Genesis 1:21 So God created the great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters teemed according to their kinds, and every bird of flight after its kind. And God saw that it was good.

◄ Genesis 1:21 ►

New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
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.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
So God created the great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters teemed according to their kinds, and every bird of flight after its kind. And God saw that it was good.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
And God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind; and God saw that it was good.

NASB 1995
God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.

NASB 1977
And God created the great sea monsters, and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.

Legacy Standard Bible
And God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.

Amplified Bible
God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind; and God saw that it was good and He affirmed and sustained it.

Christian Standard Bible
So God created the large sea-creatures and every living creature that moves and swarms in the water, according to their kinds. He also created every winged creature according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So God created the large sea-creatures and every living creature that moves and swarms in the water, according to their kinds. He also created every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

American Standard Version
And God created the great sea-monsters, and every living creature that moveth, wherewith the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind: and God saw that it was good.

Contemporary English Version
So God made the giant sea monsters and all the living creatures that swim in the ocean. He also made every kind of bird. God looked at what he had done, and it was good.

English Revised Version
And God created the great sea-monsters, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kinds, and every winged fowl after its kind: and God saw that it was good.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So God created the large sea creatures, every type of creature that swims around in the water and every type of flying bird. God saw that they were good.

Good News Translation
So God created the great sea monsters, all kinds of creatures that live in the water, and all kinds of birds. And God was pleased with what he saw.

International Standard Version
So God created every kind of magnificent marine creature, every kind of living marine crawler with which the waters swarmed, and every kind of flying creature. And God saw how good it was.

Majority Standard Bible
So God created the great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters teemed according to their kinds, and every bird of flight after its kind. And God saw that it was good.

NET Bible
God created the great sea creatures and every living and moving thing with which the water swarmed, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. God saw that it was good.

New Heart English Bible
And God created the large sea creatures, and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after its kind, and every winged flying creature after its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
God created the large sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. God saw that it was good.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And God creates the great dragons, and every living creature that is creeping, which the waters have teemed with, after their kind, and every bird with wing, after its kind, and God sees that [it is] good.

Young's Literal Translation
And God prepareth the great monsters, and every living creature that is creeping, which the waters have teemed with, after their kind, and every fowl with wing, after its kind, and God seeth that it is good.

Smith's Literal Translation
And God will form great sea monsters and every living soul creeping, which the waters bred abundantly according to their kind, and every bird of wing according to its kind: and God will see that it is good.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And God created the great whales, and every living and moving creature, which the waters brought forth, according to their kinds, and every winged fowl according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And God created the great sea creatures, and everything with a living soul and the ability to move that the waters produced, according to their species, and all the flying creatures, according to their kind. And God saw that it was good.

New American Bible
God created the great sea monsters and all kinds of crawling living creatures with which the water teems, and all kinds of winged birds. God saw that it was good,

New Revised Standard Version
So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And God created great sea monsters, and every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth abundantly after their kind, and every winged fowl after its kind; and God saw that it was good.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And God created the great Dragon and every living soul, swarmers that made the waters swarm with their kinds, and every bird of the wing with its kind, and God saw that it was beautiful.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And God created the great sea-monsters, and every living creature that creepeth, wherewith the waters swarmed, after its kind, and every winged fowl after its kind; and God saw that it was good.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And God made great whales, and every living reptile, which the waters brought forth according to their kinds, and every creature that flies with wings according to its kind, and God saw that they were good.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Fifth Day
…20And God said, “Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.” 21So God created the great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters teemed according to their kinds, and every bird of flight after its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters of the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Psalm 104:24-25
How many are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures. / Here is the sea, vast and wide, teeming with creatures beyond number, living things both great and small.

Job 12:7-10
But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you. / Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; let the fish of the sea inform you. / Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? ...

Psalm 148:5-7
Let them praise the name of the LORD, for He gave the command and they were created. / He established them forever and ever; He issued a decree that will never pass away. / Praise the LORD from the earth, all great sea creatures and ocean depths,

Isaiah 45:18
For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens—He is God; He formed the earth and fashioned it; He established it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited: “I am the LORD, and there is no other.

Nehemiah 9:6
You alone are the LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all things, and the host of heaven worships You.

Job 26:13
By His breath the skies were cleared; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

Psalm 33:6-9
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the stars by the breath of His mouth. / He piles up the waters of the sea; He puts the depths into storehouses. / Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere Him. ...

Psalm 136:25
He gives food to every creature. His loving devotion endures forever.

Psalm 146:6
the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He remains faithful forever.

Jeremiah 51:15
The LORD made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding.

Acts 17:24-25
The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. / Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.

Romans 1:20
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.

Colossians 1:16
For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.

Revelation 4:11
“Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things; by Your will they exist and were created.”

John 1:3
Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.

Treasury of Scripture

And God created great whales, and every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

great.

Genesis 6:20
Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.

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.

Genesis 8:19
Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.

brought.

Genesis 8:17
Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.

Genesis 9:7
And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.

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.

God saw.

Genesis 1:18,25,31
And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good…

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Genesis 1

1. God creates heaven and earth;
3. the light;
6. the firmament;
9. separates the dry land;
14. forms the sun, moon, and stars;
20. fishes and fowls;
24. cattle, wild beasts, and creeping things;
26. creates man in his own image, blesses him;
29. grants the fruits of the earth for food.

Berean Study Bible

So God created
The Hebrew word for "created" is "בָּרָא" (bara), which is used exclusively in the Bible for divine creation. This term signifies the initiation of something new, something that only God can bring into existence. It underscores the omnipotence of God, who alone has the power to create life from nothing. This act of creation is a testament to God's sovereignty and His ability to bring order and life into the world.

the great sea creatures
The phrase "great sea creatures" is translated from the Hebrew "תַּנִּינִם" (tanninim), which can refer to large sea animals, possibly including whales or mythical sea monsters. In the ancient Near Eastern context, sea creatures often symbolized chaos. By creating these creatures, God demonstrates His dominion over chaos and the natural world, establishing order and purpose in creation.

and every living thing that moves
The Hebrew word for "living thing" is "נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה" (nephesh chayyah), which means "living soul" or "living being." This phrase emphasizes the vitality and animation of God's creation. The inclusion of "that moves" highlights the dynamic and active nature of life in the waters, showcasing the diversity and complexity of God's creative work.

with which the waters teemed
The verb "teemed" comes from the Hebrew "שָׁרַץ" (sharats), meaning to swarm or abound. This imagery conveys the abundance and fertility of life in the waters, reflecting God's provision and the richness of His creation. The waters are depicted as a source of life, filled with a multitude of creatures, each playing a role in the ecosystem designed by God.

according to their kinds
The phrase "according to their kinds" is a recurring theme in the creation account, emphasizing the order and structure within creation. The Hebrew word "מִין" (min) refers to a category or species. This concept underscores the intentionality and precision of God's creative work, where each creature is designed with a specific purpose and place within the created order.

and every winged bird according to its kind
The mention of "every winged bird" highlights the diversity of avian life, each created "according to its kind." This phrase reiterates the theme of order and variety in creation. Birds, with their ability to soar through the skies, symbolize freedom and the vastness of God's creative power. Their creation reflects the beauty and intricacy of God's design.

And God saw that it was good
The declaration "it was good" is a divine affirmation of the quality and purpose of creation. The Hebrew word "טוֹב" (tov) means good, pleasant, or excellent. This statement reflects God's satisfaction with His creation, indicating that it fulfills His intentions and reflects His glory. It serves as a reminder of the inherent goodness of the world as originally created by God, before the fall of man introduced sin and brokenness.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(21) God created great whales.--Whales, strictly speaking, are mammals, and belong to the creation of the sixth day. But tannin, the word used here, means any long creature, and is used of serpents in Exodus 7:9-10 (where, however, it may mean a crocodile), and in Deuteronomy 32:33; of the crocodile in Psalm 74:13, Isaiah 51:9, Ezekiel 29:3; and of sea monsters generally in Job 7:12. It thus appropriately marks the great Saurian age. The use, too, of the verb bara, "he created," is no argument against its meaning to produce out of nothing, because it belongs not to these monsters, which may have been "evolved," but to the whole verse, which describes the introduction of animal life; and this is one of the special creative acts which physical science acknowledges to be outside its domain. . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 21. - And God created (bara, is in ver. 1, to indicate the introduction of an absolutely new thing, viz., the principle of animal life) great whales. Tanninim, from tanan; Greek, τείνω; Latin, tendo; Sansc., tan, to stretch. These were the first of the two classes into which the sheretzim of the previous verse were divided. The word is used of serpents (Exodus 7:9; Deuteronomy 32:33; Psalm 91:13; Jeremiah 51:34), of the crocodile (Ezekiel 29:3; Ezekiel 32:2), and may therefore here describe "great sea monsters" in general: τὰ κ´τη τὰ μεγάλα (LXX.); "monstrous crawlers that wriggle through the water or scud along the banks (Murphy); whales, crocodiles, and other sea monsters (Delitzsch); gigantic aquatic and amphibious reptiles (Kalisch, Macdonald). And every living creature (nephesh chayyah) which moveth. Literally, the moving, from ramas, to move or creep. This is the second class of sheretzim. The term remes is specially descriptive. of creeping animals (Genesis 9:2), either on land (Genesis 7:14) or in water (Psalm 69:35), though here it clearly signifies aquatic tribes. Which the waters brought forth abundantly after their kind. The generic terms are thus seen to include many distinct orders and species, created each after its kind. And every winged fowl after his kind. Why fowls and fish were created on the same day is rot to be explained by any supposed similarity between the air and the water (Luther, Lyra, Calvin. etc. or any fancied resemblance between the bodily organisms of birds and fishes, but by the circumstance that the firmament and the waters were separated on the second day, to which it was designed that this day should have a correspondence. And God saw that it was good. As in every other instance, the productions of this day approve themselves to the Divine Creator's judgment; but on this day he marks his complacency by a step which he takes for the first time, viz., that of pronouncing a benediction on the newly-created tribes. Nothing could more evince the importance which, in the Creator's judgment, attached to this day's work.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

So
אֶת־ (’eṯ-)
Direct object marker
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

God
אֱלֹהִ֔ים (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

created
וַיִּבְרָ֣א (way·yiḇ·rā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1254: To create, to cut down, select, feed

the great
הַגְּדֹלִ֑ים (hag·gə·ḏō·lîm)
Article | Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

sea creatures
הַתַּנִּינִ֖ם (hat·tan·nî·nim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8577: A marine, land monster, sea-serpent, jackal

and every
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

living
הַֽחַיָּ֣ה ׀ (ha·ḥay·yāh)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

thing
נֶ֣פֶשׁ (ne·p̄eš)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

that moves,
הָֽרֹמֶ֡שֶׂת (hā·rō·me·śeṯ)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 7430: To glide swiftly, to crawl, move with short steps, to swarm

[with] which
אֲשֶׁר֩ (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

the waters
הַמַּ֜יִם (ham·ma·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

teemed
שָׁרְצ֨וּ (šā·rə·ṣū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 8317: To wriggle, swarm, abound

according to their kinds,
לְמִֽינֵהֶ֗ם (lə·mî·nê·hem)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4327: A sort, species

and
וְאֵ֨ת (wə·’êṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

every
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

bird
ע֤וֹף (‘ō·wp̄)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5775: Flying creatures

of flight
כָּנָף֙ (kā·nāp̄)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 3671: An edge, extremity, a wing, a flap, a quarter, a pinnacle

after its kind.
לְמִינֵ֔הוּ (lə·mî·nê·hū)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4327: A sort, species

And God
אֱלֹהִ֖ים (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

saw
וַיַּ֥רְא (way·yar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

that
כִּי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

[it was] good.
טֽוֹב׃ (ṭō·wḇ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

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OT Law: Genesis 1:21 God created the large sea creatures (Gen. Ge Gn)