Genesis 1:21 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.

Genesis 1:21 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.

Genesis 1:21 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.

Genesis 1:21 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.

Genesis 1:21 nlt

So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird ? each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1 verses

Genesis 1 21 Meaning

Genesis 1:21 describes the culmination of the fifth day of creation, where God actively creates a multitude of living beings in the aquatic and aerial realms. It specifically highlights the creation of "great sea creatures," implying both large marine life and possibly mythic beasts, along with all the diverse, teeming life within the waters and every kind of winged bird. The verse concludes with God's divine declaration that His creation was "good," affirming its perfect design, function, and purpose within the established cosmic order. This emphasizes God's sovereign power over all living things and the inherent goodness of His handiwork.

Genesis 1 21 Context

Genesis 1:21 is part of the first creation account (Gen 1:1-2:3), which presents a structured, ordered, and divinely purposeful process of creation over six days. The immediate context is Day Five (Gen 1:20-23). On Day Four (Gen 1:14-19), God established the luminaries in the heavens, providing light, marking seasons, days, and years. This sets the stage for Day Five, as the sun, moon, and stars (and implied atmosphere for flight) provide the necessary environment for the specific types of life created next.

This account emphasizes God's omnipotence and intentionality. Unlike ancient Near Eastern cosmogonies, where creation often resulted from divine conflict, sexual procreation, or accidental by-products, Genesis depicts a sovereign God speaking creation into existence effortlessly. The "goodness" repeated throughout (Gen 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31) counters notions of creation as flawed or a struggle. Specifically for marine and avian life, this challenges myths like the Enuma Elish, where the great sea monster Tiamat's corpse forms the cosmos; here, God creates "great sea creatures" and declares them good, signifying His benevolent control over perceived chaos and formidable beasts.

Genesis 1 21 Word analysis

• So God created (Va-yivra Elohim):

  • Va-yivra (וַיִּבְרָא): "And He created." From the verb bara', uniquely used in Genesis 1 for God's action of bringing something entirely new into existence, not merely shaping existing matter. It signifies creation ex nihilo or creation of new categories of being. This highlights God's unique power.
  • Elohim (אֱלֹהִים): The plural form of "God" used as a singular, often indicating majesty, supreme authority, and fullness of power. It signifies the one, true God, creator of all.
  • This opening phrase reaffirms the divine origin and deliberate nature of these creations, parallel to Gen 1:1 and 1:27, showing the distinctness of God's creative work.

• the great sea creatures ('et ha-tanninim ha-gedolim):

  • 'et ha-tanninim (אֶת־הַתַּנִּינִם): "The great serpents," "sea monsters," "dragons." While sometimes translated as "whales" or "great fish," tannin often carries connotations of a fearsome, formidable, or even mythical beast in other biblical contexts (e.g., Exod 7:9-12 where Aaron's staff becomes a tannin, or Job 7:12). In this context, it emphasizes God's sovereign control over even the most powerful and potentially chaotic beings of the sea, demonstrating that they are His good creation, not rivals or residues of chaos.
  • ha-gedolim (הַגְּדֹלִים): "The great/large ones." Reinforces the impressive scale and power of these creatures, underscoring the omnipotence of their Creator.

• and every living thing that moves, with which the waters swarmed (v'et kol-nefesh ha-chayah ha-romeshet asher shar'tsu ha-mayim):

  • kol-nefesh ha-chayah (כָּל־נֶפֶשׁ הַחַיָּה): "Every living soul," "every living being." Nefesh means "soul" or "life breath," indicating that these creatures are animate and possess life. This phrase is used later for land animals and eventually humans, pointing to shared vital force but distinct natures.
  • ha-romeshet (הָרֹמֶשֶׂת): "That moves/creeps." From ramas, referring to movement of swarming or creeping creatures, often small or abundant.
  • asher shar'tsu ha-mayim (אֲשֶׁר שָׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם): "With which the waters swarmed/teemed." Sharats denotes a prolific abundance, teeming multitudes, rapid generation. This emphasizes the sheer volume and diversity of aquatic life God brought forth, filling the vast waters.

• according to their kinds (le-minehu):

  • le-minehu (לְמִינֵהוּ): "According to its kind" or "species." This crucial phrase, repeated multiple times in Genesis 1, emphasizes the principle of biological constancy and distinct species. Each created type has a fixed nature, reproducing only "according to its kind," signifying inherent order, biodiversity, and limits within creation. This implicitly contrasts with theories of unlimited or arbitrary biological fluidity.

• and every winged bird (v'et kol-oph kanaph):

  • kol-oph kanaph (כָּל־עוֹף כָּנָף): "Every winged creature," or literally "every bird of wing." 'Oph refers to flying creatures, and kanaph specifies those with wings, differentiating them from flying insects perhaps. This highlights God's filling of the aerial realm with diverse life, just as He filled the waters.

• according to its kind. (le-minehu):

  • Repetition here reinforces the established order and distinct categories for winged creatures as well.

• And God saw that it was good. (Va-yar' Elohim ki-tov):

  • Va-yar' (וַיַּרְא): "And He saw." Implies observation, assessment, and judgment. God's perspective is the ultimate standard of what is good.
  • ki-tov (כִּי־טוֹב): "That it was good." Not merely functional or adequate, but morally, aesthetically, and functionally excellent. This divine declaration signifies perfection in design, purpose, and relationship to the overall created order. It counteracts any dualistic thought that matter is inherently evil or that creation is chaotic. God’s good work cannot be undone except by His own judgment.

Genesis 1 21 Bonus section

The distinction between "created" (bara') and "made" ('asah) is subtle but significant. While bara' appears thrice in Genesis 1 (v.1, 21, 27) for significant, new creative acts (cosmos, aquatic/avian life, humanity), the text mostly uses 'asah ("made") for subsequent organization or shaping. Here, for the great sea creatures and flying things, bara' is used again, suggesting a special act of creation for these specific life forms. This might imply that these are the first sentient (possessing nefesh chayyah, "living soul") creatures explicitly brought into existence by God's creative act in the same way humanity will be "created" on Day 6, distinct from plants (Day 3) which possess life but not a nefesh. This use of bara' on Day 5 and Day 6 elevates the importance of creatures possessing "life-breath" in God's grand design. It underscores God's wisdom in creating an intricate food web and habitats ready to sustain all life, culminating in mankind, on whom He bestows dominion.

Genesis 1 21 Commentary

Genesis 1:21 marks the flourishing of life in realms prepared by God on previous days. The creation of "great sea creatures" and the teeming life in the waters, along with every kind of bird, showcases God's magnificent power to bring forth diverse and abundant living forms. The Hebrew tanninim for "great sea creatures" signifies not only large marine animals but also subtly disarms ancient pagan beliefs of battling monstrous chaos gods. Here, these mighty creatures are simply part of God's benevolent, effortless creation, reflecting His absolute sovereignty and perfect design, not a threat to His power. The repetitive phrase "according to their kinds" is foundational, indicating fixed biological boundaries and the beauty of distinct, stable ecosystems. It underscores divine intentionality, ensuring a world of ordered biodiversity. God's repeated declaration, "And God saw that it was good," is crucial. It affirms the intrinsic value, harmony, and perfect function of this specific aspect of creation, as well as its fitness within the broader cosmic blueprint. This inherent goodness, decreed by the Creator, establishes the foundational biblical anthropology: a created order meant for life, purpose, and eventual human dominion.