Day Five — swarms and birds
Four verses, 57 words. See in the original how the verbs inside God’s speech change form depending on who is addressed — “let it …” (jussive, imperfect) and “you, do …” (imperative).
Verse by verse: which patterns build each sentence, and why — so that you can read it without a translation.
1-1Before you read — verbs inside speech
The story of Genesis 1 moves forward with wayyiqtols, but inside God’s speech other verb forms are used. A wish for a third person uses the jussive or imperfect (“let the waters …”); words spoken directly to a second person use the imperative (“you, do …”).
Day Five shows both in one day. Verse 20 is a wish about the waters and the birds (third person); verse 22 is a command to the creatures he blessed (second person) and a wish about the birds (third person).
1-2What each verse does — Genesis 1:20–23
Before the text, see for each verse of 1:20–23: (1) what it does in the story, (2) what it says, (3) the verbs and sentence structure it uses. Tap a row to go to that verse.
The storyline — the 6 verbs that carry the story of Genesis 1:20–23
Why only these verbs? — In Hebrew narrative the “and he did” verb (wayyiqtol, pattern 1) moves the events forward one by one. Read these verbs in order and you have the storyline of 1:20–23. The other clauses (descriptions, the verbs inside God’s speech, perfects and so on) are added to this line. See this storyline first, and in the text you will notice where a sentence moves forward and where it pauses.
He said → he created → he saw → he blessed → evening, morning. The verbs inside speech (wishes, imperatives) and the perfect שָׁרְצוּ inside the relative clause are not part of this chain.
Tap a word to open its notes below. Pronunciation is by a modern Israeli Hebrew voice.
YLVAnd God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms, a living soul (nephesh); and let birds fly above the earth upon the face of the firmament of the heavens."
How this sentence is built — and why
- How many clauses?Three: [God said] [let the waters swarm with swarms of living soul] [let birds fly above the earth, upon the face of the firmament of the heavens].
- What comes first?The first clause opens with the wayyiqtol וַיֹּאמֶר → pattern 1. In the second, the speech verb יִשְׁרְצוּ comes first; in the third, the subject וְעוֹף comes first.
- The verb forms inside speechOSHB tags both verbs, יִשְׁרְצוּ (“they”) and יְעוֹפֵף (“he”), as imperfects. These two verbs (Qal 3rd plural; Polel) have no separate short jussive form, so imperfect and jussive are spelled alike. The form is imperfect; inside God’s speech it is used as a wish, “let …” (the same slot as יְהִי in verse 3).
- Why the subject comes first in clause threeThe wish turns from “the waters” to “the birds.” The new topic is placed first, and the verb continues in the same kind of wish form (pattern 9).
- Why is it written this way?Verse 20 reuses words of Day Two, הַמַּיִם (“the waters”) and רְקִיעַ (“firmament”) — swarms in the waters, birds upon the face of the firmament. Two wishes stand side by side in one word, setting up two sides: the swarms of the waters | the birds of the heavens. This is the combination for reporting speech: wayyiqtol “said” + a wish inside the speech.
- The accents matchThe atnach (◌֑) on חַיָּה divides it: [God said · the swarms of the waters | the birds of the heavens].
Clause by clause
YLVAnd God said,
Why?Day Five also opens with the wayyiqtol וַיֹּאמֶר — “verb → subject.” The events of Day Five begin with this word.
YLV"Let the waters swarm with swarms, a living soul (nephesh);
Why?This is inside God’s speech. Inside speech the rules of speech apply, not those of narrative (wayyiqtol): a wish for a third person (the waters). The order is the verb יִשְׁרְצוּ → the subject הַמַּיִם → an object from the same root, שֶׁרֶץ (“swarm”), with what the swarm is, נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה (“living soul”). OSHB tags the verb as an imperfect. For this verb the imperfect and the jussive are spelled alike, so no shortening shows as in יְהִי (verse 3), but it does the same work: a wish (the word slot of pattern 6).
YLVand let birds fly above the earth upon the face of the firmament of the heavens."
Why?This time “and” is attached to the subject עוֹף (“birds”), so the subject comes before the verb — the wish turns from the waters to the birds. The verb יְעוֹפֵף is the same kind of form as the wish before it (OSHB imperfect, 3rd person “he”). This is pattern 9, one more wish linked inside the speech. Two place phrases follow: “above the earth” and “upon the face of the firmament of the heavens.”
How the accents divide it
The bigger the box, the bigger the pause. Read from right to left.
The atnach (◌֑) on חַיָּה (“living”) divides the verse: [God said · the swarms of the waters | the birds of the heavens]. The first half breaks again at the zaqefs (◌֔) on אֱלֹהִים and הַמַּיִם; in the second half, after the pashta (◌֙) on וְעוֹף (“and birds”), come “above the earth” and “upon the face of the firmament of the heavens.”
Word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרva-yomerand he said
אֱלֹהִ֔יםElohimGod
The one who spoke — the subject after the verb. A zaqef (◌֔) pause closes “God said” as one unit.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- אֱלוֹהַּ (“god”) with the plural ending ־ִים
- Accent
- Zaqef qatan a major pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H430
יִשְׁרְצ֣וּyishretsulet (them) swarm
Sharats, “to swarm, teem.” Prefix י + ending ־וּ = 3rd masculine plural, “they.” The “they” is the next word, הַמַּיִם (“the waters,” masculine plural). OSHB tags this form as an imperfect. For a verb like this (Qal, 3rd plural) the imperfect and the jussive are spelled exactly alike, so the form alone cannot tell them apart. The form is imperfect; inside God’s speech it is used as a wish, “let them …” — the same slot as יְהִי (“let there be”) in verse 3.
הַמַּ֔יִםha-mayimthe waters
Subject of יִשְׁרְצוּ. Mayim is always plural in form, so the verb is “they” (־וּ). Article הַ + dagesh in מּ. Zaqef (◌֔) pause.
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- מַיִם (“waters”) + article הַ → מּ
- Accent
- Zaqef qatan a major pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H4325
שֶׁ֖רֶץsheretsswarm of
A noun from the same root ש-ר-ץ as the verb יִשְׁרְצוּ — “swarm with swarms,” the verb completed by an object from its own root. OSHB tags it as a construct, bound to “living soul”: “a swarm of living soul.” It is a segolate noun stressed on the first syllable, so the construct looks the same. Tipcha (◌֖) pause.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular · construct
- Grammar
- gender and numberconstruct stateaccents
- Form
- root ש-ר-ץ → noun שֶׁרֶץ (“swarm”) · construct has the same form
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H8318
נֶ֣פֶשׁnefeshsoul
“Soul, life, a living being.” This is the first place נֶפֶשׁ appears in the Bible — used of the creatures of the waters, before man. OSHB marks its gender as “both”; here the following adjective חַיָּה (feminine) agrees with it, so it is treated as feminine. The YLV shows the word: “soul (nephesh).”
- Parsing
- noun · masculine or feminine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- נֶפֶשׁ (“soul”) · segolate noun (stress on the first syllable)
- Accent
- Munach conjunctive — joins to the next word
- Lexicon
- H5315
חַיָּ֑הchayyahliving
וְעוֹף֙ve-ofand birds
“And” וְ (shewa) is attached to the noun “birds,” not to a verb — the subject comes before the verb. The topic of the speech switches from the waters to the birds. עוֹף is a collective singular noun (masculine), “flying things, birds.” וֹ is the vowel letter vav; final ף is the final form of פ. Pashta (◌֙) pause.
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- conjunction wawgender and numberaccents
- Form
- עוֹף (“birds,” collective) with וְ
- Accent
- Pashta a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H5775
יְעוֹפֵ֣ףye’ofeflet (it) fly
The Polel of uf, “to fly.” Verbs whose middle root letter is ו (hollow roots) use the Polel in place of the Piel, writing the last letter twice: ע-ו-ף → עוֹפֵף (ofef). The prefix יְ (shewa) = 3rd masculine singular, “he,” and the “he” is עוֹף before it (birds, a masculine singular collective). OSHB tags it as an imperfect. The Polel has no separate short jussive form, so it is spelled like the imperfect — the form is imperfect, used in God’s speech as a wish: “let them fly.”
עַלalabove
הָאָ֔רֶץha-aretsthe earth
Before א the article lengthens to הָ. Here it carries a zaqef (◌֔) pause, not the verse end. “Above the earth” — the first phrase of where the birds fly.
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine or feminine · singular
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- אֶרֶץ (“earth”) + article הָ → הָאָרֶץ
- Accent
- Zaqef qatan a major pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H776
עַלalupon
A second “upon,” joined by maqaf (־) to פְּנֵי. “Above the earth” + “upon the face of the firmament of the heavens” — two place phrases side by side.
- Parsing
- preposition
- Grammar
- prepositionmaqqefaccents
- Form
- unchanging · joined by maqaf
- Accent
- Maqaf joined to the next word by maqaf (־)
- Lexicon
- H5921a
פְּנֵ֖יpeneiface of
Panim (פָּנִים) “face” is always plural. The ending ־ֵי is the plural construct — “the face of,” bound to the next word.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine or feminine · plural · construct
- Grammar
- gender and numberconstruct stateaccents
- Form
- פָּנִים → construct פְּנֵי (־ִים becomes ־ֵי)
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H6440
רְקִ֥יעַreqiafirmament of
The רָקִיעַ (“firmament”) of Day Two (1:6). Here it is a construct, so the first vowel qamats reduces to shewa (רָ → רְ), bound to “the heavens”: “the firmament of the heavens.” The patach under the final ע is read first: re-qi-a.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular · construct
- Grammar
- gender and numberconstruct stateaccents
- Form
- רָקִיעַ (“firmament”) → construct רְקִיעַ
- Accent
- Merkha conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H7549
הַשָּׁמָֽיִםha-shamayimthe heavens
Article הַ + dagesh in שּׁ. At the silluq pause at the verse end, מַ lengthens to מָ: the pausal form הַשָּׁמָיִם (normally הַשָּׁמַיִם, 1:1). The vertical stroke is silluq.
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- שָׁמַיִם (“heavens”) + article הַ → שּׁ
- Accent
- Silluq the final pause of the verse
- Lexicon
- H8064
YLVAnd God created the great sea-creatures (tannin), and every living soul (nephesh) that creeps, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
How this sentence is built — and why
- How many clauses?There are two verbs (the wayyiqtols וַיִּבְרָא and וַיַּרְא), and we divide it into four clauses: [he created — the great tanninim] [every living soul — 〈with which the waters swarmed〉 — after their kind] [every winged bird after its kind] [he saw — that it was good]. The middle two continue the objects of the first verb without a new verb.
- What comes first?The wayyiqtol וַיִּבְרָא → pattern 1. The word of verse 20 is fulfilled at once by what God “created,” without “and it was so” (וַיְהִי־כֵן) — the fulfilment slot of pattern 6.
- Three objectsאֶת… · וְאֵת… · וְאֵת… — the object marker points to each of the three. The second object carries modifiers (an adjective and a participle with the article, pattern 12) and an אֲשֶׁר relative clause (pattern 10).
- The verb inside the relative clauseאֲשֶׁר שָׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם — inside a relative clause there is no wayyiqtol; the perfect שָׁרְצוּ (“they swarmed”) is used. The same verb and subject as the wish of verse 20 (יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם) return as a perfect, showing in the words that the word was fulfilled.
- Why is it written this way?The verb ברא of 1:1 is used here for the first time since, and its first object is “the great tanninim” (see “Going deeper”). At the end, the wayyiqtol וַיַּרְא + כִּי טוֹב — the combination for seeing and judging (pattern 7) — closes the verse.
- The accents matchThe atnach (◌֑) on הַגְּדֹלִים divides it: [he created the great tanninim | the other creatures · he saw that it was good]. The second half divides again at the zaqef (◌֔) on לְמִינֵהוּ: [the creatures | he saw that it was good].
Clause by clause
YLVAnd God created the great sea-creatures (tannin),
Why?The wayyiqtol וַיִּבְרָא answers the word → subject → the first object, אֶת־הַתַּנִּינִם הַגְּדֹלִים. Day Five has no וַיְהִי־כֵן (“and it was so”); the word is fulfilled by what God “created.” This is the first ברא since בָּרָא in 1:1.
YLVand every living soul (nephesh) that creeps, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind,
Why?The second object of the same verb, וְאֵת כָּל־נֶפֶשׁ (“and every soul”). Two modifiers follow the noun — the adjective הַחַיָּה (“living”) and the participle הָרֹמֶשֶׂת (“that creeps”), both feminine singular to agree with נֶפֶשׁ (pattern 12). Then an אֲשֶׁר relative clause (pattern 10), “with which the waters swarmed.” Inside the relative clause the verb is the perfect שָׁרְצוּ, not a wayyiqtol. After it, לְמִינֵהֶם (“after their kind”) goes back to the main object.
YLVand every winged bird after its kind;
Why?The third object, וְאֵת כָּל־עוֹף כָּנָף (“and every winged bird”) + לְמִינֵהוּ (“after its kind”). There is no new verb — it is still governed by the wayyiqtol וַיִּבְרָא of the first clause. אֶת, וְאֵת, וְאֵת mark the three objects one by one (as the two אֵת do in 1:1).
YLVand God saw that it was good.
Why?The wayyiqtol וַיַּרְא → subject → כִּי טוֹב (“that it was good”). Unlike 1:4 there is no object marked with אֶת, only what he saw (as in 1:10, 12, 18, 25). טוֹב is a verbless clause.
Verbs — who did it?
How the accents divide it
The bigger the box, the bigger the pause. Read from right to left.
The atnach (◌֑) on הַגְּדֹלִים (“the great”) leaves only “he created the great tanninim” in the first half. The second half divides at the zaqef (◌֔) on לְמִינֵהוּ: [the souls of the waters · the winged birds | he saw that it was good]. The paseq ׀ after הַחַיָּה and the pazer (◌֡) on הָרֹמֶשֶׂת make smaller breaks inside the long object.
Word by word
וַיִּבְרָ֣אva-yivraand he created
אֱלֹהִ֔יםElohimGod
The one who created — the subject after the verb, the same pairing “create + Elohim” as in 1:1.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- אֱלוֹהַּ (“god”) with the plural ending ־ִים
- Accent
- Zaqef qatan a major pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H430
אֶתet(object marker)
The object marker אֵת, shortened to אֶת before a maqaf. It points to the first object created, “the great tanninim.”
- Parsing
- object marker
- Grammar
- object marker אֵתmaqqefaccents
- Form
- אֵת → before maqaf אֶת־
- Accent
- Maqaf joined to the next word by maqaf (־)
- Lexicon
- H853
הַתַּנִּינִ֖םha-tanninimthe sea-creatures (tanninim)
Tannin, “great sea-creature,” masculine plural with the article. The article הַ doubles the תּ; the dagesh in נּ is the word’s own doubled consonant. The plural ending is written ־ִם, not ־ִים — the vowel letter י is left out (defective spelling). What the word refers to: see “Going deeper.”
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- תַּנִּין (tannin) + plural ־ִם (no י) + article הַ → תּ
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H8577b
הַגְּדֹלִ֑יםha-gedolimthe great
The masculine plural of the adjective גָּדוֹל (“great”) with the article, agreeing with הַתַּנִּינִם in gender, number and article (an adjective after a definite noun also takes the article). It is the same word and form as in 1:16, “the two great lights” (הַגְּדֹלִים). With the plural ending the first vowel reduces to shewa. Atnach (◌֑) — the first half of verse 21 holds only “the great tanninim.”
וְאֵ֣תve-etand (object marker)
“And” + the object marker, opening the second object of the same verb וַיִּבְרָא.
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + object marker
- Grammar
- conjunction wawobject marker אֵתaccents
- Form
- וְ + אֵת
- Accent
- Munach conjunctive — joins to the next word
- Lexicon
- H853
כָּלkolevery
The construct of כֹּל (“all”), bound by maqaf (־) to the next word: “every ….” Losing its stress before the maqaf, the holem becomes a short qamats (כָּ, read “ko”).
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular · construct
- Grammar
- gender and numberconstruct statemaqqefaccents
- Form
- כֹּל (“all”) → before maqaf כָּל־ (kol)
- Accent
- Maqaf joined to the next word by maqaf (־)
- Lexicon
- H3605
נֶ֣פֶשׁnefeshsoul
The word of verse 20, here bound to כָּל־: “every soul,” followed by two modifiers (הַחַיָּה, הָרֹמֶשֶׂת).
- Parsing
- noun · masculine or feminine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- נֶפֶשׁ (“soul”) · segolate noun (stress on the first syllable)
- Accent
- Munach conjunctive — joins to the next word
- Lexicon
- H5315
הַֽחַיָּ֣הha-chayyahthe living
The adjective חַיָּה (feminine singular) of verse 20 with the article הַ. ח cannot take a dagesh, yet the article stays הַ (implied doubling). The noun נֶפֶשׁ has no article, but its modifier does — the same build appears in 1:28, חַיָּה הָרֹמֶשֶׂת. The stroke in הַֽ is a meteg; the ׀ after it is a paseq (a small separating stroke).
הָֽרֹמֶ֡שֶׂתha-romesetthat creeps
The Qal participle of ramas, “to creep, move,” feminine singular with the article. The Qal participle has no מ in front; its sign is the holem after the first letter (רֹ, “ro”). The ending ־ֶת (-et) = feminine singular, agreeing with נֶפֶשׁ. A participle with the article, after its noun, describes it: “(the one) that creeps.” ר cannot take a dagesh, so the article lengthens to הָ. Pazer (◌֡) pause.
- Parsing
- article “the” + verb · Qal · participle · feminine · singular
- Grammar
- definite articleQal stemparticipleaccents
- Form
- root ר-מ-שׂ → Qal participle רֹמֵשׂ → feminine רֹמֶשֶׂת + article הָ
- Accent
- Pazer a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H7430
אֲשֶׁר֩asherwhich
The relative word אֲשֶׁר. It does not change form; it takes up “soul” before it and attaches the clause “the waters swarmed” to it. Where that soul stands inside the clause is not written separately. Telisha (◌֩) is a conjunctive accent.
שָׁרְצ֨וּsharetsuthey swarmed
The perfect of sharats, the verb of verse 20. No prefix; the ending ־וּ = 3rd plural, “they” (the perfect marks person at the end). The “they” is הַמַּיִם after it. The wish of verse 20, יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם (“let the waters swarm”), returns here as the perfect שָׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם (“the waters swarmed”). Inside an אֲשֶׁר clause the verb is a perfect, not a wayyiqtol.
הַמַּ֜יִםha-mayimthe waters
Subject of the relative-clause verb שָׁרְצוּ (masculine plural → “they”). Article הַ + dagesh in מּ. Geresh (◌֜) pause.
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- מַיִם (“waters”) + article הַ → מּ
- Accent
- Geresh a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H4325
לְמִֽינֵהֶ֗םle-minehemafter their kind
לְ (“according to”) + מִין (“kind”) + the ending ־ֵהֶם “their” (3rd masculine plural suffix). “Their” refers to the many water creatures spoken of here. It stands after the relative clause and goes back to the main object (every soul). The stroke in מִֽ is a meteg; revia (◌֗) pause.
- Parsing
- preposition + noun · masculine · singular · construct + pronominal suffix · 3rd masculine plural
- Grammar
- prepositiongender and numberconstruct statepronominal suffixaccents
- Form
- לְ + מִין + suffix ־ֵהֶם (“their”)
- Accent
- Revia a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H4327
וְאֵ֨תve-etand (object marker)
“And” + the object marker — opening the third object of the same verb וַיִּבְרָא, “every bird.” Qadma (◌֨) is a conjunctive accent.
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + object marker
- Grammar
- conjunction wawobject marker אֵתaccents
- Form
- וְ + אֵת
- Accent
- Qadma conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H853
כָּלkolevery
The construct of כֹּל (“all”), bound by maqaf (־) to the next word: “every ….” Losing its stress before the maqaf, the holem becomes a short qamats (כָּ, read “ko”).
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular · construct
- Grammar
- gender and numberconstruct statemaqqefaccents
- Form
- כֹּל (“all”) → before maqaf כָּל־ (kol)
- Accent
- Maqaf joined to the next word by maqaf (־)
- Lexicon
- H3605
ע֤וֹףofbird
The עוֹף (birds, collective singular) of verse 20, bound to כָּל־: “every bird.” OSHB tags it here as absolute, not construct — two nouns standing side by side with “wing.” Its construct is spelled the same (compare the construct עוֹף in 1:30), so the letters alone cannot decide.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- עוֹף (“bird”)
- Accent
- Mahpakh conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H5775
כָּנָף֙kanafwinged
כָּנָף “wing” (a feminine noun), set beside עוֹף: “bird — wing” → “winged bird.” Hebrew can describe “what kind” by placing a noun right beside another instead of using an adjective. Pashta (◌֙) pause.
- Parsing
- noun · feminine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- כָּנָף (“wing”) · final ף is the final form of פ
- Accent
- Pashta a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H3671
לְמִינֵ֔הוּle-minehuafter its kind
לְ + מִין + the ending ־ֵהוּ “his, its” (3rd masculine singular suffix). Unlike לְמִינֵהֶם (“their”) before, it is singular because the word it refers to, עוֹף, is a masculine singular noun. Zaqef (◌֔) pause.
- Parsing
- preposition + noun · masculine · singular · construct + pronominal suffix · 3rd masculine singular
- Grammar
- prepositiongender and numberconstruct statepronominal suffixaccents
- Form
- לְ + מִין + suffix ־ֵהוּ (“its”)
- Accent
- Zaqef qatan a major pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H4327
וַיַּ֥רְאva-yarand he saw
Wayyiqtol of ra’ah “to see,” the short form with the final ה dropped. The י = “he” — Elohim, after it. Unlike 1:4 there is no object marked with אֶת; כִּי טוֹב follows at once (as in 1:10, 12, 18, 25).
אֱלֹהִ֖יםElohimGod
The one who saw — the subject after the verb. Tipcha (◌֖) pause.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- אֱלוֹהַּ (“god”) with the plural ending ־ִים
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H430
כִּיkithat
It introduces what he saw. This verse has no separate object (אֶת…), so כִּי follows directly after the subject: “God saw — that it was good.” Joined to the next word by maqaf.
- Parsing
- conjunction
- Grammar
- conjunction wawmaqqefaccents
- Form
- unchanging · joined by maqaf
- Accent
- Maqaf joined to the next word by maqaf (־)
- Lexicon
- H3588a
YLVAnd God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the birds multiply in the earth."
How this sentence is built — and why
- How many clauses?Six: [he blessed — them — God] [saying] [be fruitful] [multiply] [fill the waters in the seas] [let the birds multiply in the earth].
- What comes first?The first clause opens with the wayyiqtol וַיְבָרֶךְ (Piel) → pattern 1. The pronoun object אֹתָם comes before the subject.
- The word that opens speechלֵאמֹר — לְ + infinitive, “saying.” The verb before it is not “said,” and this word opens the words → pattern 16.
- The verbs inside the speechThree imperatives פְּרוּ, וּרְבוּ, וּמִלְאוּ (2nd plural, “you”) → pattern 15. For the birds, a subject-first 3rd-person jussive, וְהָעוֹף יִרֶב → pattern 9. Imperatives for “you,” a jussive for “it” — inside speech the verb form depends on who is addressed.
- Why is it written this way?For the first time in Genesis 1, God speaks to creatures directly in the second person. Unlike the wishes of verse 20 (third person), the creatures he blessed become the hearers. This is the combination for reporting speech: wayyiqtol (1) + לֵאמֹר (16) + imperatives (15) and a jussive (9) inside the speech.
- The accents matchThe atnach (◌֑) on לֵאמֹר divides it exactly: [he blessed them, saying | the words] (the לֵאמֹר of 2:16 also carries atnach). The second half divides again at the zaqef (◌֔) on בַּיַּמִּים: [to the water creatures | about the birds].
Clause by clause
YLVAnd God blessed them,
Why?The wayyiqtol וַיְבָרֶךְ (Piel) → the pronoun object אֹתָם (“them”) → the subject אֱלֹהִים. The short pronoun stays next to the verb, ahead of the subject. “Bless” appears here for the first time in the Bible.
YLVsaying,
Why?לֵאמֹר (“saying”). The verb before it is not “said” but “blessed,” and this infinitive shows that the blessing was given in words and opens them (pattern 16). As an infinitive it has no person; the “who” is God, from before.
YLV"Be fruitful
Why?The first word of the speech is the imperative פְּרוּ (“be fruitful”). The wishes of verse 20 were third person (“let the waters, let birds”); here God speaks directly, in the second person, to the creatures he blessed: “you.” The imperative has no prefix, only the ending ־וּ (“you pl.”).
YLVand multiply,
Why?The second imperative, וּרְבוּ (“and multiply”), linked to the first by וּ (“and”) — imperatives are chained like this.
YLVand fill the waters in the seas,
Why?The third imperative וּמִלְאוּ → the object אֶת־הַמַּיִם → the place בַּיַּמִּים. An imperative clause also runs “verb → object → rest.” What is to be filled is “the waters in the seas,” so the three commands are aimed at the water creatures.
YLVand let the birds multiply in the earth."
Why?Now the subject וְהָעוֹף (“and the birds”) comes first, and the verb is the 3rd-person jussive יִרֶב (“let … multiply”) — the short form shows in the spelling. It is the same build as the second wish of verse 20, “and + subject + wish” (pattern 9). The birds are spoken of as “it,” not “you,” so an imperative cannot be used; a 3rd-person jussive is used instead.
Verbs — who did it?
How the accents divide it
The bigger the box, the bigger the pause. Read from right to left.
The atnach (◌֑) on לֵאמֹר divides the verse exactly: [he blessed them, saying | the words]. The words divide again at the zaqef (◌֔) on בַּיַּמִּים: [three commands to the water creatures | the wish for the birds]. The darga (◌֧) on the first word וַיְבָרֶךְ is a conjunctive accent leading into אֹתָם with its tevir (◌֛).
Word by word
וַיְבָ֧רֶךְva-yevarekhand he blessed
The Piel wayyiqtol of barakh, “to bless.” The prefix יְ = “he” — Elohim, after it. The shewa prefix vowel (יְ) is the mark of the Piel, and so the dagesh after וַ drops (as in וַיְהִי). The Piel should double its middle letter, but ר cannot take a dagesh, so the ב before it takes a lengthened vowel, qamats (בָ). The imperfect יְבָרֵךְ shortens in the wayyiqtol to וַיְבָרֶךְ; the final כ takes its final form ךְ. This is the first time “bless” appears in the Bible.
אֹתָ֛םotamthem
The object marker אֵת with the suffix ־ָם (3rd masculine plural, “them”); before suffixes אֵת becomes אֹת. “Them” are the creatures created in verse 21. The short pronoun object comes before the subject Elohim — a light pronoun often stays right next to the verb. Tevir (◌֛) pause.
- Parsing
- object marker + pronominal suffix · 3rd masculine plural
- Grammar
- object marker אֵתpronominal suffixaccents
- Form
- אֵת → אֹת + suffix ־ָם (“them”)
- Accent
- Tevir a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H853
אֱלֹהִ֖יםElohimGod
The one who blessed — the subject, after the pronoun object. Tipcha (◌֖) pause.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- אֱלוֹהַּ (“god”) with the plural ending ־ִים
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H430
לֵאמֹ֑רlemorsaying
לְ + the infinitive construct אֱמֹר of amar, “to say.” With לְ the א falls silent and the shewa of לְ lengthens to tsere: לֵאמֹר (lemor). An infinitive has no person marker — the “who” is the subject of the verb before it, God. It shows that the blessing was given in words and opens the words that follow (pattern 16). Atnach (◌֑) — verse 22 divides into “he blessed them, saying” | the words.
- Parsing
- preposition + verb · Qal · infinitive construct
- Grammar
- prepositionQal steminfinitive constructaccents
- Form
- root א-מ-ר → infinitive אֱמֹר + לְ → לֵאמֹר (silent א)
- Accent
- Atnach the main pause in mid-verse — divides the verse in two
- Lexicon
- H559
פְּר֣וּperube fruitful
The masculine plural imperative of parah, “to bear fruit, be fruitful.” There is no prefix; the ending ־וּ = “you (plural).” The imperative is the 2nd-person imperfect תִּפְרוּ (“you will be fruitful”) with the prefix ת removed. The final ה of the root drops before the ending ־וּ. “You” are אֹתָם (“them”) — God speaks directly to the creatures he blessed. At the start of the word פּ has a dagesh.
- Parsing
- verb · Qal · imperative · 2nd masculine plural
- Grammar
- Qal stemimperativeaccents
- Form
- root פ-ר-ה → תִּפְרוּ without ת → פְּרוּ (ending ־וּ “you pl.”)
- Accent
- Munach conjunctive — joins to the next word
- Lexicon
- H6509
וּרְב֗וּu-revuand (you all) multiply
The masculine plural imperative of ravah, “to multiply” — built exactly like the word before (no prefix + ending ־וּ “you pl.”; the root’s final ה drops). Before a shewa (רְ) “and” becomes וּ (u). After a vowel ב has no dagesh: a soft v. Revia (◌֗) pause.
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + verb · Qal · imperative · 2nd masculine plural
- Grammar
- conjunction wawQal stemimperativeaccents
- Form
- root ר-ב-ה → רְבוּ + וּ (“and”)
- Accent
- Revia a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H7235a
וּמִלְא֤וּu-mil’uand (you all) fill
The masculine plural imperative of male, “to fill.” The ending ־וּ = “you (plural)” — the same addressees as פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ, the water creatures of verse 21. Removing ת from the imperfect תִּמְלְאוּ would leave two shewas at the start (מְלְאוּ), so the first becomes hireq: מִלְאוּ. The א is silent (mil-u). Before the lip-sound מ, “and” is וּ. This command takes an object, “the waters.”
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + verb · Qal · imperative · 2nd masculine plural
- Grammar
- conjunction wawQal stemimperativeaccents
- Form
- root מ-ל-א → תִּמְלְאוּ without ת → מִלְאוּ + וּ
- Accent
- Mahpakh conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H4390
אֶתet(object marker)
The object marker, pointing to what is to be filled, “the waters.” Before a maqaf it is the short אֶת.
- Parsing
- object marker
- Grammar
- object marker אֵתmaqqefaccents
- Form
- אֵת → before maqaf אֶת־
- Accent
- Maqaf joined to the next word by maqaf (־)
- Lexicon
- H853
הַמַּ֨יִם֙ha-mayimthe waters
Object of the command מִלְאוּ. Article הַ + dagesh in מּ. The same-shaped mark appears twice on this word. Pashta (◌֙) is always written over the last letter, so when the stress is not on the last syllable (מַּ֨יִם֙, “ma-yim”) the same shape is written again on the stressed syllable (OSHB tags the first one as qadma).
- Parsing
- article “the” + noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- definite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- מַיִם (“waters”) + article הַ → מּ
- Accent
- Pashta a smaller pause
- Lexicon
- H4325
בַּיַּמִּ֔יםba-yammimin the seas
When בְּ (“in”) meets the article, the ה disappears and its vowel moves to בּ: בַּ (ba). The article doubles the next י (יּ). The plural of יָם (“sea”) doubles its מ: יַמִּים. Zaqef (◌֔) pause — the three imperatives end here.
- Parsing
- preposition + article + noun · masculine · plural
- Grammar
- prepositiondefinite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- בְּ + הַ + יַמִּים (plural of יָם) → בַּיַּמִּים
- Accent
- Zaqef qatan a major pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H3220
וְהָע֖וֹףve-ha-ofand the birds
“And” וְ + the article + עוֹף. ע cannot take a dagesh, so the article lengthens to הָ. As in verse 20 the subject comes before the verb — the topic switches from “you” (the water creatures) to “the birds.” It now has the article, absent in verse 20: “the birds” already created. Tipcha (◌֖) pause.
- Parsing
- conjunction “and” + article “the” + noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- conjunction wawdefinite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- וְ + הָ + עוֹף
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H5775
יִ֥רֶבyirevlet (it) multiply
The jussive, 3rd masculine singular, of ravah “to multiply” — the same verb as וּרְבוּ (“and multiply”) just before. The prefix י = “he,” and the “he” is הָעוֹף before it (the birds, a masculine singular collective). The final ה of the imperfect יִרְבֶּה drops, and since a word cannot end like רְבּ, a helping vowel segol comes in: יִרֶב. Here, unlike the forms of verse 20, the jussive shows in the spelling (the short form). The birds are spoken of not as “you” but as “it.”
בָּאָֽרֶץba-aretsin the earth
בְּ + the article → the ה disappears, and before א the vowel is the long בָּ (ba). The creatures that fill the waters are paired with the birds that multiply “in the earth.” Silluq at the verse end.
- Parsing
- preposition + article + noun · masculine or feminine · singular
- Grammar
- prepositiondefinite articlegender and numberaccents
- Form
- בְּ + הָ + אָרֶץ → בָּאָרֶץ
- Accent
- Silluq the final pause of the verse
- Lexicon
- H776
YLVAnd there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
How this sentence is built — and why
- How many clauses?Three: [there was evening] [there was morning] [a fifth day].
- What comes first?Two wayyiqtols וַיְהִי (pattern 1) + the day’s name with no verb → pattern 8, the sentence that closes a day. It is the fifth time in Genesis 1 (1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23).
- The day’s nameיוֹם חֲמִישִׁי — the ordinal “fifth” without the article. Only Day One used a cardinal (אֶחָד); Days Two to Five use ordinals without the article.
- The accents matchThis short verse has no atnach. Its biggest pause is the tipcha (◌֖) on בֹקֶר: [evening · morning | a fifth day].
Clause by clause
YLVAnd there was evening
Why?The first part of the closing sentence: wayyiqtol וַיְהִי + subject “evening.”
YLVand there was morning,
Why?The same וַיְהִי + subject “morning.”
YLVa fifth day.
Why?Finally the day’s name יוֹם חֲמִישִׁי (“a fifth day”), standing without a verb — an ordinal without the article.
Verbs — who did it?
How the accents divide it
The bigger the box, the bigger the pause. Read from right to left.
This short verse has no atnach. Its biggest pause is the tipcha (◌֖) on בֹקֶר (“morning”): [evening · morning | a fifth day].
Word by word
וַֽיְהִיva-yehiand there was
The wayyiqtol וַיְהִי that closes the day, joined by maqaf to “evening.” The “it” (yod) is the evening. The stroke in וַֽ is a meteg.
עֶ֥רֶבerevevening
The text names evening first — evening, then morning.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- עֶרֶב (“evening”)
- Accent
- Merkha conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H6153
וַֽיְהִיva-yehiand there was
בֹ֖קֶרvoqermorning
Joined by maqaf after a vowel, ב has no dagesh: a soft v (voqer). Tipcha (◌֖) — the biggest pause in this short verse, which has no atnach.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- בֹּקֶר (“morning”) → dagesh drops: בֹקֶר
- Accent
- Tipcha a pause within a half-verse
- Lexicon
- H1242
י֥וֹםyomday
The “day” of “a fifth day,” without the article.
- Parsing
- noun · masculine · singular
- Grammar
- gender and numberaccents
- Form
- יוֹם (“day”)
- Accent
- Merkha conjunctive
- Lexicon
- H3117
All the sentence patterns of this page in one table, and the places where views differ.
2-1Sentence patterns on this page
Which patterns build the clauses of this page, in one table.
| Pattern | On this page |
|---|---|
| 1. The wayyiqtol narrative sentence | 1:20 And God said,1:21 And God created the great sea-creatures (tannin),1:21 and every winged bird after its kind;1:22 And God blessed them,1:23 And there was evening1:23 and there was morning, |
| 6. “Let there be → there was”: word and fulfilment | 1:20 And God said,1:20 "Let the waters swarm with swarms, a living soul (nephesh);1:21 And God created the great sea-creatures (tannin), |
| 7. “Saw … that it was good” — see + object + כִּי | 1:21 and God saw that it was good. |
| 8. The sentence that closes a day | 1:23 And there was evening1:23 and there was morning,1:23 a fifth day. |
| 9. “And + imperfect / jussive”: a wish continued inside speech | 1:20 and let birds fly above the earth upon the face of the firmament of the heavens."1:22 and let the birds multiply in the earth." |
| 10. The relative clause with אֲשֶׁר | 1:21 and every living soul (nephesh) that creeps, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, |
| 12. Participles and adjectives that modify a noun | 1:21 and every living soul (nephesh) that creeps, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, |
| 15. The imperative — “you, do!” | 1:22 "Be fruitful1:22 and multiply,1:22 and fill the waters in the seas, |
| 16. לֵאמֹר “saying” — the infinitive that opens speech | 1:22 saying, |
2-2Going deeper
Verse 21, “הַתַּנִּינִם הַגְּדֹלִים” — what are the great tanninim?
What the text makes clear — הַתַּנִּינִם is a masculine plural with the article, described by the adjective הַגְּדֹלִים (“the great”) in the same form. They are named first among the creatures that swarm in the waters, and the verb is וַיִּבְרָא (“created”) — the first use of ברא since 1:1 (it does not occur in 1:2–20). God saw that it was good. In Genesis 1–2 תַּנִּין occurs only here.
① Great sea creatures — large animals of the sea such as whales
- Evidence
- Context: verse 20 “let the waters swarm,” verse 21 “with which the waters swarmed” — they are placed among the creatures of the waters. Ps 148:7, “Praise YHWH from the earth, great sea-creatures (tannin) and all deeps;” — creatures that praise God. Septuagint “τὰ κήτη τὰ μεγάλα” (great sea-beasts; the creature that swallowed Jonah in Matt 12:40 is also a κῆτος), Latin Vulgate “cete grandia,” KJV (1611) “great whales.”
- Problems
- Elsewhere תַּנִּין is also used of land serpents (Exod 7:9–12, Aaron’s rod; Deut 32:33 and Ps 91:13, beside venomous snakes). So it is hard to narrow it to “whales”; the word is broader.
- Sources
- Septuagint · Vulgate · KJV (1611) · many modern versions (“great sea creatures”)
② Serpents or large reptiles
- Evidence
- In Exod 7:9–12 Aaron’s rod became a תַּנִּין (in Exod 4:3 Moses’ rod became a נָחָשׁ, “serpent”). Deut 32:33 pairs תַּנִּינִם with “asps” (פְּתָנִים), and Ps 91:13 sets it beside the lion and the cobra. So the lexicons define the word broadly: “serpent, dragon, sea-monster.”
- Problems
- Gen 1:21 places them on Day Five with the creatures that swarm “in the waters”; the land animals come on Day Six (1:24–25). That a tannin elsewhere is on land does not make the tanninim of verse 21 land animals.
- Sources
- Usage in Exod 7, Deut 32:33, Ps 91:13 · Brown–Driver–Briggs lexicon (“serpent, dragon, sea-monster”)
③ A mythical sea monster (dragon) — the “tnn” of the ancient Near East
- Evidence
- The Ugaritic texts (the Baal cycle) mention a monster “tnn” alongside Yam, the sea god. In biblical poetry too the tannin is pictured, with the sea, as overcome by YHWH: Isa 27:1, “he will slay the great sea-creature (tannin) that is in the sea” (beside Leviathan); Isa 51:9 (beside Rahab); Ps 74:13. Hermann Gunkel (1895) read Genesis 1 against such stories of a battle with chaos.
- Problems
- There is no battle in Gen 1:21. The tanninim are creatures God created (וַיִּבְרָא), among the things he saw were good. Carrying the imagery of poetry (Isa 27:1 speaks of “that day”) into the creation account relies on stories from outside the text.
- Sources
- Ugaritic Baal cycle · Hermann Gunkel, Schöpfung und Chaos in Urzeit und Endzeit (1895)
④ A statement that even the “monsters” are mere creatures
- Evidence
- ברא, unused since 1:1, returns exactly here, with the tanninim as its first object. On this view Genesis takes a name that neighbouring stories cast as a power opposing God and places it among the creatures God made and called good.
- Problems
- The text does not say why ברא is used here, nor that it is refuting anything. ברא is used three times of man in 1:27, so it is not a word reserved for the tanninim. A purpose of “refutation” is a guess from outside the text.
- Sources
- Umberto Cassuto, A Commentary on the Book of Genesis (From Adam to Noah) · Gordon Wenham, Genesis 1–15 (WBC, 1987), and other modern commentaries
⑤ Dinosaurs
- Evidence
- It takes the word to refer to great creatures no longer seen today, reading it together with Behemoth and Leviathan in Job 40–41.
- Problems
- “Dinosauria” is a modern classification named by Richard Owen in 1842, so it cannot set the meaning of a Hebrew word. Verse 21 places the tanninim among the creatures of the waters and says nothing of their appearance.
- Sources
- Some modern creationist writings
What the grammar says for certain is “article + masculine plural noun + adjective in the same form = the great tanninim,” and that they are creatures of the waters created (ברא) by God and among what he called good. The YLV renders “great sea-creatures (tannin),” showing the Hebrew word with it.