Genesis 1:20 Meaning: Let the Waters Teem with Life
God said, “Let the waters abound with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.”
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.
And God said, Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
And God saith, `Let the waters teem with the teeming living creature, and fowl let fly on the earth on the face of the expanse of the heavens.'
And God said, Let the waters swarm with swarms of living souls, and let fowl fly above the earth in the expanse of the heavens.
Meaning in one sentence
In Genesis 1:20, God fills the waters with swarming creatures and birds. The Hebrew phrase 'living soul' reveals the beginning of animal life.
Context
This verse takes us into the fifth day of creation. The sky has lights now, sun, moon, stars, and the waters are gathered into seas. But both the sea and the sky are empty. So God speaks again. The waters will swarm with creatures, and birds will fly in the expanse. It is the first time the text speaks of living beings. Up to now, only plants and heavenly bodies have been made. Now something new arrives: life that breathes and moves. Everything in the chapter has been moving from the simpler to the more complex, and here at last God brings forth animals. The fecundity of the waters and the flight of birds are woven into one command, showing that both realms, sea and sky, are filled by the same creative word.
Key Words
Two Hebrew words carry the heart of this verse. The verb sharats (swarm, teem) is used emphatically: “Let the waters swarm with swarms.” It pictures not a few fish here and there, but an overwhelming abundance, water so thick with life it seems to move by itself. God does not create sparsely. The other key phrase is nephesh chayah, “living soul.” Here it does not mean an immortal spirit, as it does for humans. Calvin and others note that it simply means a breathing, animated creature. The waters are suddenly full of beings with life in them, creatures that eat, swim, multiply. The Hebrew word for bird, oph, also includes flying insects. So everything that moves through the air or the sea comes from God’s word. The crowded, buzzing, teeming life you see in a pond or under a night sky started with these words.
How Christians Read This Verse
Commentators across traditions have focused on two things: the sheer abundance of life, and the fact that birds share the same watery origin as fish. Matthew Henry sees a progression from less to more excellent, teaching us to press toward perfection. The Cambridge Bible emphasizes the phrase “living soul,” pointing out that these creatures are endowed with an active principle of animal life. Calvin reminds us that even if we cannot explain why birds come from the waters, the Creator’s will is reason enough. Some readers note the connection to Genesis 2:19, where birds are formed from the ground; most see Genesis 1 as a broad framework and chapter 2 as a closer look. All agree: God alone brings life from emptiness, and He does so with astonishing generosity.
A common misunderstanding
A common reading is that Genesis 1:20 and 2:19 contradict each other: here birds come from the waters, there from the ground. In fact, the two passages use different language for different purposes. Genesis 1 describes categories of creation, the waters as the realm from which God summons aquatic and aerial creatures. Genesis 2 gives a more personal, focused account of the same events, showing God forming animals from the soil to bring them to Adam. Both affirm the same truth: God is the source of all life, not random process.
Living This Out
This week, notice the life you usually overlook. The school of minnows in a creek. The sparrow on the wire. The swallows swooping at dusk. Every one of them got here the same way: God spoke, and they appeared. If God’s word can fill a lifeless sea with herring and cod, can fill a silent sky with swallows and hawks, what might that same word do in a life that feels empty or stuck? The God who makes water teem can also make stillness fruitful. You can trust His voice to bring life into your barren places, not all at once, but day by day, just as creation unfolded one morning at a time.
Main takeaway: God’s spoken word fills the empty waters and sky with teeming life, and that same word still brings abundance today.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God made the fish and the birds on the same day. He wanted the sea to be full of swimming creatures and the sky full of flying ones. That is why we see so many different fish and birds today!
For ages 9, 12
God told the waters to teem with living creatures, and they did. He spoke, and fish of every size and color appeared, even enormous whales. At the same moment, birds began to fly across the sky. This shows how powerful God’s word is. He does not struggle or work hard; He simply speaks, and life happens.
Questions People Ask
Why does Genesis 1:20 say birds come from the waters?
The verse does not explain the physical process; it simply says God commanded the waters to produce birds. Christians have understood this as a broad statement that both fish and birds originated from the watery realm. Genesis 2:19 gives a more focused account, showing that birds were later formed from the ground, the two passages complement each other, not contradict.
What does 'living soul' (nephesh chayah) mean in this verse?
In this context, nephesh chayah does not mean an immortal soul as in humans. It refers to a living, breathing creature, a creature with animal life. The waters teemed with beings that had breath, appetite, and movement. It is the Bible’s way of saying that these were fully alive animals, not just shapes or spirits.
How does Genesis 1:20 connect to modern science?
The verse is a statement of faith, not a scientific textbook. It proclaims that God created all aquatic and airborne life by His word. Many Christians see no conflict with scientific descriptions of how life developed, because the “how” can be studied while the “who”, the Creator, is worshiped. Others hold that the verse describes a direct, instantaneous creation. Both positions seek to honor God as the source of life.
What is the significance of God blessing the creatures in verse 22?
The blessing “Be fruitful and multiply” shows that God’s creation is not a one-time event. He built ongoing fruitfulness into the living world. Fish and birds are not just individuals; they are species that reproduce and fill the earth. This blessing sets the pattern for all animal life and later for humanity itself.
For pastors & researchers
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