Genesis Chapter 1:29-31 - The Sixth Day Completed | Genesis Bible Study
Genesis 1:29–31 — Behold, I Have Given You
“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the
face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
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.
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.” — Genesis 1:29–31 (KJV)
Genesis 1:29–31 brings the sixth day and the first chapter of Genesis to its magnificent conclusion.
Humanity has been created in God's image. Male and female have received God's blessing and their earthly assignment. But before the chapter closes, God reveals another dimension of His character:
God is Provider.
God does not create living beings and leave them without provision. The same Creator who gives life also provides what that life needs.
Then God surveys everything He has made.
Earlier portions of creation were called good.
Now, with the created order complete:
“behold, it was very good.”
“And God Said”
Once again:
“And God said...”
God's Word has governed the entire chapter.
God spoke light into darkness.
God spoke concerning the firmament.
God spoke concerning the waters.
God spoke concerning vegetation.
God spoke concerning the heavenly lights.
God spoke concerning living creatures.
God spoke concerning mankind.
Now God speaks concerning provision.
The chapter begins with God creating and ends with God explaining what He has given.
“Behold”
God says, “Behold...”
The Hebrew word often translated “behold” is, הִנֵּה — hinneh
It is used to draw attention to something important.
It carries the sense of:
Look.
See.
Pay attention.
Consider what I am showing you.
God is directing humanity's attention toward His provision.
Before Adam and the woman could claim ownership of anything, God makes clear:
What you have is what I have given you.
“I Have Given You”
These words reveal something fundamental about humanity's relationship with creation:
“I have given you...”
Humanity did not create the earth.
Humanity did not create the plants.
Humanity did not create the trees.
Humanity did not create the seed.
Humanity did not create its own life.
Everything entrusted to Adam came from God.
This establishes the foundation of biblical stewardship.
David later declares:
“The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” — Psalm 24:1
God owns.
Humanity receives.
Humanity then stewards what God has given.
The First Human Provision
God tells mankind:
“I have given you every herb bearing seed...”
and:
“every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed...”
Then He says:
“to you it shall be for meat.”
In KJV English, “meat” often means food, not specifically animal flesh.
Therefore, Genesis 1:29 describes plant-based provision given to humanity at this stage of the creation account.
God provides:
seed-bearing plants
and
fruit-bearing trees.
The provision God prepared on the third day becomes food for humanity created on the sixth day.
God Prepared the Provision Before the Person
This is one of the beautiful patterns within Genesis 1.
Vegetation appeared on the third day.
Humanity appeared on the sixth day.
Therefore, God prepared humanity's provision before humanity appeared.
Adam did not open his eyes to an unfinished world and ask:
“What am I going to eat?”
The provision was already there.
The Creator had anticipated the needs of His creation.
Jesus later teaches:
“For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” — Matthew 6:32
Genesis shows us this principle from the beginning.
God knew the need before the person experiencing the need existed.
“Herb Bearing Seed”
Again Scripture emphasizes seed.
The vegetation is not merely food for one generation.
It contains within itself the means for continued fruitfulness.
The seed-bearing plant can reproduce.
The fruit contains seed.
Therefore, God's provision contains the capacity for continuation and multiplication.
God does not merely provide for the immediate moment.
He establishes a system capable of continuing to provide.
Provision Contains Seed
There is a valuable principle here.
Within God's provision was seed.
The food was not merely something to consume.
It contained something capable of being planted.
This introduces a principle that will later become important throughout Scripture:
Some of what God provides can sustain the present, while some carries potential for the future.
Later Scripture repeatedly uses agricultural imagery involving seed, sowing, harvest, and fruitfulness.
“He which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” — 2 Corinthians 9:6
Genesis establishes the physical principle first.
Provision for the Animals
Genesis 1:30 continues:
“And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth...”
God's provision extends beyond humanity.
He also provides food for the animals.
This reveals God's care for all His living creation.
Psalm 147:9 says:
“He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.”
Jesus later says:
“Behold the fowls of the air...your heavenly Father feedeth them.” — Matthew 6:26
God's provision for animals begins in the creation account itself.
“Wherein There Is Life”
Genesis 1:30 describes:
“every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life...”
The Hebrew again contains the language of living nephesh.
God has created living creatures and now provides what sustains their life.
This reveals a consistent pattern:
God creates → God blesses → God assigns purpose → God provides.
God does not give an assignment without first establishing what is necessary for His creation to function within that assignment.
“I Have Given Every Green Herb for Meat”
The animals are given:
“every green herb for meat.”
Again, meat here means food.
Genesis 1 therefore presents an original created order in which plant life is given as food for humans and animals.
Later biblical history introduces changes concerning food, particularly after the Flood.
Genesis 9:3 says:
“Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.”
Therefore, we should allow Scripture's unfolding narrative to distinguish the original creation arrangement from later permissions.
“And It Was So”
Genesis 1:30 concludes:
“and it was so.”
Again, God's Word accomplishes God's purpose.
This phrase has echoed throughout the chapter.
God said it.
And it was so.
Creation consistently responds to the authority of its Creator.
This refrain teaches us something foundational about the reliability of God's Word.
Isaiah 55:11 declares:
“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void...”
The God whose Word accomplished His purpose in creation remains faithful to His Word.
“And God Saw Every Thing That He Had Made”
Genesis 1:31 expands the perspective.
Previously God looked upon particular portions of His work.
Now:
“God saw every thing that he had made...”
The entire created order stands before Him.
Light.
Heaven.
Earth.
Seas.
Vegetation.
Sun.
Moon.
Stars.
Sea creatures.
Flying creatures.
Land animals.
Humanity.
God evaluates the whole creation together.
From “Good” to “Very Good”
Throughout Genesis 1, we repeatedly read:
“God saw that it was good.”
But now something changes.
God sees everything He has made and declares:
“behold, it was very good.”
The Hebrew expression is:
טוֹב מְאֹד — tov me'od
Tov — good.
Me'od — very, exceedingly, greatly.
The completed creation is not merely good.
It is:
very good.
Everything functions together according to God's intended order.
What Does “Very Good” Tell Us?
Genesis 1:31 is essential for understanding what comes later.
The chapter does not end with:
death dominating creation,
human rebellion,
the curse upon the ground,
pain associated with the fall,
or mankind hiding from God.
Those realities enter the biblical story in Genesis 3.
Genesis 1 ends with God declaring His completed creation:
“very good.”
This distinction is essential.
We must not attribute to God's original good creation what Scripture later connects with humanity's fall into sin.
God's Standard Defines Good
Genesis began teaching us this principle in verse 4.
God saw the light and called it good.
Now the chapter concludes with God declaring everything very good.
Therefore:
God defines good.
Goodness is not determined by:
culture,
human opinion,
majority vote,
personal desire,
or changing social standards.
The Creator determines whether something conforms to His intended purpose.
Isaiah 5:20 warns:
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil...”
Genesis establishes God's authority to define good before human culture ever appears.
The Sixth Day
Genesis 1:31 concludes:
“And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”
The sixth day is complete.
And with its completion, the major works of creation described in Genesis 1 are complete.
The progression has been extraordinary.
Day One
Light and darkness
Day Two
Firmament — waters divided
Day Three
Dry land, seas, vegetation and seed
Day Four
Sun, moon and stars appointed
Day Five
Sea creatures and flying creatures
Day Six
Land animals and humanity
Then God surveys everything:
“very good.”
God Creates Before He Gives
Notice another important pattern.
God could not say:
“I have given you...”
until He had first created what He intended to give.
God's giving flows from His ownership.
This means everything humanity receives from creation is ultimately received from something that belongs first to God.
James later says:
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above...” — James 1:17
The proper response to God's provision is therefore not entitlement.
It is gratitude and stewardship.
Stewardship Begins With Recognizing the Giver
Genesis 1:29 changes the way we should think about possessions.
If God says:
“I have given you...”
then the proper response is:
“What should I do with what You have given me?”
This applies to more than material possessions.
Our:
time,
abilities,
knowledge,
opportunities,
resources,
influence,
and spiritual gifts
should all be understood as things entrusted to us.
Paul asks:
“And what hast thou that thou didst not receive?” — 1 Corinthians 4:7
Everything begins with the Giver.
Provision and Trust
Genesis 1:29 also gives us a foundation for trusting God's provision.
God did not discover Adam's needs after creating him.
He already knew.
He had already prepared.
This does not mean believers will never experience seasons of need or difficulty.
But it does mean we know the character of the One in whom we trust.
Jesus says:
“Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” — Matthew 6:32
The God who knew Adam's needs before Adam existed still knows the needs of His children.
Creation Was Good — But the Story Is Not Finished
Genesis 1 ends beautifully.
Everything is ordered.
Everything is provided.
Humanity bears God's image.
God's blessing has been spoken.
The earth is filled with life.
There is no human rebellion recorded.
And God declares:
“very good.”
But Genesis 1 is not the end of the biblical story.
Soon Genesis 3 will introduce sin into human experience.
Therefore, Genesis 1 gives us the standard against which the brokenness of the fallen world must be measured.
It shows us:
what God intended,
what sin disrupted,
and why redemption is necessary.
Christ and the Restoration of All Things
The Bible begins with a good creation and ultimately points toward God's redemptive purpose in Christ.
Colossians says concerning Christ:
“For by him were all things created...” — Colossians 1:16
And then:
“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself...” — Colossians 1:20
The One through whom creation came into being is central to God's work of reconciliation.
Revelation ultimately presents the hope of:
“a new heaven and a new earth...” — Revelation 21:1
The biblical story moves from:
Creation → Fall → Redemption → Restoration.
Genesis 1 establishes the goodness of God's original work.
Observation Questions
What did God say He had given humanity for food?
What was contained within the fruit?
What food did God provide for the animals?
What words confirm that God's command was accomplished?
What did God examine in Genesis 1:31?
How did God's final declaration differ from His earlier declarations of “good”?
What does tov me'od mean?
Which creation day ended in Genesis 1:31?
Was humanity's provision prepared before or after humanity was created?
Who is presented as the ultimate owner and giver of creation?
Reflection Questions
What does “I have given you” teach you about stewardship?
How does God's preparation of food before humanity appeared affect your understanding of His provision?
What is the difference between viewing something as mine and viewing it as something God has entrusted to me?
What does the seed within God's provision teach you about continuation and future fruitfulness?
Why is God's declaration “very good” important for understanding Genesis 3?
Who determines what is truly good—God or humanity?
What has God placed in your hands that you need to steward more faithfully?
Are you more focused on what you do not have than on what God has already provided?
How can gratitude change the way you manage God's gifts?
What does Genesis 1 reveal to you about the character of the Creator?
Personal Application
Genesis 1 ends with two statements we should carry with us:
“I have given you...”
and:
“it was very good.”
The first reminds us that God is the Giver.
The second reminds us that God's design is good.
Everything we possess should therefore be approached with humility.
Ask yourself:
What has God given me?
How am I stewarding what He has placed in my hands?
Am I thanking Him for His provision?
Am I using His provision only for myself, or for His purposes?
Do I trust God's definition of what is good?
The first chapter of Scripture leaves humanity standing inside a world it did not create, enjoying provision it did not produce, bearing an image it did not design, and receiving a blessing it did not earn.
Everything begins with God.
Key Truth
Genesis 1:29–31 reveals God as Creator, Owner, Provider, and the One who defines what is good. He prepared provision before humanity appeared, gave food to both mankind and animals, and then surveyed the whole creation and declared it “very good.” Humanity begins its existence not as an owner, but as a recipient and steward of what belongs to God.
Scripture to Remember
“The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” — Psalm 24:1
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