Genesis 1:24

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

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God speaks during the sixth day of creation, commanding the earth to produce livestock, land crawlers, and beasts. This declaration occurs after the fifth day concludes and before the seventh day begins.

The words — The command uses תּוֹצֵא (to.Tze'), meaning "let it produce," and לְ/מִינָ֔/הּ (le./mi.Na/h), meaning "to its kind." These terms establish the earth's reproductive capacity and the fixed boundaries of each created group.

The thread — The "according to its kind" pattern appears in Genesis 6:20 regarding the preservation of animals on the ark. It also echoes the categorical grouping in Genesis 8:19, which describes creatures leaving the ark by their families.

Why it lands — The text records a direct divine command followed by immediate execution, requiring the reader to recognize the authority of spoken creation. It demands acknowledgment that biological order originates from a specific divine instruction rather than random process.

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

וַיֹּ֣אמֶרva/i.Yo.merand/ he said אֱלֹהִ֗ים'E.lo.HimGod תּוֹצֵ֨אto.Tze'let it produce הָאָ֜רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ earth נֶ֤פֶשׁNe.feshcreature[s]חַיָּה֙chai.Yahliving לְמִינָ֔הּle./mi.Na/hto/ kind/ its בְּהֵמָ֥הbe.he.Mahlivestock וָרֶ֛מֶשׂva./Re.mesand/ creeping thing[s]וְחַֽיְתוֹ־ve./chay.tov-and/ animal[s] of אֶ֖רֶץ'E.retz[the] earth לְמִינָ֑הּle./mi.Na/hto/ kind/ its וַֽיְהִי־va/y.hi-and/ it was כֵֽן׃Khenso

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Psalms 50:9 I have no need for a bull from your stall or goats from your pens,
Genesis 6:20 Two of every kind of bird and animal and crawling creature will come to you to be kept alive.
Genesis 8:19 Every living creature, every creeping thing, and every bird—everything that moves upon the earth—came out of the ark, kind by kind.
Job 40:15 Look at Behemoth, which I made along with you. He feeds on grass like an ox.
Psalms 148:10 wild animals and all cattle, crawling creatures and flying birds,
Genesis 7:14 they and every kind of wild animal, livestock, crawling creature, bird, and winged creature.
Job 39:5 Who set the wild donkey free? Who released the swift donkey from the harness?
Job 38:39 Can you hunt the prey for a lioness or satisfy the hunger of young lions
Job 39:19 Do you give strength to the horse or adorn his neck with a mane?
Psalms 104:18 The high mountains are for the wild goats, the cliffs a refuge for the rock badgers.