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 1:21KJV
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Genesis 1:21 (KJV)

What does Genesis 1:21 mean?

Genesis 1:21 describes how God created the large creatures of the sea, every living thing that moves in the water, and every kind of bird, each according to its type. The verse ends by saying that God saw these creations and recognized them as good.

In this part of the creation story, the focus is on the fifth day, when God fills the waters with life and the sky with birds. The verse highlights the variety and abundance of living creatures, showing that each group was made to be distinct. The statement that God saw it was good emphasizes the completeness and goodness of what was made.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 1:21

  • "Created" (בָּרָא, bara): This word is used in Genesis to describe a special kind of making that only God does, often with a sense of bringing something entirely new into existence.
  • "Great" (גָּדוֹל, gadol) and "whales" (תַּנִּין, tannin): The phrase "great whales" can also be understood as "great sea creatures" or "sea monsters," pointing to the largest and most impressive animals in the water, not just modern whales.
  • "Living" (חַי, chai) and "creature" (נֶפֶשׁ, nephesh): Together, these words mean "living being" or "living creature," showing that these animals are not just objects but have life and movement.
  • "Kind" (מִין, min): This word refers to categories or types, suggesting that God created creatures with the ability to reproduce within their own groups, emphasizing order and variety in creation.

Why Genesis 1:21 matters

  • Genesis 1:21 shows that the diversity and abundance of life in the sea and sky are intentional parts of creation, not random or accidental.
  • The verse makes it clear that God values all forms of life, from the largest sea creatures to every type of bird, by declaring them "good."
  • By mentioning "after their kind," Genesis 1:21 lays a foundation for the idea of order and boundaries in the natural world, which becomes a theme throughout the creation account.

Where else these words appear

“abundantly” Hebrew H8317 · used in 14 verses

  • Genesis 1:20 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.
  • Exodus 1:7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
  • Leviticus 11:42 Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.

“moveth” Hebrew H7430 · used in 17 verses

  • Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
  • Genesis 7:21 And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:
  • Leviticus 11:46 This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth:

“kind” Hebrew H4327 · used in 18 verses

  • Genesis 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
  • Genesis 7:14 They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.
  • Leviticus 11:29 These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind,

“whales” Hebrew H8577 · used in 28 verses

  • Exodus 7:9 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.
  • Psalms 91:13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
  • Jeremiah 10:22 Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons.