Genesis 1:31

Modern

And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Traditional

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Literal

And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good! And there was evening and there was morning—the sixth day.

Latin

Viditque Deus cuncta quæ fecerat, et erant valde bona. Et factum est vespere et mane, dies sextus.

Hebrew

English

And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

The creator calls his work good seven times in chapter 1. After creating humans, God says it is all very good.

On days four through six, God filled the domains that had been formed during days one through three (1:3–13).

These verses introduce the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible). They teach Israel that one true God created, ordered, and populated the world, not the gods of nearby nations.
God blessed three specific things:
- animal life (1:22–25),
- human life (1:27), and
- the Sabbath day (2:3).
These three blessings emphasize the Creator's plan. God made humans in his image to rule in his place over earth's creatures and to join in God's Sabbath rest.

Theme notes and profiles

1 Timothy 4:4
For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected,
Psalm 104:24
How many are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.
Psalm 19:1–2
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
Exodus 20:11
For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, but on the seventh day He rested. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
Psalm 104:31
May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in His works.
Lamentations 3:38
Do not both adversity and good come from the mouth of the Most High?
Job 38:7
…while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Genesis 2:2
And by the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work.
Genesis 1:23
And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
Genesis 1:5
God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
Genesis 1:8
God called the expanse “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
Genesis 1:19
And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.