Genesis 1:24-31

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 1:30

And to every beast of the earth ,.... Wild or tame, the cattle on a thousand hills; God took care and provided for these, being all his creatures, and designed to answer some end or other by their creation: and to every fowl of the air ; that flies in it, and to every creeping thing upon the earth ; even the meanest and lowest insect: wherein there is life ; or "a living soul"; that has an animal life, which is to be supported by food: I have given every green herb for meat ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 1:31

And God saw everything that he had made ,.... Either all that he had made on the several six days of the creation, he took a survey of them, looked over them again, as workmen do when they have finished their work, to see if anything is amiss or wanting; not that anything of this nature can be supposed in the works of God, but such a survey is attributed to him after the manner of men, to show the completeness of his works, and the excellency of them. Picherellus F17 In Cosmopoeiam, p.... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 1:24

Let the earth bring forth the living creature, etc. - חיה נפש nephesh chaiyah ; a general term to express all creatures endued with animal life, in any of its infinitely varied gradations, from the half-reasoning elephant down to the stupid potto, or lower still, to the polype, which seems equally to share the vegetable and animal life. The word חיתו chaitho , in the latter part of the verse, seems to signify all wild animals, as lions, tigers, etc., and especially such as are... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 1:25

And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, etc. - Every thing both in the animal and vegetable world was made so according to its kind, both in genus and species, as to produce its own kind through endless generations. Thus the several races of animals and plants have been kept distinct from the foundation of the world to the present day. This is a proof that all future generations of plants and animals have been seminally included in those which God formed in the beginning. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 1:26

And God said, Let us make man - It is evident that God intends to impress the mind of man with a sense of something extraordinary in the formation of his body and soul, when he introduces the account of his creation thus; Let Us make man. The word אדם Adam , which we translate man, is intended to designate the species of animal, as חיתו chaitho , marks the wild beasts that live in general a solitary life; בהמה behemah , domestic or gregarious animals; and רמש remes , all... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 1:28

And God blessed them - Marked them as being under his especial protection, and gave them power to propagate and multiply their own kind on the earth. A large volume would be insufficient to contain what we know of the excellence and perfection of man, even in his present degraded fallen state. Both his body and soul are adapted with astonishing wisdom to their residence and occupations; and also the place of their residence, as well as the surrounding objects, in their diversity, color, and... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 1:29

I have given you every herb - for meat - It seems from this, says an eminent philosopher, that man was originally intended to live upon vegetables only; and as no change was made In the structure of men's bodies after the flood, it is not probable that any change was made in the articles of their food. It may also be inferred from this passage that no animal whatever was originally designed to prey on others; for nothing is here said to be given to any beast of the earth besides green herbs... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 1:31

And, behold, it was very good - מאד טוב tob meod , Superlatively, or only good; as good as they could be. The plan wise, the work well executed, the different parts properly arranged; their nature, limits, mode of existence, manner of propagation, habits, mode of sustenance, etc., etc., properly and permanently established and secured; for every thing was formed to the utmost perfection of its nature, so that nothing could be added or diminished without encumbering the operations of... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 1:24

Verse 24 24.Let the earth bring forth He descends to the sixth day, on which the animals were created, and then man. ‘Let the earth,’ he says, ‘bring forth living creatures.’ But whence has a dead element life? Therefore, there is in this respect a miracle as great as if God had begun to create out of nothing those things which he commanded to proceed from the earth. And he does not take his material from the earth, because he needed it, but that he might the better combine the separate parts... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 1:26

Verse 26 26.Let us make man (83) Although the tense here used is the future, all must acknowledge that this is the language of one apparently deliberating. Hitherto God has been introduced simply as commanding; now, when he approaches the most excellent of all his works, he enters into consultation. God certainly might here command by his bare word what he wished to be done: but he chose to give this tribute to the excellency of man, that he would, in a manner, enter into consultation... read more

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