And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened.
Parallel translations
- WEB To every animal of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food;” and it was so.
- KJV And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
- BSB And to every beast of the earth and every bird of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth—everything that has the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.
- NKJV Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so.
- NASB and to every animal of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to everything that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God gives green plants to the animals for food, and it is so. The Creator's provision extends to every living creature.
Overview
God appoints green vegetation as food for the beasts, birds, and creeping things, extending his care to all that has life. The closing 'it was so' confirms that God's gracious provision is fully accomplished. This universal sustaining of life reflects the truth that God opens his hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing (Psalm 145:16).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Ps 104:14He causes the grass to grow for the livestock, and plants for man to cultivate, that he may produce food out of the earth:
- Ps 145:15–16The eyes of all wait for you. You give them their food in due season.
- Ps 147:9He provides food for the livestock, and for the young ravens when they call.
- Job 40:15“See now, behemoth, which I made as well as you. He eats grass as an ox.
- Job 40:20Surely the mountains produce food for him, where all the animals of the field play.
- Job 38:39–41“Can you hunt the prey for the lioness, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
- Gen 9:3Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As I gave you the green herb, I have given everything to you.
- Job 39:4Their young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They go out, and don’t return again.
- Job 39:8The range of the mountains is his pasture, He searches after every green thing.
- Job 39:30His young ones also suck up blood. Where the slain are, there he is.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Lay
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Pastoral
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Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 1:30 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.