Genesis 1:30 kjv

And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

Genesis 1:30 nkjv

Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food"; and it was so.

Genesis 1:30 niv

And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground?everything that has the breath of life in it?I give every green plant for food." And it was so.

Genesis 1:30 esv

And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so.

Genesis 1:30 nlt

And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground ? everything that has life." And that is what happened.

Genesis 1 verses

Genesis 1 30 Meaning

Genesis 1:30 details God's original dietary provision for all non-human animated creatures. It states that God appointed every green plant for food for all beasts of the earth, all fowl of the air, and every creeping thing upon the earth that possessed life. This declaration solidifies the initial creation as one characterized by universal herbivory and non-violence among living beings, a testament to God's comprehensive and benevolent care before the introduction of sin.

Genesis 1 30 Context

This verse concludes God's account of providing for all life on the sixth day of creation. Following the creation of land animals and creeping things (Gen 1:24-25), and most significantly, humanity (Gen 1:26-28), God delineates the original dietary mandate. Verse 29 explicitly gave humans an herbivorous diet, and verse 30 extends this same plant-based provision to all other animated creatures.

Within the chapter's overarching theme of God's orderly and good creation, Genesis 1:30 serves to highlight the harmony and completeness of the pre-Fall world. It shows that God did not merely create life; He meticulously provided for its sustenance in a way that ensured peace and non-violence among all species. This establishes a foundational truth about God's benevolent character and the intended perfection of His creation, contrasting with the struggle for survival that later emerged due to the Fall. This detail subtly refutes ancient polytheistic myths that often depicted a chaotic, unpredictable world ruled by capricious deities. Instead, the one true God establishes a cosmos of order, provision, and initial tranquility.

Genesis 1 30 Word analysis

• And to every beast of the earth (וּלְכָל-חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ, ūləḵāl-ḥayyaṯ hāʾāreṣ):

  • Kōl (כל): "Every," "all," signifying a universal and comprehensive inclusion without exception.
  • Ḥayyaṯ (חַיַּת): "Beast," "living creature." Refers specifically to land animals. The term emphasizes life and animation.
  • This phrase emphasizes God's total and undivided care, extending to all living creatures on the land, no matter their size or perceived importance. It underscores a benevolent Creator providing for every species.

• and to every fowl of the air (וּלְכָל-עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם, ūləḵāl-ʿôf haššāmayim):

  • ʿÔf (עוֹף): "Fowl," "flying creature," encompassing all birds and potentially winged insects.
  • Šāmayim (שָּׁמַיִם): "Heavens," "sky," referring to their domain.
  • Like the land beasts, all avian life is included, demonstrating the expansive reach of God's provision. This paints a picture of skies teeming with creatures sustained by the Creator's hand.

• and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth (וּלְכֹל רוֹמֵשׂ עַל-הָאָרֶץ, ūləḵol rômēś ʿal-hāʾāreṣ):

  • Rômēś (רוֹמֵשׂ): "Creeping thing," "swarming thing." This term describes creatures that move low to the ground, including reptiles, amphibians, and various smaller crawling animals, even insects.
  • The inclusion of remeś further highlights the absolute comprehensiveness of God's care, extending to even the smallest and often overlooked forms of life. It implies nothing in creation is outside His benevolent notice.

• wherein there is life (אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, ʾăšer-bō nefeš ḥayyâ):

  • Nefesh ḥayyâ (נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה): Literally "living soul" or "living breath." This phrase is used throughout Genesis (e.g., 2:7, 7:15, 7:22) to denote creatures possessing breath, consciousness, and vital life, distinguishing them from inanimate objects or mere vegetation. It indicates the unique status of animated life directly created or sustained by God's life-giving breath.
  • This specifies that the dietary provision applies to creatures with vital animated life, those with distinct individuality and sensation, distinguishing them from plants, which also have life but not nephesh chayyah in this biblical sense.

• I have given (נָתַתִּי, nāṯattî):

  • Nātan (נתן): "To give," "to place," "to grant." The Hebrew is in the perfect tense, indicating a completed action and a firm declaration. It emphasizes God as the active giver, the sovereign Provider, who directly bestows this sustenance. This is not a natural evolutionary outcome but a divine decree.

• every green herb (אֶת-כָּל-יֶרֶק עֵשֶׂב, ʾeṯ-kāl-yereq ʿēśeḇ):

  • Yereq (יֶרֶק): "Green herb," "green vegetation," referring to fresh, tender plant material.
  • ʿĒśeḇ (עֵשֶׂב): "Herb," "vegetation that yields seed."
  • This specifies the exact nature of the diet: plant-based, and specifically, "green" (chlorophyll-rich) vegetation. It excludes any form of animal flesh, emphasizing a perfectly peaceful, non-predatory initial ecosystem. This clear distinction forms a polemic against beliefs where creation involved struggle and consumption from the outset, highlighting God's ideal state.

• for meat (לְאָכְלָה, ləʾoklâ):

  • ʾOklâ (אָכְלָה): "Food," "meat" (in the general sense of provisions, not necessarily flesh).
  • Clearly states the purpose: sustenance. This is the divine prescription for nourishing all animated life in the original perfect world.

• and it was so (וַיְהִי-כֵן, wayhî-ḵēn):

  • A declarative phrase used repeatedly in Genesis 1 to affirm that God's word is immediately effective and that His commands bring forth their intended reality. It underscores divine power and the perfect fulfillment of His will. It signifies the completed establishment of this universal vegetarian order.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "Every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth": This comprehensive enumeration establishes the universality of God's provision. No type of animal life is omitted, signifying a meticulously planned and cared-for ecosystem where all creatures are sustained by His hand. This contrasts sharply with a chaotic or random origin often found in other ancient creation narratives.
  • "Wherein there is life": This precise qualification defines which creatures are covered by the dietary law. It points to nephesh chayyah (living souls), those with intrinsic vital life and animation, making it distinct from plants, which, while living, do not possess the same level of self-awareness or sentient life in the biblical classification.
  • "I have given every green herb for meat": This divine declaration highlights God's role as the benevolent and sole Provider. The choice of "green herb" signifies a peaceful, non-violent world, free from the struggle of predation. This points to an original Edenic harmony that foreshadows future restoration prophecies. The phrase encapsulates God's foundational intent for all life to live in harmonious symbiosis, nourished directly from the abundance of the plant kingdom.

Genesis 1 30 Bonus section

The consistent use of "very good" (Gen 1:31) to describe the entirety of creation, following this dietary establishment, reinforces that a world without predation was part of God's perfect design. This original mandate contrasts sharply with the allowance for eating meat given to Noah after the Flood (Gen 9:3), indicating a significant shift in the created order due to humanity's sin and its profound impact on the natural world. This historical change implies that the carnivorous nature observed in animals today is not God's original intention but rather a consequence of a fallen world, emphasizing the profound theological implications of sin extending beyond humanity to affect the entire creation. The biblical narrative thus presents an unfolding story from initial perfection, through the disruption of the Fall, and towards ultimate restoration, where the initial peace described in Genesis 1:30 will be realized again.

Genesis 1 30 Commentary

Genesis 1:30 is a pivotal verse, establishing God's benevolent and meticulous provision for all animated life in the initial, perfect creation. By assigning "every green herb" as "meat" (food) for all land animals, birds, and creeping things, God declared a universal vegetarian diet. This reveals the Edenic state as one characterized by absolute peace and harmony among creatures, utterly devoid of violence or predation. It underscores God's deep care for all His creations, from the largest beast to the smallest crawling thing.

This original blueprint of a non-violent ecosystem speaks profoundly about the character of the Creator – not only powerful but also supremely good and orderly. The comprehensive nature of the provision ("every beast," "every fowl," "every creeping thing") emphasizes that no living creature was overlooked or left to struggle for survival. "And it was so" confirms the immediate and perfect execution of God's design. This pre-Fall state of vegetarianism and harmony is crucial for understanding the impact of the Fall (Genesis 3) and sets the stage for prophetic visions of a restored world where predator and prey will live together in peace, signaling a return to this pristine, intended order.