The Meaning of Genesis 1:12 Explained

Genesis 1:12

KJV: And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

YLT: And the earth bringeth forth tender grass, herb sowing seed after its kind, and tree making fruit (whose seed is in itself) after its kind; and God seeth that it is good;

Darby: And the earth brought forth grass, herb producing seed after its kind, and trees yielding fruit, the seed of which is in them, after their kind. And God saw that it was good.

ASV: And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the earth  brought forth  grass,  [and] herb  yielding  seed  after his kind,  and the tree  yielding  fruit,  whose seed  [was] in itself, after his kind:  and God  saw  that [it was] good. 

What does Genesis 1:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Note that on the first and second days God did one work each day. He created light and the firmament. On the third day He did two works. He created the land and vegetation. Similarly, on the fourth and fifth days God did one work. He created the lights" functions on the fourth day and the birds and fish on the fifth day. Then on the sixth day He again did two works. He created the land animals and man. [1] On the first three days He gave form to what was formless, and on the last three days He filled what was void.
"Both vegetation and humanity, symbolizing the fertility of life, were considered pinnacles of creation in the ancient Near East. The first triad [2] ends climactically with the creation of vegetation; the second, the creation of humanity." [3]

Context Summary

Genesis 1:6-19 - Sky, Earth, Seasons
There were successive stages in creation. The days probably represent long periods. It is so with the new creation in our hearts. See 2 Corinthians 5:17. In nature the clouds that float above us are separated from the waters at our feet so in Christian experience we must seek to quench our thirst not only from below, but from above. See Colossians 3:1-4. Our wells must be filled from Heaven. Notice how in creation there are repeated separations, as between Day and Night, Seas and Lands; so as we live in the Spirit, we are quicker to distinguish not only between white and black, but the different shades of gray. The test of plant-life is the power of reproducing their kind; we are always reproducing ourselves in others, and sowing wheat or poppies. If God maintains suns and planets in bright and ordered beauty, He can keep us, Isaiah 40:26-27. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Genesis 1:12 mean?

And brought forth the earth grass the herb [that] yields seed according to its kind and the tree [that] yields fruit whose seed [is] in itself according to its kind and saw God that [it was] good
וַתּוֹצֵ֨א הָאָ֜רֶץ דֶּ֠שֶׁא עֵ֣שֶׂב מַזְרִ֤יעַ זֶ֙רַע֙ לְמִינֵ֔הוּ וְעֵ֧ץ עֹֽשֶׂה־ פְּרִ֛י אֲשֶׁ֥ר זַרְעוֹ־ ב֖וֹ לְמִינֵ֑הוּ וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים כִּי־ טֽוֹב

וַתּוֹצֵ֨א  And  brought  forth 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
הָאָ֜רֶץ  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
דֶּ֠שֶׁא  grass 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דֶּשֶׁא  
Sense: grass, new grass, green herb, vegetation, young.
עֵ֣שֶׂב  the  herb 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵשֶׂב  
Sense: herb, herbage, grass, green plants.
מַזְרִ֤יעַ  [that]  yields 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: זָרַע  
Sense: to sow, scatter seed.
זֶ֙רַע֙  seed 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
לְמִינֵ֔הוּ  according  to  its  kind 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מִין  
Sense: kind, sometimes a species (usually of animals).
וְעֵ֧ץ  and  the  tree 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
עֹֽשֶׂה־  [that]  yields 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
פְּרִ֛י  fruit 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פְּרִי  
Sense: fruit.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  whose 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
זַרְעוֹ־  seed  [is] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
ב֖וֹ  in  itself 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
לְמִינֵ֑הוּ  according  to  its  kind 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מִין  
Sense: kind, sometimes a species (usually of animals).
וַיַּ֥רְא  and  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אֱלֹהִ֖ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
כִּי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
טֽוֹב  [it  was]  good 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.