And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
What does Genesis 1:20 mean?
God commanded the fish and fowl to be produced. This command he himself executed.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Genesis 1:20-23 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Genesis 1:20
- VII. The Fifth Day 20. sharats, "crawl, teem, swarm, abound." An intransitive verb, admitting, however, an objective noun of its own or a like signification. 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 breath Numbers 6:6 . As breath is the accompaniment and sign of life, it comes to denote "life," and hence, a living body, "an animal.
Key words
- said
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And God said, let the waters bring forth abundantly,.
- waters
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And God said, let the waters bring forth abundantly,.
- bring
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And God said, let the waters bring forth abundantly,.
Context in Genesis 1
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Genesis 1 belongs to the opening movement of the book, especially the section often described as primeval history from creation to Babel. Genesis opens the whole Bible with creation, fall, flood, Babel, and the long patriarchal story that carries the reader from Eden to Egypt. Read this chapter with the wider themes of creation, fall, and covenant in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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A collection of passages on hope under pressure, future inheritance, resurrection expectation, and confidence in God’s final faithfulness.