God’s Word Translation
Genesis 1:21
21So God created the large sea creatures, every type of creature that swims around in the water and every type of flying bird. God saw that they were good.
Genesis 1:21 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Context of Genesis 1:21
19There was evening, then morning—a fourth day. 20Then God said, “Let the water swarm with swimming creatures, and let birds fly through the sky over the earth.” So God created the large sea creatures, every type of creature that swims around in the water and every type of flying bird. God saw that they were good. 22God blessed them and said, “Be fertile, increase in number, fill the sea, and let there be many birds on the earth.” 23There was evening, then morning—a fifth day.
Read all of Genesis 1Genesis 1:21 word by word
וַיִּבְרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֶת־הַתַּנִּינִ֖ם הַגְּדֹלִ֑ים וְאֵ֣ת כָּל־נֶ֣פֶשׁ הַֽחַיָּ֣ה׀ הָֽרֹמֶ֡שֶׂת אֲשֶׁר֩ שָׁרְצ֨וּ הַמַּ֜יִם לְמִֽינֵהֶ֗ם וְאֵ֨ת כָּל־ע֤וֹף כָּנָף֙ לְמִינֵ֔הוּ וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים כִּי־טֽוֹב׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- createdבָּרָאbârâ' · to createH1254
- greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- whalesתַּנִּיןtannîyn tannîym · serpent: monsterH8577
- and every livingחַיchay · aliveH2416
- creatureנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: animalH5315
- that movethרָמַשׂrâmaώ · to creepH7430
- which the watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
- brought forth abundantlyשָׁרַץshârats · to swarmH8317
- after their kindמִיןmîyn · kindH4327
- and every wingedכָּנָףkânâph · wingH3671
- fowlעוֹף‛ôph · birdH5775
- sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- goodטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
Cross-references for Genesis 1:21
- Genesis 6:20Two of every type of bird, every type of domestic animal, and every type of creature that crawls on the ground will come to you to be kept alive.
- Genesis 7:14They had with them every type of wild animal, every type of domestic animal, every type of creature that crawls on the earth, and every type of bird (every creature with wings).
- Genesis 8:19Every animal, crawling creature, and bird—everything that moves on the earth—came out of the ship, one kind after another.
- Job 7:12“Am I the sea or a sea monster that you have set a guard over me?
- Job 26:5“The souls of the dead tremble beneath the water, and so do the creatures living there.
- Psalms 104:24What a large number of things you have made, O Lord! You made them all by wisdom. The earth is filled with your creatures.
- Ezekiel 32:2“Son of man, sing a funeral song for Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Tell him, ‘You think you are like a lion among the nations. Instead, you are like a crocodile in the water. You splash around in the water. You stir up the water with your feet. You make the streams muddy.
- Jonah 1:17The Lord sent a big fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.
- Jonah 2:10Then the Lord spoke to the fish, and it spit Jonah out onto the shore.
- Matthew 12:40Just as Jonah was in the belly of a huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.
- Genesis 8:17Bring out every animal that’s with you: birds, domestic animals, and every creature that crawls on the earth. Be fertile, increase in number, and spread over the earth.”
- Genesis 9:7Be fertile, and increase in number. Spread over the earth, and increase.”
- Exodus 1:7But the descendants of Israel had many children. They became so numerous and strong that the land was filled with them.
- Exodus 8:3The Nile River will swarm with frogs. They will come into your palace, into your bedroom, on your bed, into the houses of your officials, on your people, into your ovens and into your mixing bowls.
- Genesis 1:18to dominate the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good.
Commentaries on Genesis 1:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21And God created great whales - הגדלים התנינם hattanninim haggedolim . Though this is generally understood by the different versions as signifying whales, yet the original must be understood rather as a general than a particular term, comprising all the great aquatic animals, such as the various species of whales, the porpoise, the dolphin, the monoceros or narwal, and the shark. God delights to show himself in little as well as in great things: hence he…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20-23Verses 20-23 - VII. The Fifth Day 20. שׁרץ shārats “crawl, teem, swarm, abound.” An intransitive verb, admitting, however, an objective noun of its own or a like signification. נפשׁ nephesh “breath, soul, self.” This noun is derived from a root signifying to breathe. Its concrete meaning is, therefore, “that which breathes,” and consequently has a body, without which there can be no breathing; hence, “a breathing body,” and even a body that once had…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-25Verses 20-25 God commanded the fish and fowl to be produced. This command he himself executed. Insects, which are more numerous than the birds and beasts, and as curious, seem to have been part of this day's work. The Creator's wisdom and power are to be admired as much in an ant as in an elephant. The power of God's providence preserves all things, and fruitfulness is the effect of his blessing.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21Unlike pagan beliefs that the great sea creatures existed from the beginning along with God, the Bible teaches that God created them. God has complete power and authority over them. The Hebrew word tanninim (“sea creatures”) can also refer to: crocodiles (Ezekiel 29:3), powerful monsters (Jeremiah 51:34), or the sea creature Leviathan (Isaiah 27:1; compare Job 41:1–34).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 20-2320. moving creature--all oviparous animals, both among the finny and the feathery tribes--remarkable for their rapid and prodigious increase. fowl--means every flying thing: The word rendered "whales," includes also sharks, crocodiles, &c.; so that from the countless shoals of small fish to the great sea monsters, from the tiny insect to the king of birds, the waters and the air were suddenly made to swarm with creatures formed to live and sport in their…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 1:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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