Genesis 1:21
"And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good."

Commentary

Gill's Exposition

And God created great whales,.... Which the Targums of Jonathan and Jarchi interpret of the Leviathan and its mate, concerning which the Jews have many fabulous things: large fishes are undoubtedly meant, and the whale being of the largest sort, the word is so rendered. Aelianus, from various writers, relates many things of the extraordinary size of whales; of one in the Indian sea five times bigger than the largest elephant, one of its ribs being twenty cubits (r); from Theocles, of one that was larger than a galley with three oars (s); and from Onesicritus and Orthagoras, of one that was half a furlong in length (t); and Pliny (u) speaks of one sort called the

"balaena", and of one of them in the Indian sea, that took up four aces of land, and so Solinus (w); and from Juba, he relates there were whales that were six hundred feet in length, and three hundred sixty in breadth (x) but whales in common are but about fifty, seventy, eighty, or at most one hundred feet. Some interpret these of crocodiles, see Eze 29:3 some of which are twenty, some thirty, and some have been said to be an hundred feet long (y) The word is sometimes used of dragons, and, if it has this sense here, must be meant of dragons in the sea, or sea serpents, leviathan the piercing serpent, and leviathan the crooked serpent, Isa 27:1 so the Jews (z); and such as the bishop of Bergen (a) speaks of as in the northern seas of a hundred fathom long, or six hundred English feet; and who also gives an account of a sea monster of an enormous and incredible size, that sometimes appears like an island at a great distance, called "Kraken" (b); now because creatures of such a prodigious size were formed out of the waters, which seemed so very unfit to produce them; therefore the same word is here made use of, as is in the creation of the heaven and the earth out of nothing, Gen 1:1 because this production, though not out of nothing, yet was an extraordinary instance of almighty power, And every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly after their kind; that is, every living creature that swims in the waters of the great sea, or in rivers, whose kinds are many, and their numbers not to be reckoned; see Gill on Gen 1:20 . and every winged fowl after his kind; every fowl, and the various sorts of them that fly in the air; these were all created by God, or produced out of the water and out of the earth by his wonderful power: and God saw that it was good; or foresaw that those creatures he made in the waters and in the air would serve to display the glory of his perfections, and be very useful and beneficial to man, he designed to create. (Some of the creatures described by the ancients must refer to animals that are now extinct. Some of these may have been very large dinasours. Ed.) (r) Hist. Animal. l. 16. c. 12. (s) Ib. l. 17. c. 6. (t) Ibid. (u) Nat. Hist. l. 9. c. 3. (w) Polyhistor. c. 65. (x) Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 32. c. 1. (y) See Thevenot's Travels, par. 1. c. 72. p. 246. Harris's Voyages, &c. vol. 1. p. 287, 485, 759. (z) T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 74. 2. (a) History of Norway, p. 199. (b) Ibid. p. 210, &c.

Source: Gill's Exposition (Public Domain)

Hebrew Word Studies (23 words)

H1254 בָּרָא
Definition:

A primitive root; (absolutely) to create; (qualified) to cut down (a wood), select, feed (as formative processes) -- choose, create (creator), cut down, dispatch, do, make (fat).Brown-Driver-BriggsI.ב A primitive root; (absolutely) to create; (qualified) to cut down (a wood), select, feed (as formative processes) -- choose, create (creator), cut down, dispatch, do, make (fat).Brown-Driver-BriggsI.ב

Possible Meanings:
  • be fat (semantic_range)
  • to make yourself fat (semantic_range)
H0430 אֱלהִים
Definition:

33; on number of occurrences ofאֵל,אֱלוֺהַּ,אֱלֹהִיםcompare also Nesl. c,)1pluralin number.a.rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power 33; on number of occurrences ofאֵל,אֱלוֺהַּ,אֱלֹהִיםcompare also Nesl. c,)1pluralin number.a.rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power

Possible Meanings:
  • divine ones (semantic_range)
  • angels (semantic_range)
  • gods (semantic_range)
H0853 אֵת
Definition:

33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34: 33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34:

Possible Meanings:
  • sign (semantic_range)
H8577 תַּנִּין
Definition:

3serpent, dragon, sea-monster(Late Hebrewid.(rare); Arabic, loan-word from Aramaicתַּנִּינָא,Frä123; Ethiopic); — absolute׳תExodus 7:9+,יִ֯םEzekiel 29:3;Ezekiel 32:2(by confusion with plural of [תַּן] 3serpent, dragon, sea-monster(Late Hebrewid.(rare); Arabic, loan-word from Aramaicתַּנִּינָא,Frä123; Ethiopic); — absolute׳תExodus 7:9+,יִ֯םEzekiel 29:3;Ezekiel 32:2(by confusion with plural of [תַּן]

Possible Meanings:
  • second (semantic_range)
H1419 גָּדוֹל
Definition:

13 279t.;גָּדֹלDeuteronomy 26:822t.; constructגְּדוֺלEzekiel 17:3,7;Jeremiah 32:19,גְּדָלֿProverbs 19:19,גְּדָו֯לֿPsalm 145:8;Nahum 1:3; suffixגְּדוֺלָםJeremiah 6:132t.; pluralגְּדוֺלִיםExodus 7:411t. 13 279t.;גָּדֹלDeuteronomy 26:822t.; constructגְּדוֺלEzekiel 17:3,7;Jeremiah 32:19,גְּדָלֿProverbs 19:19,גְּדָו֯לֿPsalm 145:8;Nahum 1:3; suffixגְּדוֺלָםJeremiah 6:132t.; pluralגְּדוֺלִיםExodus 7:411t.

Possible Meanings:
  • great (semantic_range)
  • loud (semantic_range)
  • do great things (semantic_range)
  • greatness (semantic_range)
H0853 אֵת
Definition:

33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34: 33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34:

Possible Meanings:
  • sign (semantic_range)
H3605 כֹּל
Definition:

8 Kt.),noun masculinethe whole, all(Moabite, Phoenician,id.; Aramaicכּוֺל,; Arabic; Sabeanכל, compare DHMEpigr. Denk. 36-38; EthiopicAssyriankullatu) — absoluteכֹּל, constructכֹּלGenesis 2:5,16,20 #NA 8 Kt.),noun masculinethe whole, all(Moabite, Phoenician,id.; Aramaicכּוֺל,; Arabic; Sabeanכל, compare DHMEpigr. Denk. 36-38; EthiopicAssyriankullatu) — absoluteכֹּל, constructכֹּלGenesis 2:5,16,20 #NA

H5315 נֶפֶשׁ
Definition:

6(so evenGenesis 2:19;Numbers 31:28;1 Kings 19:2see AlbrZAW xvi (1896), 42SS)soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion(Ecclus 3:18; 4:1 (twice in verse); Ecclesias 6(so evenGenesis 2:19;Numbers 31:28;1 Kings 19:2see AlbrZAW xvi (1896), 42SS)soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion(Ecclus 3:18; 4:1 (twice in verse); Ecclesias

Possible Meanings:
  • take breath (semantic_range)
  • refresh oneself (semantic_range)
  • take breath (semantic_range)
  • refresh oneself (semantic_range)
H2416 חַי
Definition:

Fromchayah; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figurat Fromchayah; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figurat

H7430 רָמַשׂ
Definition:

22t.;ParticipleרֹמֵשׂGenesis 1:26+; feminine singularרֹמֶ֫שֶׂתLeviticus 11:462t.; —1subject ground,הָאֲדָמָה׳כֹּל אֲשֶׁר תall with which the ground creeps(teems), i.e. all creeping things,Leviticus 20 22t.;ParticipleרֹמֵשׂGenesis 1:26+; feminine singularרֹמֶ֫שֶׂתLeviticus 11:462t.; —1subject ground,הָאֲדָמָה׳כֹּל אֲשֶׁר תall with which the ground creeps(teems), i.e. all creeping things,Leviticus 20

Possible Meanings:
  • moving things (semantic_range)
H0834 אֲשֶׁר
Definition:

1according to TsepreghiDiss. Lugd. p. 171MühlauBö. Lb. ii. 79 n.StaMorg. Forsch. 1875, 188; Lb. § 167HomZMG 1878, 708 ff.Müll§ 153SayceHebraica. ii. 51LagM. i. 255 &especially KraeHebraica. vi. 298 ff 1according to TsepreghiDiss. Lugd. p. 171MühlauBö. Lb. ii. 79 n.StaMorg. Forsch. 1875, 188; Lb. § 167HomZMG 1878, 708 ff.Müll§ 153SayceHebraica. ii. 51LagM. i. 255 &especially KraeHebraica. vi. 298 ff

Possible Meanings:
  • Asher (semantic_range)
  • happy one (semantic_range)
  • Felix (semantic_range)
  • the tribe (semantic_range)
H8317 שָׁרַץ
Definition:

30,שָֽׁרְצוּGenesis 1:21, etc.;Imperfect3masculine singularיִשְׁרֹץEzekiel 47:9, etc.;Imperativemasculine pluralשִׁרְצוּGenesis 9:7;ParticipleהַשֹּׁרֵץGenesis 7:21+, feminineהַשֹּׁרֶ֫צֶתLeviticus 11:4 30,שָֽׁרְצוּGenesis 1:21, etc.;Imperfect3masculine singularיִשְׁרֹץEzekiel 47:9, etc.;Imperativemasculine pluralשִׁרְצוּGenesis 9:7;ParticipleהַשֹּׁרֵץGenesis 7:21+, feminineהַשֹּׁרֶ֫צֶתLeviticus 11:4

Possible Meanings:
  • swarmers (semantic_range)
  • swarming things (semantic_range)
H4325 מַיִם
Definition:

14only pluralמַ֫יִםwaters, water(Late Hebrewid.; MI23[ין]מ; SI5המים; Aramaicמַיָּא,מַיִּין,Assyrianmû, pluralmê, alsomâmuDlHWB 394; ArabicEthiopic, plural; Sabean [מו],מוםpluralמון, Minaean [מה], plur 14only pluralמַ֫יִםwaters, water(Late Hebrewid.; MI23[ין]מ; SI5המים; Aramaicמַיָּא,מַיִּין,Assyrianmû, pluralmê, alsomâmuDlHWB 394; ArabicEthiopic, plural; Sabean [מו],מוםpluralמון, Minaean [מה], plur

H4327 מִין
Definition:

25id.), alsoschismatic, heretic; Jewish-Aramaicמִינָא,species; Palestinian Syriac =nationPS2094SchwIdioticon 50; yet not Aramaic loan-word in Hebrew; see LagBN 183 f.); — always suffix + prepositionלְ 25id.), alsoschismatic, heretic; Jewish-Aramaicמִינָא,species; Palestinian Syriac =nationPS2094SchwIdioticon 50; yet not Aramaic loan-word in Hebrew; see LagBN 183 f.); — always suffix + prepositionלְ

Possible Meanings:
  • kind (semantic_range)
H0853 אֵת
Definition:

33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34: 33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34:

Possible Meanings:
  • sign (semantic_range)
H3605 כֹּל
Definition:

8 Kt.),noun masculinethe whole, all(Moabite, Phoenician,id.; Aramaicכּוֺל,; Arabic; Sabeanכל, compare DHMEpigr. Denk. 36-38; EthiopicAssyriankullatu) — absoluteכֹּל, constructכֹּלGenesis 2:5,16,20 #NA 8 Kt.),noun masculinethe whole, all(Moabite, Phoenician,id.; Aramaicכּוֺל,; Arabic; Sabeanכל, compare DHMEpigr. Denk. 36-38; EthiopicAssyriankullatu) — absoluteכֹּל, constructכֹּלGenesis 2:5,16,20 #NA

H5775 עוֹף
Definition:

17collectiveflying creatures, fowl, insects; —׳עabsoluteGenesis 1:20+, constructGenesis 1:21+; —1fowl, birds,Genesis 40:17,19 (E),Genesis 7:8(J),Genesis 1:20,22 (P),1 Kings 5:13+; especially (38 t.)הַ 17collectiveflying creatures, fowl, insects; —׳עabsoluteGenesis 1:20+, constructGenesis 1:21+; —1fowl, birds,Genesis 40:17,19 (E),Genesis 7:8(J),Genesis 1:20,22 (P),1 Kings 5:13+; especially (38 t.)הַ

H3671 כָּנָף
Definition:

27(masculineEzekiel 7:2Kt, but compare Qr and Co; also apparently 2 Chronicles 3:11,13, but see Be),wing, extremity(Late Hebrewid.; Aramaicכַּנְפָֿא,; Zinjirliאחז בכנף מראה, figurative forattached him 27(masculineEzekiel 7:2Kt, but compare Qr and Co; also apparently 2 Chronicles 3:11,13, but see Be),wing, extremity(Late Hebrewid.; Aramaicכַּנְפָֿא,; Zinjirliאחז בכנף מראה, figurative forattached him

Possible Meanings:
  • be cornered (semantic_range)
  • thrust into a corner (semantic_range)
  • aside (semantic_range)
H4327 מִין
Definition:

25id.), alsoschismatic, heretic; Jewish-Aramaicמִינָא,species; Palestinian Syriac =nationPS2094SchwIdioticon 50; yet not Aramaic loan-word in Hebrew; see LagBN 183 f.); — always suffix + prepositionלְ 25id.), alsoschismatic, heretic; Jewish-Aramaicמִינָא,species; Palestinian Syriac =nationPS2094SchwIdioticon 50; yet not Aramaic loan-word in Hebrew; see LagBN 183 f.); — always suffix + prepositionלְ

Possible Meanings:
  • kind (semantic_range)
H7200 רָאָה
Definition:

7, compareריחspectacleDeuteronomy 1:12; Sabeanראיsee, expectDHMZMG xxix (1875), 506,599; Arabicsee, so Ethiopicᵑ7רֵו,רֵיוָאhumanappearance, features, etc. (compare Hebrewרְָאִי2)); —Qal1141Perfect3mas 7, compareריחspectacleDeuteronomy 1:12; Sabeanראיsee, expectDHMZMG xxix (1875), 506,599; Arabicsee, so Ethiopicᵑ7רֵו,רֵיוָאhumanappearance, features, etc. (compare Hebrewרְָאִי2)); —Qal1141Perfect3mas

Possible Meanings:
  • vision (semantic_range)
H0430 אֱלהִים
Definition:

33; on number of occurrences ofאֵל,אֱלוֺהַּ,אֱלֹהִיםcompare also Nesl. c,)1pluralin number.a.rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power 33; on number of occurrences ofאֵל,אֱלוֺהַּ,אֱלֹהִיםcompare also Nesl. c,)1pluralin number.a.rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power

Possible Meanings:
  • divine ones (semantic_range)
  • angels (semantic_range)
  • gods (semantic_range)
H3588 כִּי
Definition:

Phoenicianכ. Probably from the same demonstrative basis found inhere, and in certain pronouns, as Aramaicדֵּךְthis(WSG 110 f.); perhaps also ultimately akin withthat, in order that, andthen, enclitic, Phoenicianכ. Probably from the same demonstrative basis found inhere, and in certain pronouns, as Aramaicדֵּךְthis(WSG 110 f.); perhaps also ultimately akin withthat, in order that, andthen, enclitic,

Possible Meanings:
  • for (semantic_range)
  • when (semantic_range)
  • when (semantic_range)
H2896 טוֹב
Definition:

Fromtowb; good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the Fromtowb; good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the

Possible Meanings:
  • good things (semantic_range)
  • goods (semantic_range)
  • goodness (semantic_range)

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