The Meaning of Genesis 9:3 Explained

Genesis 9:3

KJV: Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

YLT: Every creeping thing that is alive, to you it is for food; as the green herb I have given to you the whole;

Darby: Every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you: as the green herb I give you everything.

ASV: Every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you; As the green herb have I given you all.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Every moving thing  that liveth  shall be meat  for you; even as the green  herb  have I given  you all things. 

What does Genesis 9:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 9:1-17 - God's Covenant With Noah
As the human race started afresh on its career, God blessed it, as at the first. God always stands with us in a new start. The prohibition against the use of blood in food is often repeated. See Leviticus 17:11; Acts 15:29. In a very deep sense, the blood is the life. When we speak of being redeemed by the blood of Jesus, we mean that we have been saved by His sacrificed life. The blood maketh atonement for the soul. But while animal life might be used for food or sacrifice, human life was surrounded by the most solemn sanctions. A Covenant is a promise or undertaking resting on certain conditions, with a sign or token attached to it. The bow in the cloud, the Lord's Supper, the wedding ring are signs and seals of their respective covenants. Never witness a rainbow without remembering that as God hath sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth, so He will not withdraw His kindness. See Isaiah 54:9. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 9

1  God blesses Noah and his sons, and grants them flesh for food
4  Blood and murder are forbidden
8  God's covenant, of which the rainbow was constituted a pledge
18  Noah's family replenishes the world
20  Noah plants a vineyard,
21  Is drunken, and mocked by his son;
25  Curses Canaan;
26  Blesses Shem;
27  Prays for Japheth, and dies

What do the individual words in Genesis 9:3 mean?

Every moving thing that it lives for you shall be for food just as the green herbs have I given you - all things
כָּל־ רֶ֙מֶשׂ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הוּא־ חַ֔י לָכֶ֥ם יִהְיֶ֖ה לְאָכְלָ֑ה כְּיֶ֣רֶק עֵ֔שֶׂב נָתַ֥תִּי לָכֶ֖ם אֶת־ כֹּֽל

כָּל־  Every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
רֶ֙מֶשׂ֙  moving  thing 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶמֶשׂ  
Sense: creeping things, moving things, creeping organism.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
חַ֔י  lives 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
לָכֶ֥ם  for  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
יִהְיֶ֖ה  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְאָכְלָ֑ה  for  food 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אָכְלָה  
Sense: food.
כְּיֶ֣רֶק  just  as  the  green 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֶרֶק  
Sense: green, greenness, green plants, greenery.
עֵ֔שֶׂב  herbs 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵשֶׂב  
Sense: herb, herbage, grass, green plants.
נָתַ֥תִּי  have  I  given 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
כֹּֽל  all  things 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.