Genesis 1:10 kjv
And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:10 nkjv
And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:10 niv
God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:10 esv
God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:10 nlt
God called the dry ground "land" and the waters "seas." And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1:4 | "God separated the light from the darkness." | God's act of separation precedes naming and ordering. |
| Gen 1:6-8 | "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters... God called the firmament Heaven." | God's act of division and naming similar to Day 2. |
| Gen 1:31 | "God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good." | Culminating "very good" declaration for all creation. |
| Job 38:4-11 | "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding... Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb?" | God's sole authority in creation of earth and sea. |
| Psa 24:1-2 | "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers." | Affirmation of God's ownership over earth and waters. |
| Psa 33:6-7 | "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made... He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; He lays up the deeps in storehouses." | Creation by divine word, God's control over water. |
| Psa 65:5-7 | "You are awesome in righteousness, O God of our salvation... You quiet the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves." | God's power over chaotic forces of the sea. |
| Psa 74:16 | "Yours is the day, Yours also is the night; You have established the heavenly lights and the sun." | God's establishment of created order and distinct elements. |
| Psa 95:5 | "The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land." | Direct parallel confirming God made sea and dry land. |
| Psa 104:5-9 | "He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved... At Your rebuke they fled; at the sound of Your thunder they hurried away... to the place that You appointed for them." | God established and confined the waters. |
| Psa 136:5-7 | "To Him who by understanding made the heavens... To Him who spread out the earth above the waters... To Him who made the great lights." | Reiterates God as Creator of heavens, earth, and lights. |
| Psa 147:4 | "He determines the number of the stars; He gives to all of them their names." | God's power and authority in naming creation, similar to Day 3. |
| Pro 8:27-29 | "When He established the heavens, I was there; when He drew a circle on the face of the deep... when He assigned to the sea its limit." | Divine Wisdom present during creation; setting limits for sea. |
| Isa 40:12 | "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand and marked off the heavens with a span... and weighed the mountains in scales?" | Highlights God's immeasurable power over all creation elements. |
| Isa 40:26 | "Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name." | God's powerful naming of created entities. |
| Jer 5:22 | "Do you not fear Me? says the Lord. Do you not tremble before Me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea." | God's power over the sea, setting its boundaries. |
| Zec 12:1 | "Thus declares the Lord, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundation of the earth and formed the spirit of man within him." | God as the ultimate Creator of earth and its foundations. |
| 1 Tim 4:4 | "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving." | NT affirmation of God's creation as inherently good. |
| Rev 10:6 | "and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it." | Confirms God as Creator of heaven, earth, and sea. |
| Rev 21:1 | "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more." | Future re-creation where the physical "sea" (and its associated chaos) is absent. |
| Mark 4:41 | "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?" | Jesus' authority over nature, echoing Creator's power. |
| Eph 4:24 | "...and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." | Echoes God's original "good" creation and purpose. |
Genesis 1 verses
Genesis 1 10 Meaning
Genesis 1:10 details God's continued creative work on the third day, specifically His naming of the distinct geographical elements He formed. After separating the waters from the dry land, God sovereignly identified the dry land as "Earth" (אֶרֶץ, Eretz) and the gathering of the waters as "Seas" (יַמִּים, Yamim). This act of naming signifies God's ownership, authority, and the establishment of order within His creation. His subsequent declaration, "that it was good," signifies divine approval, confirming the excellent and purposeful nature of His work, establishing a stable and suitable environment.
Genesis 1 10 Context
Genesis 1:10 is nestled within the comprehensive creation account, specifically describing the actions of the third day. It follows God's initial command for the waters under the heaven to be gathered into one place, revealing the dry land (Gen 1:9). This separation and revelation of dry ground provide the essential stable environment for subsequent life to emerge. The naming of "Earth" and "Seas" formalizes these new entities and sets the stage for the next creative act on Day Three: the sprouting of vegetation (Gen 1:11-12) to populate the newly designated dry land.
Historically, this passage would have been understood by ancient Israel in contrast to surrounding polytheistic mythologies. Many Near Eastern creation narratives depicted primordial chaos as a battle between deities, often involving the subjugation of a chaotic water-goddess. In Genesis, Yahweh, the one true God, effortlessly brings order simply through His divine command, separation, and naming. There is no struggle, no combat; only the majestic and powerful word of a single, sovereign God, declaring what He has made to be good. This narrative implicitly counters pagan concepts of cosmic struggle and the inherent malevolence of the "deep" or "sea."
Genesis 1 10 Word analysis
- And: Hebrew "Waw" (וְ). A conjunctive particle, linking this action directly to the preceding events of creation, emphasizing a continuous, ordered progression of God's work.
- God: Hebrew "Elohim" (אֱלֹהִים). The majestic plural name for the singular divine Creator, highlighting His power, transcendence, and supremacy over all things.
- called: Hebrew "Qara'" (קָרָא). Signifies more than just giving a label. It implies a declarative act of naming that bestows identity, defines purpose, and asserts authority and ownership. It is an act of sovereign designation.
- the dry land: Hebrew "Ha-yabbashah" (הַיַּבָּשָׁה). Refers specifically to the firm, dry ground that emerges from the water. It denotes a habitable, stable surface as distinct from the fluid mass.
- Earth: Hebrew "Eretz" (אֶרֶץ). Here, "Eretz" is the specific name given to the dry land. While it can refer to the whole planet, or a country, in this immediate context it refers to the terrestrial, non-aquatic portion, indicating its designated identity and purpose.
- and the gathering together: Hebrew "Miqweh" (מִקְוֶה). This term denotes a "collection" or "assembly" of waters, emphasizing their deliberate and singular confluence rather than random dispersion.
- of the waters: Hebrew "Mayim" (מַיִם). Plural. Refers to all the water mass that has been collected into specific places.
- He called: Repetition of "Qara'" emphasizes the deliberate and authoritative nature of God's act of naming. This divine naming legitimizes the existence and function of the newly ordered creation.
- Seas: Hebrew "Yamim" (יַמִּים). The plural form of "Yam," indicating not just one vast ocean but distinct bodies of water, which could be seas, lakes, or great rivers, yet collectively referred to by this singular category. In ancient Near Eastern thought, "sea" often symbolized chaos; here, it is tamed and named by God, reflecting His complete dominion.
- and God saw: Hebrew "Va-yar' Elohim" (וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים). An act of divine perception and evaluation. God is actively observing the outcome of His creative work, ensuring it aligns with His perfect design.
- that it was good: Hebrew "Ki tov" (כִּי טוֹב). This phrase signifies more than just aesthetic pleasure. It means the creation was excellent, perfect in its design, purpose, and function, inherently beautiful and fully fulfilling God's intention. It implies that what God had done was complete, righteous, and beneficial, ready for life.
Words-group analysis:
- "And God called... and He called": This repeated divine action underscores God's absolute sovereignty and active intentionality. Naming is a foundational act of establishing order and purpose within creation. It's a statement of ownership and definition, making what was unformed, distinct and identifiable.
- "the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas": This precise distinction and naming create separate, stable environments essential for different forms of life. God establishes the fundamental geographic divisions of the planet. It highlights the structured, orderly nature of God's creation, providing designated habitats.
- "and God saw that it was good": This declaration is a divine affirmation of quality, function, and purpose. It reveals God's satisfaction with His work, validating its perfection and completeness in the eyes of its Creator. It underscores the inherent value and goodness infused into the created order from the very beginning.
Genesis 1 10 Bonus section
- The naming of "Earth" and "Seas" by God anticipates humanity's role in later chapters to "subdue the earth" (Gen 1:28) and care for its inhabitants. God's naming gives structure to the world humanity will steward.
- The distinction between land and sea is a fundamental division that forms the basis for different ecological systems, setting the stage for the creation of plants on land (Gen 1:11-12) and marine life in the waters (Gen 1:20-21).
- God's naming establishes a precedent for nomenclature and understanding the world, implying that reality is defined by its Creator. Human understanding of the world starts with accepting God's divine designations.
Genesis 1 10 Commentary
Genesis 1:10 marks a pivotal moment in the creation narrative on Day Three, solidifying the initial order from primeval waters. God’s act of calling the dry land "Earth" and the gathered waters "Seas" is more than simple labeling; it is an authoritative act of classification and identification, designating their distinct identities and purposes within the created cosmos. This divine naming is a core aspect of God's sovereignty, demonstrating His complete control and intentionality in shaping the world.
The subsequent divine declaration, "that it was good," signifies God's complete satisfaction with the functional integrity, design, and suitability of what He had made. This "goodness" is comprehensive, implying perfection, completeness, and fitness for its intended purpose – notably, to serve as a stable foundation and life-sustaining environment for future creation. This stands in stark contrast to pagan mythologies that depict chaotic, evil, or arbitrary forces shaping the world; instead, God’s creation is intrinsically orderly, beneficial, and intentionally good from its inception.