duly considered, serve, not only to silence and shame the objections of atheists and infidels, but to raise high thoughts and high praises of God in pious and devout souls, Psa 104:25, etc. 2. The blessing of them, in order to their continuance. Life is a wasting thing. Its strength is not the strength of stones. It is a candle that will burn out, if it be not first blown out; and therefore the wise Creator not only made the individuals, but provided for the propagation of the several kinds; God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply, Gen 1:22. God will bless his own works, and not forsake them; and what he does shall be for a perpetuity, Ecc 3:14. The power of God's providence preserves all things, as at first his creating power produced them. Fruitfulness is the effect of God's blessing and must be ascribed to it; the multiplying of the fish and fowl, from year to year, is still the fruit of this blessing. Well, let us give to God the glory of the continuance of these creatures to this day for the benefit of man. See Job 12:7, Job 12:9. It is a pity that fishing and fowling, recreations innocent in themselves, should ever be abused to divert any from God and their duty, while they are capable of being improved to lead us to the contemplation of the wisdom, power, and goodness, of him that made all these things, and to engage us to stand in awe of him, as the fish and fowl do of us.

Cross-references: Gen 1:20 · Gen 1:21 · Job 41:1 · Ps 104:25 · Gen 1:22 · Eccl 3:14 · Job 12:7 · Job 12:9

Hebrew interlinear

H1254

בָּרָאbârâʼ/baw-raw'/

v — create, cut down, select, feed

Derivation: a primitive root;

(absolutely) to create; (qualified) to cut down (a wood), select, feed (as formative processes)

KJV: choose, create (creator), cut down, dispatch, do, make (fat).

בָּרָא

vb — be fat

[בָּרָא] vb. be fatHiph. 1 S 2:29 to make yourself fat.

בָּרָא

vb — shape

בָּרָא 53 vb. shape, create

Qal Pf.—shape, fashion, create

Niph.—Pass.

1. be created

2. with reference to birth

3. of something new, astonishing

Pi.

1. cut down

2. cut out

H430

אֱלֹהִיםʼĕlôhîym/el-o-heem'/

n-m — gods, God, magistrates

Derivation: plural of 433;

gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative

KJV: angels, × exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), × (very) great, judges, × mighty.

אֱלֹהִים

n.m.pl — gods

אֱלֹהִים 2570 n.m.pl.

1. pl. in number.

a. rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power

b. divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels

c. angels

d. gods

2. pl. intensive

a. god or goddess

b. godlike one

c. works of God, or things belongng to him

d. God

3. הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God

4. אֱלֹהִים = God

H853

אֵתʼêth/ayth/

prt — self, even, namely

Derivation: apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity;

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

KJV: [as such unrepresented in English].

אֵת

mark of the accusative

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

H8577

תַּנִּיןtannîyn/tan-neen'/

n-m — monster, sea-serpent, jackal

Derivation: or תַּנִּים; (Ezekiel 29:3), intensive from the same as 8565;

a marine or land monster, i.e. sea-serpent or jackal

KJV: dragon, sea-monster, serpent, whale.

תַּן

n — jackal

[תַּן] n.[m. et] f. jackal

תַּנִּין

n.m — serpent

תַּנִּין (erron. תַּנִּים) n.m. serpent, dragon, sea-monster

H1419

גָּדוֹלgâdôwl/gaw-dole'/

a n-pr-m — great, older, insolent

Derivation: or גָּדֹל; (shortened) from 1431;

great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent

KJV: aloud, elder(-est), exceeding(-ly), far, (man of) great (man, matter, thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble, proud thing, × sore, (×) very.

גָּדוֹל

adj — great

גָּדוֹל 622 adj. great

1. in magnitude and extent

2. in number

3. in intensity

4. in sound, loud

5. in age

6. in importance

7. in phrases

8. cstr.

9. as subst. concr. do great things

10. † as subst. neut. greatness of arm

הַגְּדוֹלִים

n.pr.m — aloud

הַגְּדוֹלִים n.pr.m. father of Zabdiel Ne 11:14 (RV & so most; but 𝔊 RVm al. the great).

H3605

כֹּלkôl/kole/

n-m — whole, all, any, every

Derivation: or (Jeremiah 33:8) כּוֹל; from 3634;

properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)

KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).

כֹּל

n.m — the whole

כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all

1. with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

2. Absolutely:

a. without the art., all things, all

b. with the art. הַכֹּל

(a). where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

(b). in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

H5315

נֶפֶשׁnephesh/neh'-fesh/

n-f — breathing creature, animal, vitality

Derivation: from 5314;

properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)

KJV: any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, × dead(-ly), desire, × (dis-) contented, × fish, ghost, greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, × jeopardy of) life (× in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, slay, soul, tablet, they, thing, (× she) will, × would have it.

נֶ֫פֶשׁ

n.f — soul

נֶ֫פֶשׁ 756 n.f. soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion

1. = that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

2. The נפשׁ becomes a living being

3. The נפשׁ is specif.

4. The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself

5. נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)

6. נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

7. נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

8. נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

9. נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

10. נ׳ in D

H2416

חַיchay/khah'-ee/

a n-m n-f — alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

Derivation: from 2421;

alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively

KJV: age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, merry, multitude, (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.

חַי

n.[m.] — kinsfolk

[חַי] n.[m.] kinsfolk, pl. sf. 1 S 18:18

חַי

adj — alive

חַי adj. alive, living

1.

a. of God, as the living one, the fountain of life

b. of man

c. of animals, alive, living

d. animals and man

e. (dub.) of vegetation, as thorns, green

f. of water, fresh

2. (dub.) lively, active

3. reviving

חַיָּה

n.f — living thing

חַיָּה n.f. living thing, animal

1. animal

a. in general

b. wild animals, on account of their vital energy and activity

c. living beings, of the cherubic chariot

2. life, only in late poetry

3. appetite, activity of hunger

4. revival, renewal

חַיָּה

n.f — community

חַיָּה n.f. community

חַיִּים

n.m — life

חַיִּים n.m. pl. abstr. emph. life

1. life: physical

2. life: as welfare and happiness in king's presence

3. sustenance, maintenance

H7430

רָמַשׂrâmas/raw-mas'/

v — glide swiftly, crawl, move with short steps, swarm

Derivation: a primitive root;

properly, to glide swiftly, i.e. to crawl or move with short steps; by analogy to swarm

KJV: creep, move.

רָמַשׂ

vb — creep

רָמַשׂ vb. creep, move lightly, move about (chiefly P)

H834

אֲשֶׁרʼăsher/ash-er'/

r — who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

Derivation: a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number);

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.

KJV: × after, × alike, as (soon as), because, × every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), × if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), × though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(-soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.

אֲשֶׁר

part. of relation — who

אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause.

בַאֲשֶׁר

adv — in which

בַאֲשֶׁר

a. in (that) which

b. adv. in (the place) where

c. conj. in that, inasmuch as

d. on account of whom?

כַּאֲשֶׁר

conj — according as

כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when

1. according to that which, according as, as

2. with a causal force, in so far as, since

3. with a temporal force, when

מֵאֲשֶׁר

adv — who

מֵאֲשֶׁר

a. from (or than) that which

b. adv. from (the place) where

c. conj. from (the fact) that …, since

H8317

שָׁרַץshârats/shaw-rats'/

v — wriggle, swarm, abound

Derivation: a primitive root;

to wriggle, i.e. (by implication) swarm or abound

KJV: breed (bring forth, increase) abundantly (in abundance), creep, move.

שָׁרַץ

vb — swarm

שָׁרַץ vb. swarm, teem

H4325

מַיִםmayim/mah'-yim/

n-m — water, juice, urine, semen

Derivation: dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense);

water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen

KJV: piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).

מַי

n.m — waters

[מַי] 580 n.m. only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water

H4327

מִיןmîyn/meen/

n-m — sort, species

Derivation: from an unused root meaning to portion out;

a sort, i.e. species

KJV: kind. Compare 4480.

מִין

n.[m.] — kind

[מִין] n.[m.] kind, species

H5775

עוֹףʻôwph/ofe/

n-m — bird

Derivation: from 5774;

a bird (as covered with feathers, or rather as covering with wings), often collectively

KJV: bird, that flieth, flying, fowl.

עוֹף

n.m — flying creatures

עוֹף 70 n.m. coll. flying creatures, fowls, insects

1. fowl, birds

2. winged insects

H3671

כָּנָףkânâph/kaw-nawf'/

n-f — edge, extremity, wing, flap, quarter, pinnacle

Derivation: from 3670;

an edge or extremity; specifically (of a bird or army) a wing, (of a garment or bedclothing) a flap, (of the earth) a quarter, (of a building) a pinnacle

KJV: bird, border, corner, end, feather(-ed), × flying, (one an-) other, overspreading, × quarters, skirt, × sort, uttermost part, wing(-ed).

כָּנָף

n.f — wing

כָּנָף 109 n.f. wing, extremity

H7200

רָאָהrâʼâh/raw-aw'/

v — see

Derivation: a primitive root;

to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)

KJV: advise self, appear, approve, behold, × certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, × indeed, × joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, × be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), × sight of others, (e-) spy, stare, × surely, × think, view, visions.

רָאָה

vb — see

רָאָה 1315 vb. see

Qal 1141

1.

a. see, subj.

b. see, c. acc. rei

2. see, sq. acc. cl. or phr. of closer design

3. see, so as to learn to know

4. abs. see, have (power of) vision

5. see = perceive

6. look at, see, by direct volition

7. of mental observation

8.

a. c. ב, lit., look into, hence look at with interest

b. see, c. acc. rei

Niph.

1. appear

2. be seen

3. be visible

Pu. appar. his bones are not detected

Hithp. recipr. look at each other

Hiph.

1.

a. cause one to see something, shew

b. cause to experience something

2. cause to look intently at, to behold

Hoph.

1. be caused to see, be shewn

2. be exhibited to

H3588

כִּיkîy/kee/

conj — relative conjunction

Derivation: a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent;

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

KJV: and, (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), but, certainly, doubtless, else, even, except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, (al-) though, till, truly, until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.

כִּי

conj — that

כִּי conj. that, for, when

1. that

2.

a. Of time, when, of the past

b. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

c. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

3. Because, since

כִּי אם־

relative conjunction

כִּי אם־

1. each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

a. that if

b. for if

2. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

a. limiting the prec. clause, except

b. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

c. after an oath, surely

כִּי עַל כֵּן

forasmuch as

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

H2896

טוֹבṭôwb/tobe/

a n-m n-f — good

Derivation: from 2895;

good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)

KJV: beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, × fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, × most, pleasant, pleaseth, pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well(-favoured).

טוֹב

n.m — a good thing

טוֹב n.m. a good thing, benefit, welfare

1. welfare, prosperity, happiness

2. good things

3. good = benefit

4. moral good

טוֹב

adj — pleasant

טוֹב adj. pleasant, agreeable, good

1. pleasant, agreeable to the senses

2. pleasant to the higher nature, giving pleasure, happiness, prosperity, and so agreeable, pleasing, well

3. good, excellent, of its kind

4. good, rich, valuable in estimation

5. good, appropriate, becoming

6. c. מִן compar. = better

7. of man's sensuous nature, glad, happy, prosperous

8. of man's intellectual nature, good understanding

9. good, kind, benign

10. good (ethical), right

טוֹבָה

n.f — welfare

טוֹבָה n.f. welfare, benefit, good things, good

1. welfare, prosperity, happiness

2. good things

3. bounty, good

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