The Meaning of Genesis 1:20 Explained

Genesis 1:20

KJV: 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.

YLT: And God saith, 'Let the waters teem with the teeming living creature, and fowl let fly on the earth on the face of the expanse of the heavens.'

Darby: And God said, Let the waters swarm with swarms of living souls, and let fowl fly above the earth in the expanse of the heavens.

ASV: And God said, Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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?

Context Summary

Genesis 1:20-31 - Man Creation's Crown
Creation reveals God's nature, as the picture the artist. His eternal Power and Godhead are visible in His works. See Romans 1:20. And all things and beings were made through Jesus Christ. Consider Colossians 1:15-16. The hands of the Son of God wove the blue curtains above us and filled them with luminaries. The seas are His and He made them, and filled them with living creatures. The woodlands are the outcome of His mind, and He filled them with flowers and birds. He taught them to live without care. He filled the tiny heart of the mother-bird with love to her young and blessed her. His are the cattle on a thousand hills. He molded the red earth into His own likeness and made Man. We were made to have dominion. See Psalms 8:6-8. Ask Him to put all things, especially all the evil things of your heart, under your feet. The world is good, and if you were good, you would find it so. [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 1:20 mean?

And said God let abound the waters with an abundance of creatures living and birds let fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the sky
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֔ים יִשְׁרְצ֣וּ הַמַּ֔יִם שֶׁ֖רֶץ נֶ֣פֶשׁ חַיָּ֑ה וְעוֹף֙ יְעוֹפֵ֣ף עַל־ הָאָ֔רֶץ עַל־ פְּנֵ֖י רְקִ֥יעַ הַשָּׁמָֽיִם

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֱלֹהִ֔ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
יִשְׁרְצ֣וּ  let  abound 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁרַץ  
Sense: (Qal) to teem, swarm, multiply.
הַמַּ֔יִם  the  waters 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
שֶׁ֖רֶץ  with  an  abundance 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֶׁרֶץ  
Sense: teeming or swarming things, creepers, swarmers.
נֶ֣פֶשׁ  of  creatures 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
חַיָּ֑ה  living 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
וְעוֹף֙  and  birds 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹוף  
Sense: flying creatures, fowl, insects, birds.
יְעוֹפֵ֣ף  let  fly 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עוּף 
Sense: to fly, fly about, fly away.
עַל־  above 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
עַל־  across 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
פְּנֵ֖י  the  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
רְקִ֥יעַ  of  the  firmament 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רָקִיעַ  
Sense: extended surface (solid), expanse, firmament.
הַשָּׁמָֽיִם  of  the  sky 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.