Genesis 1:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so.

NIV: And God said, 'Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.' And it was so.

NASB: Then God said, 'Let the earth produce living creatures according to their kind: livestock and crawling things and animals of the earth according to their kind'; and it was so.

CSB: Then God said, "Let the earth produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that crawl, and the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so.

NLT: Then God said, 'Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind — livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.' And that is what happened.

KJV: And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

NKJV: Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so.

Here, on the sixth day of creation, God moves from the seas and the air to the land. He speaks the command for animals to come into existence. More specifically, He calls for the land to produce living creatures according to their various kinds. This is a curious reference, and part of the long-running debate over what specific mechanism God might have used to create these animals, if any.

"Livestock" would include cattle and other domesticated animals. "Creeping things" is a reference to rodents, reptiles, insects, and so forth. "Beasts of the earth" are wild animals.

Once again, this conforms to the strict sequence shown in Genesis chapter 1. The first three days of creation show explicit parallels to the second three days. On day 1, God made light; on day 4, He created the sun, moon, and stars to distribute that light. On day 2, God separated the waters, creating the vast, empty oceans; on day 5, He filled those waters with sea creatures. On day 3, God created the land and filled it with vegetation; now on day 6, He fills the land with animals ready to eat from those plants.

Genesis 1:14–25 describes the second three days of creation: days four, five, and six, just prior to the creation of human kind. As with the first three, there is a common pattern. God's spoken word results in creation, which God then names and declares ''good.'' The day is then numbered. Each of these days fills something created in one of the prior three days. The sun and moon are created on day four, while day and night were created on day one. Sea creatures are created on day five, for the oceans formed on day two. Land animals—and, later, human beings—are made on day six, for the dry land and plants which God created on day three.

Genesis 1 is nothing less than a bare-bones claim that God created the universe. Setting all of the debates on models and interpretations aside, the chapter undeniably insists on one thing: God means to be known as the Creator of all things. Written in the original Hebrew language according to a rigid, poetic structure, the chapter unfolds in a series of patterns and revelations. For those who believe these words, our response should be nothing less than to worship our Maker.

Genesis 1 is the first chapter of what came to be known as the Pentateuch: the first five books of the Bible. Likely written by Moses, Genesis 1 begins the story of God and His relationship with His people Israel. The role of God as Creator is not only important for setting up His work in later chapters, but also in His supremacy and authority for all of the other words of the Scriptures. God intends first to be known to all peoples as the Creator of all things—from sun, moon, and stars, to human life itself. And as the Creator, He is owed worship by all He has made, including and especially human beings

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.