Genesis

Genesis 1:20–22

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 winged bird 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.”

Read all of Genesis 1

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Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Genesis 1:20

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And God	אֱלֹהִ֔ים	’ĕ·lō·hîm	Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
said	וַיֹּ֣אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
Let the waters	הַמַּ֔יִם	ham·ma·yim	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H4325 water, juice, urine
teem	יִשְׁרְצ֣וּ	yiš·rə·ṣū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H8317 swarm, teem
with living	נֶ֣פֶשׁ	ne·p̄eš	Noun - feminine singular	H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
creatures	שֶׁ֖רֶץ	še·reṣ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H8318 swarmers, swarming things
and let birds	וְעוֹף֙	wə·‘ō·wp̄	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H5775 flying creatures, fowl, insects
fly	יְעוֹפֵ֣ף	yə·‘ō·w·p̄êp̄	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5774 fly
above	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the earth	הָאָ֔רֶץ	hā·’ā·reṣ	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
in	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the open	פְּנֵ֖י	pə·nê	Noun - common plural construct	H6440 face, before
expanse	רְקִ֥יעַ	rə·qî·a‘	Noun - masculine singular construct	H7549 extended surface
of the sky	הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃	haš·šā·mā·yim	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H8064 sky, aloft

Genesis 1:21

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So	אֶת־	’eṯ-	Direct object marker	H853 mark of the accusative
God	אֱלֹהִ֔ים	’ĕ·lō·hîm	Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
created	וַיִּבְרָ֣א	way·yiḇ·rā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1254 shape, create
the great	הַגְּדֹלִ֑ים	hag·gə·ḏō·lîm	Article; Adjective - masculine plural	H1419 great
sea creatures	הַתַּנִּינִ֖ם	hat·tan·nî·nim	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H8577 serpent, dragon, sea-monster
and every	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
living	הַֽחַיָּ֣ה׀	ha·ḥay·yāh	Article; Adjective - feminine singular	H2416 alive, living
thing	נֶ֣פֶשׁ	ne·p̄eš	Noun - feminine singular	H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
that moves	הָֽרֹמֶ֡שֶׂת	hā·rō·me·śeṯ	Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular	H7430 creep, move lightly, move about
which	אֲשֶׁר֩	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
the waters	הַמַּ֜יִם	ham·ma·yim	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H4325 water, juice, urine
teemed	שָׁרְצ֨וּ	šā·rə·ṣū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H8317 swarm, teem
according to their kinds	לְמִֽינֵהֶ֗ם	lə·mî·nê·hem	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H4327 kind, species
and	וְאֵ֨ת	wə·’êṯ	Conjunctive waw; Direct object marker	H853 mark of the accusative
every	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
winged	כָּנָף֙	kā·nāp̄	Noun - feminine singular	H3671 wing, extremity
bird	ע֤וֹף	‘ō·wp̄	Noun - masculine singular	H5775 flying creatures, fowl, insects
after its kind	לְמִינֵ֔הוּ	lə·mî·nê·hū	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H4327 kind, species
And God	אֱלֹהִ֖ים	’ĕ·lō·hîm	Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
saw	וַיַּ֥רְא	way·yar	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7200 see
that	כִּי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
good	טֽוֹב׃	ṭō·wḇ	Adjective - masculine singular	H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good

Genesis 1:22

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then God	אֱלֹהִ֖ים	’ĕ·lō·hîm	Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
blessed	וַיְבָ֧רֶךְ	way·ḇā·reḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1288 kneel, bless
them	אֹתָ֛ם	’ō·ṯām	Direct object marker; third person masculine plural	H853 mark of the accusative
said	לֵאמֹ֑ר	lê·mōr	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H559 utter, say
Be fruitful	פְּר֣וּ	pə·rū	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H6509 bear fruit, be fruitful
and multiply	וּרְב֗וּ	ū·rə·ḇū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H7235 be, or become, much, many, great
and fill	וּמִלְא֤וּ	ū·mil·’ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H4390 be full, fill
the waters	הַמַּ֙יִם֙	ham·ma·yim	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H4325 water, juice, urine
of the seas	בַּיַּמִּ֔ים	bay·yam·mîm	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H3220 sea
and let birds	וְהָע֖וֹף	wə·hā·‘ō·wp̄	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5775 flying creatures, fowl, insects
multiply	יִ֥רֶב	yi·reḇ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular	H7235 be, or become, much, many, great
on the earth	בָּאָֽרֶץ׃	bā·’ā·reṣ	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Genesis 1:20 Psalm 104:24–25 · Genesis 2:19 · 1 Kings 4:33 · Psalm 148:10 · Genesis 1:30 · Genesis 1:22 · Genesis 8:17 · Genesis 1:7

Genesis 1:21 Psalm 104:24–26 · Genesis 1:25 · Genesis 8:19 · Genesis 8:17

Genesis 1:22 Job 40:15 · Genesis 8:17 · Psalm 107:38 · Genesis 1:28 · Genesis 9:1 · Genesis 35:11 · Job 42:12 · Proverbs 10:22 · Psalm 128:3 · Leviticus 26:9 · Genesis 30:30 · Psalm 144:13–14

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.