Genesis 1:20-21
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The verse emphasizes God's command for the waters to "swarm with swarms," highlighting the immense diversity and sheer abundance of life He intended to create. It wasn't just about filling the seas; it was about an explosion of living creatures, setting the stage for the teeming ecosystems we see today.
And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
English Standard Version (ESV)
On the fifth day of creation, God turns His attention to the vast expanses of water and air. He commands them to teem with life, bringing forth a multitude of creatures for both the seas and the skies. This act follows the separation of the waters and the creation of the atmosphere on the second day, now filling these realms with living beings.
Ever wonder where all the incredible diversity of marine life came from? Genesis 1:20 points to a moment of divine command that set the waters teeming with creatures.
On the fifth day of creation, God's word unleashed life into the waters. The Hebrew word used here, 'swarm' or 'teem,' emphasizes an overflowing abundance. This wasn't just a trickle of life, but a bursting forth, a prolific generation.
A Divine Command Unleashes Abundance
This concept reminds us that life, in its astonishing diversity and abundance, is a direct act of God's creative power, a generosity that continues to sustain His creation.
Did you catch that the same command that filled the waters also brought forth creatures of the air? Genesis 1:20 links aquatic and avian life in a remarkable way.
Genesis 1:20 presents a beautiful pairing: the teeming waters and the flying birds. God's creative word simultaneously addressed two distinct realms of the created order.
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A Unified Creative Act
This pairing highlights that God's creation is interconnected. The life He created wasn't confined to one element but spanned across the watery depths and the airy heights, demonstrating the breadth of His creative purpose.
Understand the original words
mayim · Hebrew: Noun (plural)
The liquid element essential for life, often symbolizing physical life, spiritual cleansing, or chaotic forces subdued by God.
sharats · Hebrew Verb
To teem, crawl, or multiply abundantly, usually referring to the rapid movement and proliferation of small animals.
chay · Hebrew Adjective
Alive, active, and possessing physical or spiritual vitality; the opposite of dead.
nephesh · Hebrew Noun
A living being or soul, possessing breath and animation; used to describe both humans and animals.
oph · Hebrew: Noun
Winged creatures or flying insects capable of flight in the atmosphere.
Elohim · Hebrew Noun
The name for the Creator and Ruler of the universe, signifying His power, majesty, and sovereignty as the true God.
bara · Hebrew Verb
A unique divine action of bringing something into existence that is entirely new or previously non-existent; in Scripture, God is always the subject of this verb.
tannin · Hebrew Noun
Large aquatic animals or sea monsters, sometimes used symbolically in Scripture to represent chaos or the great power of God over all creatures.
nephesh hayyah · Hebrew Noun Phrase
A term describing an animate being possessed of life, breath, and desire; used of both animals and humans to indicate their vitality.
sharats · Hebrew Verb
To teem, crawl, or multiply abundantly; it describes the prolific nature of small animals or aquatic life as they fill their environment.
min · Hebrew Noun
Divinely ordained biological boundaries or categories that ensure order in reproduction, reflecting God's design for diversity and stability in nature.
oph · Hebrew Noun
A general term for any winged creature, primarily birds, signifying their ability to fly above the earth.
tob · Hebrew Adjective
An evaluative term indicating that something is in harmony with God's nature, purpose, and will; it denotes moral and functional perfection.
This psalm praises God for His creation, mentioning the vast sea teeming with countless creatures, directly echoing the abundance commanded in Genesis 1:20.
Isaiah 40:26This verse highlights God's power in creating and sustaining the stars, but the underlying theme of God's unfathomable power in creation connects to the immense act of filling the waters and sky with life.
Matthew 6:26Jesus points to the birds of the air as an example of God's provision, reminding us that the birds mentioned in Genesis 1:20 are part of God's careful design and care for His creation.
Colossians 1:16This New Testament passage states that all things were created through and for Christ, extending the creative authority seen in Genesis 1:20 to the ultimate purpose found in Christ.
Revelation 4:11The elders in Revelation declare that God created all things for His pleasure and by His will, underscoring that the creation of life in Genesis 1:20 was an act of God's sovereign purpose and delight.
calvinGenesis 1:1-31: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Terra autem erat informis et inanis; tenebraeque erant in superficie voraginis, et Spiritus Dei agitabat se in superficie aquarum.
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Et dixit Deus, Sit lux. Et fuit lux.
And God saw the light, that it was good:…
barnesGenesis 1:20: "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."
- VII. The Fifth Day 20. שׁרץ shārats, "crawl, teem, swarm, abound." An intransitive verb, admitting, however, an objective noun of its own or a like signification. נפשׁ nephesh, "breath, soul, self." This noun is derived from a root signifying to breathe. Its concrete meaning is, therefore, "that which breathes," and co…
The verse emphasizes God's command for the waters to "swarm with swarms," highlighting the immense diversity and sheer abundance of life He intended to create. It wasn't just about filling the seas; it was about an explosion of living creatures, setting the stage for the teeming ecosystems we see today.
On the fifth day of creation, God turns His attention to the vast expanses of water and air. He commands them to teem with life, bringing forth a multitude of creatures for both the seas and the skies. This act follows the separation of the waters and the creation of the atmosphere on the second day, now filling these realms with living beings.
On the fifth day of creation, God turns His attention to the vast expanses of water and air. He commands them to teem with life, bringing forth a multitude of creatures for both the seas and the skies. This act follows the separation of the waters and the creation of the atmosphere on the second day, now filling these realms with living beings.
"And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters s…" — The verse emphasizes God's command for the waters to "swarm with swarms," highlighting the immense diversity and sheer abundance of life He intended to create. It wasn't just about filling the seas;…
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Last reviewed October 2026
