The Meaning of Genesis 1:30 Explained

Genesis 1:30

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.

YLT: and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the heavens, and to every creeping thing on the earth, in which is breath of life, every green herb is for food:' and it is so.

Darby: and to every animal of the earth, and to every fowl of the heavens, and to everything that creepeth on the earth, in which is a living soul, every green herb for food. And it was so.

ASV: and to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the heavens, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for food: and it was so.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Genesis 1:30 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 1:20-31 - Man Creation's Crown
Creation reveals God's nature, as the picture the artist. His eternal Power and Godhead are visible in His works. See Romans 1:20. And all things and beings were made through Jesus Christ. Consider Colossians 1:15-16. The hands of the Son of God wove the blue curtains above us and filled them with luminaries. The seas are His and He made them, and filled them with living creatures. The woodlands are the outcome of His mind, and He filled them with flowers and birds. He taught them to live without care. He filled the tiny heart of the mother-bird with love to her young and blessed her. His are the cattle on a thousand hills. He molded the red earth into His own likeness and made Man. We were made to have dominion. See Psalms 8:6-8. Ask Him to put all things, especially all the evil things of your heart, under your feet. The world is good, and if you were good, you would find it so. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 1

1  God creates heaven and earth;
3  the light;
6  the firmament;
9  separates the dry land;
14  forms the sun, moon, and stars;
20  fishes and fowls;
24  cattle, wild beasts, and creeping things;
26  creates man in his own image, blesses him;
29  grants the fruits of the earth for food

What do the individual words in Genesis 1:30 mean?

And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that creeps upon the earth which [has] in it the breath life - [I have given] every green herb for food and it was so
וּֽלְכָל־ חַיַּ֣ת הָ֠אָרֶץ וּלְכָל־ ע֨וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם וּלְכֹ֣ל ׀ רוֹמֵ֣שׂ עַל־ הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־ בּוֹ֙ נֶ֣פֶשׁ חַיָּ֔ה אֶת־ כָּל־ יֶ֥רֶק עֵ֖שֶׂב לְאָכְלָ֑ה וַֽיְהִי־ כֵֽן

וּֽלְכָל־  And  to  every 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
חַיַּ֣ת  beast 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
הָ֠אָרֶץ  of  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וּלְכָל־  and  to  every 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
ע֨וֹף  bird 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֹוף  
Sense: flying creatures, fowl, insects, birds.
הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם  of  the  air 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וּלְכֹ֣ל ׀  and  to  everything 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
רוֹמֵ֣שׂ  that  creeps 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָמַשׂ  
Sense: to creep, move lightly, move about, walk on all fours.
עַל־  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הָאָ֗רֶץ  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
אֲשֶׁר־  which  [has] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בּוֹ֙  in  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
נֶ֣פֶשׁ  the  breath 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
חַיָּ֔ה  life 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
כָּל־  [I  have  given]  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
יֶ֥רֶק  green 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֶרֶק  
Sense: green, greenness, green plants, greenery.
עֵ֖שֶׂב  herb 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵשֶׂב  
Sense: herb, herbage, grass, green plants.
לְאָכְלָ֑ה  for  food 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אָכְלָה  
Sense: food.
וַֽיְהִי־  and  it  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כֵֽן  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.