Genesis 9:3
Genesis 9:3 in Multiple Translations
Everything that lives and moves will be food for you; just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you all things.
Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
Every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you; as the green herb have I given you all.
Every living and moving thing will be food for you; I give them all to you as before I gave you all green things.
Every living creature that moves will be food for you, as well as all the green plants.
Euery thing that moueth and liueth, shall be meate for you: as the greene herbe, haue I giuen you all things.
Every creeping thing that is alive, to you it is for food; as the green herb I have given to you the whole;
Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As I gave you the green herb, I have given everything to you.
Every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things:
And every thing that moveth and liveth shall be meat for you: even as the green herbs have I delivered them all to you:
Just as I previously said you could eat green plants for food, now I am saying you can eat everything that lives and moves.
I gave you bush tucker to eat, and now I’m giving you meat to eat too. You can eat anything that moves.
Berean Amplified Bible — Genesis 9:3
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Genesis 9:3 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
כָּל
רֶ֨מֶשׂ֙
אֲשֶׁ֣ר
הוּא
חַ֔י
לָ/כֶ֥ם
יִהְיֶ֖ה
לְ/אָכְלָ֑ה
כְּ/יֶ֣רֶק
עֵ֔שֶׂב
נָתַ֥תִּי
לָ/כֶ֖ם
אֶת
כֹּֽל
כָּל
kôl
H3605
all
N-ms
רֶ֨מֶשׂ֙
remes
H7431
creeping
N-ms
אֲשֶׁ֣ר
ʼăsher
H834
which
Rel
הוּא
hûwʼ
H1931
he/she/it
Pron
חַ֔י
chay
H2416
alive
Adj
לָ/כֶ֥ם
Prep | Suff
יִהְיֶ֖ה
hâyâh
H1961
to be
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
לְ/אָכְלָ֑ה
ʼoklâh
H402
food
Prep | N-fs
כְּ/יֶ֣רֶק
yereq
H3418
green
Prep | N-ms
עֵ֔שֶׂב
ʻeseb
H6212
vegetation
N-ms
נָתַ֥תִּי
nâthan
H5414
to give
V-Qal-Perf-1cs
לָ/כֶ֖ם
Prep | Suff
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
Obj.
DirObjM
כֹּֽל
kôl
H3605
all
N-ms
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Genesis 9:3
כָּל
kôl
H3605
"all"
N-ms
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Definition: 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Usage: Occurs in 4242 OT verses. KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever). See also: Genesis 1:21; Genesis 17:10; Genesis 41:40.
רֶ֨מֶשׂ֙
remes
H7431
"creeping"
N-ms
This Hebrew word refers to small moving animals like reptiles. It appears in the Bible to describe creatures that creep or crawl on the ground. In the book of Genesis, God creates these animals to inhabit the earth.
Definition: 1) creeping things, moving things, creeping organism 1a) creeping things 1b) gliding things (of sea animals) 1c) moving things (of all animals)
Usage: Occurs in 17 OT verses. KJV: that creepeth, creeping (moving) thing. See also: Genesis 1:24; Genesis 8:19; Psalms 104:25.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר
ʼăsher
H834
"which"
Rel
This Hebrew word is a conjunction that connects ideas and events in the Bible, like in the book of Genesis, where it's used to describe the relationship between God and His creation.
Definition: A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when
Usage: Occurs in 4440 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever, when, where ([phrase] -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, [phrase] whither(-soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection. See also: Genesis 1:7; Genesis 20:9; Genesis 31:16.
הוּא
hûwʼ
H1931
"he/she/it"
Pron
This word is a pronoun meaning 'he', 'she', or 'it', used to refer to a person or thing. It is used in the Bible to emphasize a subject or make it clear who is being talked about.
Definition: pron 3p s 1) he, she, it 1a) himself (with emphasis) 1b) resuming subj with emphasis 1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate) 1d) (anticipating subj) 1e) (emphasising predicate) 1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron 2) that (with article)
Usage: Occurs in 1693 OT verses. KJV: he, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who. See also: Genesis 2:11; Genesis 32:19; Exodus 21:3.
חַ֔י
chay
H2416
"alive"
Adj
In the Bible, this word means life or being alive. It can refer to physical life, like in Genesis 1:20, or spiritual life, like in Psalm 30:5.
Definition: adj 1) living, alive 1a) green (of vegetation) 1b) flowing, fresh (of water) 1c) lively, active (of man) 1d) reviving (of the springtime) Aramaic equivalent: chay (חַי "living" H2417)
Usage: Occurs in 450 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, [phrase] merry, multitude, [phrase] (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop. See also: Genesis 1:20; Deuteronomy 4:9; 2 Kings 5:16.
לָ/כֶ֥ם
""
Prep | Suff
יִהְיֶ֖ה
hâyâh
H1961
"to be"
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Definition: 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about 1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
Usage: Occurs in 3131 OT verses. KJV: beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 17:4; Genesis 36:11.
לְ/אָכְלָ֑ה
ʼoklâh
H402
"food"
Prep | N-fs
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means food or something to eat, like in Psalm 78:25 where it describes manna from heaven. It can also mean being consumed by something, like fire or wild beasts. This word is used in many Old Testament stories.
Definition: 1) food 1a) food, eating 1b) object of devouring, consuming 1b1) by wild beasts (figurative) 1b2) in fire 1b3) of judgment (figurative)
Usage: Occurs in 18 OT verses. KJV: consume, devour, eat, food, meat. See also: Genesis 1:29; Ezekiel 15:6; Jeremiah 12:9.
כְּ/יֶ֣רֶק
yereq
H3418
"green"
Prep | N-ms
This Hebrew word describes the green color of plants and vegetation, like grass and young crops. It symbolizes new life and growth, as seen in Genesis and Psalms.
Definition: green, greenness, green plants, greenery
Usage: Occurs in 6 OT verses. KJV: grass, green (thing). See also: Genesis 1:30; Numbers 22:4; Psalms 37:2.
עֵ֔שֶׂב
ʻeseb
H6212
"vegetation"
N-ms
This Hebrew word means vegetation or grass, representing growth and new life. It is used in Genesis 1:11 to describe the creation of plants and in Psalm 23:2 to describe a peaceful landscape.
Definition: herb, herbage, grass, green plants Aramaic equivalent: a.sav (עֲשַׂב "grass" H6211B)
Usage: Occurs in 32 OT verses. KJV: grass, herb. See also: Genesis 1:11; Psalms 72:16; Psalms 92:8.
נָתַ֥תִּי
nâthan
H5414
"to give"
V-Qal-Perf-1cs
This word means to give, put, or set something, with a wide range of applications. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, describing God's actions and human interactions. The word is used to convey giving, selling, or exchanging something.
Definition: : give/deliver/send/produce 1) to give, put, set 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend 1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate 1a3) to make, constitute 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned 1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up 1c2) to be put upon
Usage: Occurs in 1816 OT verses. KJV: add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield. See also: Genesis 1:17; Genesis 40:21; Exodus 30:12.
לָ/כֶ֖ם
""
Prep | Suff
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
"Obj."
DirObjM
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Definition: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
Usage: Occurs in 6782 OT verses. KJV: (as such unrepresented in English). See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 10:8; Genesis 19:21.
כֹּֽל
kôl
H3605
"all"
N-ms
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Definition: 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Usage: Occurs in 4242 OT verses. KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever). See also: Genesis 1:21; Genesis 17:10; Genesis 41:40.
Study Notes — Genesis 9:3
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Genesis 9:3 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Genesis 9:3
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 9:3
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Genesis 9:3
- Trapp's Commentary on Genesis 9:3
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Genesis 9:3
- Cambridge Bible on Genesis 9:3
- Whedon's Commentary on Genesis 9:3
- Sermons on Genesis 9:3
Context — The Covenant of the Rainbow
1And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.
2The fear and dread of you will fall on every living creature on the earth, every bird of the air, every creature that crawls on the ground, and all the fish of the sea. They are delivered into your hand.
3Everything that lives and moves will be food for you; just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you all things.
4But you must not eat meat with its lifeblood still in it. 5And surely I will require the life of any man or beast by whose hand your lifeblood is shed. I will demand an accounting from anyone who takes the life of his fellow man:Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Romans 14:14 | I am convinced and fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. |
| 2 | Colossians 2:21–22 | “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”? These will all perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. |
| 3 | 1 Corinthians 10:31 | So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God. |
| 4 | Deuteronomy 12:15 | But whenever you want, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your gates, according to the blessing the LORD your God has given you. Both the ceremonially clean and unclean may eat it as they would a gazelle or deer, |
| 5 | 1 Timothy 4:3–5 | They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected, because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. |
| 6 | 1 Corinthians 10:25–26 | Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” |
| 7 | Colossians 2:16 | Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. |
| 8 | Psalms 104:14–15 | He makes the grass grow for the livestock and provides crops for man to cultivate, bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil that makes his face to shine, and bread that sustains his heart. |
| 9 | Genesis 1:29–30 | Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food. And to every beast of the earth and every bird of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth—everything that has the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. |
| 10 | Leviticus 22:8 | He must not eat anything found dead or torn by wild animals, which would make him unclean. I am the LORD. |
Genesis 9:3 Summary
Genesis 9:3 means that God is providing for our physical needs by giving us food to eat, and He wants us to take care of the earth and all the creatures in it, as seen in Genesis 1:28 and Psalm 24:1. This verse is a reminder that God is our provider and that we should be thankful for the food we have, just like the Israelites were thankful for manna in Exodus 16:1-36. It also reminds us to respect and care for the creation that God has given us, because we are stewards of the earth, as stated in Genesis 1:28 and Psalm 8:6-8.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean that God gave Noah and his sons all things for food?
This means that God is providing for their physical needs, giving them permission to eat meat, just as He provided the green plants in Genesis 1:29-30 for Adam and Eve to eat, and now, as stated in Genesis 9:3, He gives them all things.
Is this verse saying that we can eat anything we want without restriction?
No, this verse is not saying that, because in the very next verse, Genesis 9:4, God restricts them from eating meat with its lifeblood still in it, showing that even with the permission to eat meat, there are still guidelines to follow, similar to the dietary laws given later in Leviticus 11:1-47 and Deuteronomy 14:3-21.
How does this verse relate to the original creation mandate in Genesis 1:28-30?
This verse in Genesis 9:3 is a reiteration of God's original intention for humanity to have dominion over creation, as stated in Genesis 1:28, but now it's given in a new context after the flood, with new guidelines for living in a world that has been changed by sin, similar to how God gave new commands to Adam after the fall in Genesis 3:15 and later to the Israelites in Exodus 20:1-17.
Does this verse imply that animals have no value or are only for human consumption?
No, it doesn't imply that, because as seen in other parts of the Bible, such as Proverbs 12:10, animals are to be treated with care and respect, and in Genesis 9:3, God is providing for human needs while also expecting humans to be good stewards of the earth, as stated in Genesis 1:28 and Psalm 24:1.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that I can be a good steward of the resources God has given me, whether it's the food I eat or the way I treat the environment?
- How does this verse make me think about my relationship with the natural world, and what responsibilities do I have towards it?
- In what ways can I balance my own needs with the need to care for and respect the creation that God has given me, as seen in Genesis 9:3 and other verses like Psalm 8:6-8?
- What does it mean for me to 'have dominion' over creation, and how should that affect the way I live my daily life, in light of Genesis 1:28 and Genesis 9:3?
Gill's Exposition on Genesis 9:3
Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you,.... That is, every beast, fowl, and fish, without exception; for though there was a difference at this time of clean and unclean creatures with
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 9:3
Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. Every moving thing ... meat for you.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Genesis 9:3
Every moving thing which is wholesome and fit for food, and clean; an exception to be gathered both from the nature of the thing, and from the distinction of clean and unclean beasts, mentioned before and afterwards. That liveth. This is added to exclude the use of those creatures which either died of themselves, or were killed by wild beasts, which is here forbidden implicitly, and afterwards expressly. See . Shall be meat for you: it is not a command that we must, but a permission that we may eat of them. A grant possibly given before the flood, but now expressed, either because the former allowance might seem to be forfeited, or because as men now grew more infirm and needed better nourishment, so the earth was grown more feeble by the flood, and its fruits yielded less and worse nourishment. I have given you all things: understand this with the limitation above-mentioned. The green herbs were given before, .
Trapp's Commentary on Genesis 9:3
Genesis 9:3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.Ver. 3. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you.] God of his goodness grants here to mankind, after the flood, the use of flesh and wine, that the new and much weakened world might have new and more strengthening nourishment. For it is not to be doubted but that, by the deluge, a great decay was wrought both in the earth with its fruits, and also in man’ s nature. Various ridges and scars, as it were, of God’ s wrath and malediction abided and appeared in the earth. Sundry maladies also and infirmities befell man’ s body, not felt before the flood. God therefore in great mercy provides, penum quoddam et pharmacopolium mundo senescenti , new food and physic for the languishing world. "Every moving thing that liveth," &c., only, that as the green herb have I given you all things; that is, as you may use them as freely as you used to do herbs, so you must use them soberly, and without curiosity; taking such things as are at hand, and eating to live, not living to eat, as the rich glutton, that fared deliciously every day: - “ Ingluvies, et tempestas, barathrumque macelli .” - Horat. Flac. Illyric.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Genesis 9:3
Verse 3. Every moving thing - shall be meat] There is no positive evidence that animal food was ever used before the flood. Noah had the first grant of this kind, and it has been continued to all his posterity ever since. It is not likely that this grant would have been now made if some extraordinary alteration had not taken place in the vegetable world, so as to render its productions less nutritive than they were before; and probably such a change in the constitution of man as to render a grosser and higher diet necessary. We may therefore safely infer that the earth was less productive after the flood than it was before, and that the human constitution was greatly impaired by the alterations which had taken place through the whole economy of nature. Morbid debility, induced by an often unfriendly state of the atmosphere, with sore and long-continued labour, would necessarily require a higher nutriment than vegetables could supply. That this was the case appears sufficiently clear from the grant of animal food, which, had it not been indispensably necessary, had not been made. That the constitution of man was then much altered appears in the greatly contracted lives of the postdiluvians; yet from the deluge to the day of Abraham the lives of several of the patriarchs amounted to some hundreds of years; but this was the effect of a peculiar providence, that the new world might be the more speedily repeopled.
Cambridge Bible on Genesis 9:3
3. Every moving thing] P assumes here that all animals are capable of furnishing food for man, and that there is no distinction between “clean” and “unclean” in the pre-Mosaic dispensation. as the green herb] See note on Genesis 1:30. As, at the Creation, God said of the whole vegetable world, that it should be man’s food (“to you it shall be for meat,” Genesis 1:29), so, now, He declares that the whole animal world shall be food for man. As He gave the vegetable, so now He gives the animal, life to man. But this gift is accompanied with two prohibitions.
Whedon's Commentary on Genesis 9:3
3. Meat for you — Animal food is here granted to man. It may have been used before, but is now for the first time expressly permitted. Man is permitted freely to eat whatever he desires in the vegetable and animal creation.
Sermons on Genesis 9:3
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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Living in Unity by Peter Maiden | In this sermon, the speaker focuses on how to live with people who may have different beliefs or opinions. He uses Romans chapter 14 as a basis for his teachings. The chapter discu |
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(1 Peter - Part 22): Our Walk in the Presence of the Unsaved by A.W. Tozer | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of living an honest and upright life among non-believers. He highlights that God never gives us instructions to live without |
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(The Glory of God) in Motivation by Paul Washer | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of preaching about God's glory rather than focusing on principles and rules. He criticizes the tendency of pastors to manipula |
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The Carnal Christian by A.W. Tozer | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the importance of living above our feelings and senses as Christians. He shares a story about a young man who struggled with having the desir |
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A Look at the Puritan Through Puritan Eyes by J.I. Packer | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the story of Carter, who played a central role in the next chapter of the story. The sermon is divided into three paragraphs: the leaders, the |
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Christian Humanism by Paris Reidhead | This sermon delves into the fundamental question of whether God is viewed as an end or a means in our lives. It contrasts humanism, which focuses on man's happiness as the ultimate |
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The Deception of Christian Rock Music Clearly Defined by Zac Poonen | This sermon emphasizes the danger of replacing the Holy Spirit with worldly influences like Christian rock music, money, and psychology in churches today. It challenges the focus o |