Genesis 1:12

The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — At the close of the third day of creation, the narrative records the earth fulfilling God’s prior command to generate plant life.

The words — לְ/מִינֵ֔/הוּ (le./mi.Ne./hu) literally renders to/ kind/ its, defining the reproductive boundary for both seed-bearing plants and fruit trees.

The thread — The motif of inherent, orderly growth recurs in Mark 4:28, which notes the earth producing crops independently, and Isaiah 55:10, which parallels it to rain accomplishing its intended effect.

Why it lands — The passage demands that readers acknowledge creation functions through fixed, reproducible categories rather than unbounded variation.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַתּוֹצֵ֨אva./to.Tze'and/ <it> brought forth הָאָ֜רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ earth דֶּ֠שֶׁאDe.she'vegetation עֵ֣שֶׂב'E.sevplant[s]מַזְרִ֤יעַmaz.Ri.a'[which] bears seed זֶ֙רַע֙ze.ra'seed לְמִינֵ֔הוּle./mi.Ne./huto/ kind/ its וְעֵ֧ץve./'Etzand/ tree[s]עֹֽשֶׂה־'o.seh-producing פְּרִ֛יpe.Rifruit אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sherwhich זַרְעוֹ־zar.'o/v-seed/ itsב֖וֹv/o[was] in <the>/ itלְמִינֵ֑הוּle./mi.Ne./huto/ kind/ its וַיַּ֥רְאva/i.Yar'and/ he saw אֱלֹהִ֖ים'E.lo.HimGod כִּי־ki-that טֽוֹב׃Tov[it was] good

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Mark 4:28 All by itself the earth produces a crop—first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within.
Isaiah 55:10 For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat,
Matthew 13:24 Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.
Luke 6:44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. Indeed, figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor grapes from brambles.
Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.
Isaiah 61:11 For as the earth brings forth its growth, and as a garden enables seed to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
2 Corinthians 9:10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your store of seed and will increase the harvest of your righteousness.