Genesis 1:23 kjv
And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
Genesis 1:23 nkjv
So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
Genesis 1:23 niv
And there was evening, and there was morning?the fifth day.
Genesis 1:23 esv
And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
Genesis 1:23 nlt
And evening passed and morning came, marking the fifth day.
Genesis 1 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1:5 | God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. | Repetitive divine ordering of time. |
| Gen 1:8 | God called the expanse Heaven... And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. | Repetition of creation day formula. |
| Gen 1:13 | And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. | Repetition of creation day formula. |
| Gen 1:19 | And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. | Repetition of creation day formula. |
| Gen 1:31 | God saw everything that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. Thus the evening and the morning were the sixth day. | Conclusion of entire creation week. |
| Gen 2:1 | Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. | The completion of all creation. |
| Ex 20:11 | For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. | Basis for the Sabbath, literal days of creation. |
| Neh 9:6 | You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it... | Acknowledgment of God as sole Creator. |
| Ps 19:1 | The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. | Creation testifies to God's power. |
| Ps 74:16 | The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun. | God's sovereignty over day and night. |
| Ps 104:19 | He appointed the moon for seasons; The sun knows its going down. | God ordained cosmic cycles. |
| Jer 33:20 | Thus says the LORD: ‘If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night...’ | God's immutable order for day and night. |
| Is 45:7 | I form the light and create darkness... I, the LORD, do all these things. | God's absolute control over light/darkness. |
| Job 38:12 | Have you commanded the morning since your days began, And caused the dawn to know its place...? | God alone controls morning and daybreak. |
| Rom 1:20 | For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made... | Creation reveals God's nature. |
| Col 1:16 | For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth... | Christ's preeminence and role in creation. |
| Heb 11:3 | By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. | Creation by God's spoken word. |
| 2 Pet 3:5 | For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water. | Creation by God's powerful word. |
| Rev 4:11 | You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things... | God as Creator worthy of all praise. |
| John 1:3 | All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. | Christ's role in the act of creation. |
| 1 Cor 14:33 | For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. | God's orderly nature, reflected in creation. |
| Ps 33:9 | For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. | Creation through divine decree. |
Genesis 1 verses
Genesis 1 23 Meaning
Genesis 1:23 declares the conclusion of the fifth day of creation. It signifies that the specific creative works designated for this day—the abundant proliferation of living creatures in the waters and the sky—were fully completed and established according to God's divine will and design. This verse underscores the orderly progression, specific timing, and perfect execution of each phase of creation within the structured framework established by God.
Genesis 1 23 Context
Genesis 1:23 concludes the fifth stage of God's creative work. The verses immediately preceding it (Gen 1:20-22) detail God's command for the waters to teem with living creatures (marine life) and for birds to fly above the earth, filling the expanse. This demonstrates a progression from inanimate matter and celestial bodies (days 1-4) to increasingly complex life forms. The phrase "And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day" is a repeated literary formula throughout Genesis 1 (occurring at the end of each day from one to six), marking the divine rhythm and distinct completion of each creative period. In its original context, this highly ordered and sequential account stood in stark contrast to chaotic creation myths prevalent in the ancient Near East, which often involved violent struggles among multiple deities. Genesis presented a single, sovereign God, Yahweh, creating through deliberate command and bringing forth a well-structured cosmos. The counting of days establishes a clear timeframe, which ancient Hebrew readers would have understood as specific, measurable units of time.
Genesis 1 23 Word analysis
- And (וַיְהִי, vayhi): This initial connective "and" serves as a narrative conjunction, linking this conclusion directly to the creative acts that preceded it. In Hebrew narrative, vayhi often introduces a new sequential event, signifying the ongoing progression of God's plan.
- there was (וַיְהִי, vayhi): Also translated as "it became" or "then it was." This verb emphasizes that the specified time period did indeed materialize and conclude as ordained. It signifies the accomplishment of God's creative phase. The repetition of vayhi throughout the formula highlights consistency and divine order.
- evening (עֶרֶב, erev): Refers to the end of the daylight period. The Hebrew method of reckoning a day began with evening (sunset) and concluded with the subsequent morning (dawn). This distinct point signifies the transition from the completed work into the 'night' phase, encompassing rest or completion.
- and (וַיְהִי, u-): A simple conjunction, connecting the two components of the "day."
- there was (וַיְהִי, vayhi): Reinforces the actualization of the morning part of the day cycle.
- morning (בֹקֶר, boker): Refers to dawn or the beginning of daylight. The sequence of "evening and morning" signifies the complete cycle of a literal day as understood in the ancient Near East. This order emphasizes the culmination of darkness and the advent of new light, representing a complete, defined temporal unit.
- the fifth (חֲמִישִׁי, chamishi): The ordinal number "fifth" directly marks this specific creative period in the sequence. It establishes clear chronological progression in God's creation, showing a deliberate and non-random unfolding of events.
- day (יוֹם, yom): While "yom" can sometimes mean an indefinite period or age in other biblical contexts, its consistent usage throughout Genesis 1, coupled with the numerical ordinal ("first," "second," "third," etc.) and the defining "evening and morning" formula, strongly indicates a normal, literal 24-hour period. This precision highlights God's sovereignty over time and His methodical approach to creation.
Words-group analysis:
- "And there was evening and there was morning": This specific phrase functions as a fixed, repetitive literary refrain, underscoring the rhythmic and structured nature of God's creation. It methodically segments creation into discrete, completed periods, affirming divine control over time. It defines what constitutes a "day" in this narrative – a full cycle from one sunset to the next dawn. The repeated formula also suggests the methodical, step-by-step nature of creation, emphasizing that God finished one stage before moving to the next.
Genesis 1 23 Bonus section
The emphasis on specific, numbered "days" capped by "evening and morning" highlights that creation was not an amorphous process over eons, but a deliberate, time-bound work by an active, personal God. This contrasts with modern uniformitarian viewpoints of Earth's history. The orderly completion of the fifth day's work, followed by its concise summary, mirrors the consistent and trustworthy character of God. This narrative consistency reassures the reader of God's unchanging nature and reliable plan for all of creation. Furthermore, the completion of this day's work means a flourishing environment for the creatures God created, showcasing His provision and wisdom in establishing habitable conditions before creating their inhabitants.
Genesis 1 23 Commentary
Genesis 1:23 succinctly brings the fifth creative day to a close, a period marked by God's filling the newly formed seas and skies with diverse living creatures. This verse is part of the recurring, formulaic summary statement found at the end of each creative period in Genesis 1. Its simplicity belies its profound theological implications: it reaffirms God's perfect order, punctuality, and the completed nature of His creative acts. The deliberate sequence of "evening and morning" not only defines the duration of the 'day' as a literal unit but also highlights God's establishment of the foundational cycles of time for the cosmos. This structure powerfully countered pagan narratives of creation from chaos or struggle, presenting instead a singular, transcendent God who brings forth existence through peaceful, intentional commands and in an impeccable, systematic fashion. It sets the precedent for rhythm in time and anticipates the divinely appointed weekly rest for humanity.