Genesis 1:29 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.

◄ Genesis 1:29 ►

New International Version
Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

New Living Translation
Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food.

English Standard Version
And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.

New American Standard Bible
Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;

NASB 1995
Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;

NASB 1977
Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;

Legacy Standard Bible
Then God said, “Behold, I have given to you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has the fruit of the tree yielding seed; it shall be food for you;

Amplified Bible
So God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of the entire earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;

Christian Standard Bible
God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This food will be for you,

American Standard Version
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food:

Contemporary English Version
I have provided all kinds of fruit and grain for you to eat.

English Revised Version
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb yielding 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:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
God said, "I have given you every plant with seeds on the face of the earth and every tree that has fruit with seeds. This will be your food.

Good News Translation
I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat;

International Standard Version
God also told them, "Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant that grows throughout the earth, along with every tree that grows seed-bearing fruit. They will produce your food.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

NET Bible
Then God said, "I now give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the entire earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

New Heart English Bible
And God said, "Look, I have given you every plant yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food.

Webster's Bible Translation
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 which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food.

World English Bible
God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And God says, “Behold, I have given to you every herb sowing seed, which [is] on the face of all the earth, and every tree in which [is] the fruit of a tree sowing seed, to you it is for food;

Young's Literal Translation
And God saith, 'Lo, I have given to you every herb sowing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree sowing seed, to you it is for food;

Smith's Literal Translation
And God will say, Lo, I gave to you every green herb scattering seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree scattering seed; to you it shall be for food.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And God said: Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed upon the earth, and all trees that have in themselves seed of their own kind, to be your meat:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And God said: “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant upon the earth, and all the trees that have in themselves the ability to sow their own kind, to be food for you,

New American Bible
God also said: See, I give you every seed-bearing plant on all the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food;

New Revised Standard Version
God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree which bears fruit yielding seed; to you it shall be for food.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And God said, “Behold, I have given to you all grass of the seed that bears seed on the face of all the Earth, and every tree that has in itself the fruit of the tree, of its seed, bearing seed; you shall have it for food.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And God said: 'Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed--to you it shall be for food;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And God said, Behold I have given to you every seed-bearing herb sowing seed which is upon all the earth, and every tree which has in itself the fruit of seed that is sown, to you it shall be for food.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Sixth Day
…28God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.” 29Then 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. 30And 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.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Psalm 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.

Isaiah 55:10
For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat,

Ezekiel 47:12
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of all kinds will grow. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. Each month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will be used for food and their leaves for healing.”

Leviticus 11:2-3
“Say to the Israelites, ‘Of all the beasts of the earth, these ones you may eat: / You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud.

Deuteronomy 8:7-9
For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks and fountains and springs that flow through the valleys and hills; / a land of wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey; / a land where you will eat food without scarcity, where you will lack nothing; a land whose rocks are iron and whose hills are ready to be mined for copper.

Psalm 136:25
He gives food to every creature. His loving devotion endures forever.

Psalm 145:15-16
The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in season. / You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

Matthew 6:11
Give us this day our daily bread.

Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Matthew 14:19-20
And He directed the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He spoke a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. / They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Luke 12:24
Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds!

Acts 14:17
Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.”

Acts 17:25
Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.

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.

1 Corinthians 10:26
for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”

Treasury of Scripture

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is on 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.

I have.

Psalm 24:1
A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

Psalm 115:16
The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.

Hosea 2:8
For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.

bearing.

Genesis 2:16
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

Genesis 9:3
Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

Job 36:31
For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance.

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Genesis 1

1. God creates heaven and earth;
3. the light;
6. the firmament;
9. separates the dry land;
14. forms the sun, moon, and stars;
20. fishes and fowls;
24. cattle, wild beasts, and creeping things;
26. creates man in his own image, blesses him;
29. grants the fruits of the earth for food.

Berean Study Bible

Then God said
This phrase underscores the divine authority and creative power of God. The Hebrew word for "said" is "אָמַר" (amar), which signifies not just speaking but also commanding and establishing. In the context of creation, God's words are not mere suggestions but are powerful decrees that bring forth reality. This highlights the sovereignty of God in creation, emphasizing that everything exists by His will and command.

Behold
The Hebrew word "הִנֵּה" (hinneh) is used here, which is often translated as "behold" or "look." It serves as an attention-grabbing word, inviting the listener or reader to pay close attention to what follows. In this context, it emphasizes the importance and generosity of God's provision. It is a call to recognize the abundance and intentionality of God's gifts to humanity.

I have given you
This phrase reflects God's benevolence and provision. The Hebrew verb "נָתַן" (natan) means "to give," indicating a deliberate and gracious act. It underscores the idea that the earth's resources are a gift from God to humanity, meant to be received with gratitude and stewardship. This establishes a foundational understanding of humanity's relationship with creation as one of responsibility and care.

every seed-bearing plant
The phrase highlights the abundance and variety of God's provision. The Hebrew word for "seed" is "זֶרַע" (zera), which signifies potential and continuity of life. Seed-bearing plants are not only a source of immediate sustenance but also ensure ongoing provision through their ability to reproduce. This reflects God's foresight and the self-sustaining nature of His creation.

on the face of all the earth
This phrase emphasizes the universality and comprehensiveness of God's provision. The Hebrew word for "earth" is "אֶרֶץ" (erets), which can mean land, ground, or the entire world. It signifies that God's provision is not limited to a specific region but is available to all humanity across the globe. This speaks to the inclusivity and generosity of God's care for His creation.

and every tree whose fruit contains seed
This part of the verse highlights the diversity of God's provision. Trees with seed-bearing fruit are a symbol of life and abundance. The Hebrew word for "fruit" is "פְּרִי" (peri), which often signifies prosperity and blessing. The inclusion of trees in God's provision underscores the richness and variety of the diet intended for humanity, reflecting God's desire for human flourishing.

They will be yours for food
This phrase establishes the purpose of God's provision. The Hebrew word for "food" is "אָכְלָה" (oklah), which denotes sustenance and nourishment. It indicates that God's creation is designed to meet the physical needs of humanity. This provision is not just about survival but about thriving, as it is part of the harmonious order established by God in creation. It also implies a responsibility to use these resources wisely and sustainably, in accordance with God's design.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(29) Every herb bearing seed . . . every tree.--Of the three classes of plants enumerated in Genesis 1:11, the two most perfect kinds are given to man for his food; while in Genesis 1:30 the birds and animals have not merely the cryptogamous plants of the first class, but every green herb granted to them for their sustenance. We are not to suppose that they did not eat seeds and fruits, but that the fundamental supply for the maintenance of animal life was the blade and leaf, and that of human life the perfected seed and ripe fruit. Man is thus from the first pointed out as of a higher organisation than the animal; and the fact that his food is such as requires preparation and cooking has been the basis, not merely of most of the refinements of life, but even of the close union of the family. For what would become of it without the common meal?

But undoubtedly the food originally assigned to man was vegetable; nor was express leave given to eat flesh until after the flood. Nevertheless the dominion given to man, in Genesis 1:28, over fish, bird, and animal, made it lawful for him to use them for his food; and the skins with which Adam and Eve were clothed on their expulsion from Paradise prove that animals had been already killed. After the fall, Abel's sacrifice of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof, leads irresistibly to the conclusion that the flesh was eaten by the offerer and his family. In ancient times this was the rule. Flesh was not the staple of man's diet, but the eating of it was a religious ceremony, at which certain portions were offered to God and burnt on His altar, and the rest consumed by man as the Deity's guests. So we may well believe that until the flood the descendants of Seth partook of flesh rarely, and only at a sacrifice, but that after the flood a more free use of it was permitted.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 29. - Provision for the sustenance of the newly-appointed monarch and his subjects is next made. 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. Of the three classes into which the vegetable creation was divided, grass, herbs, and trees (ver. 12), the two last were assigned to man for food. Macdonald thinks that without this express conveyance man would have been warranted to partake of them for nourishment, warranted by the necessities of his nature. The same reasoning, however, would have entitled him to kill the lower animals if he judged them useful for his support. Murphy with more truth remarks, "Of two things proceeding from the same creative hand, neither has any original or inherent right to interfere in any way with the other. The absolute right to each lies in the Creator alone. The one, it is true, may need the other to support its life, as fruit is needful to man; and, therefore, the just Creator cannot make one creature dependent for subsistence on another without granting to it the use of that other. But this is a matter between Creator and creature, and not by any means between creature and creature." The primitive charter of man's common property in the earth, and all that it contains, is the present section of this ancient document. Among other reasons for the formal conveyance to man of the herbs and trees may be noted a desire to keep him mindful of his dependent condition. Though lord of the creation, he was yet to draw the means of his subsistence from the creature which he ruled. Whether man was a vegetarian prior to the fall is debated. On the one hand it is contended that the original grant does not formally exclude the animals, and, in fact, says nothing about man's relation to the animals (Macdonald); that we cannot positively affirm that man's dominion over the animals did not involve the use of them for food (Murphy); and that as men offered sacrifices from their flocks, it is probable they ate the flesh of the victims (Calvin), On the other hand it is argued that the Divine language cannot be held as importing morn than it really says, arid that Genesis 9:3 distinctly teaches that man's right to the animal creation dates from the time of Noah (Kalisch, Knobel, Alford, etc.). Almost all nations have traditions of a golden age of innocence, when men abstained from killing animals (cf. Ovid, 'Met.,' 1:103-106). Scripture alone anticipates a. time when such shall again be a characteristic of earth's inhabitants (Isaiah 11:7; Isaiah 65:25).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Then God
אֱלֹהִ֗ים (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

said,
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Behold,
הִנֵּה֩ (hin·nêh)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

I have given
נָתַ֨תִּי (nā·ṯat·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

you
לָכֶ֜ם (lā·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

every
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

seed-bearing
זֶ֗רַע (ze·ra‘)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2233: Seed, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity

plant
עֵ֣שֶׂב ׀ (‘ê·śeḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6212: Herb, herbage

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the face
פְּנֵ֣י (pə·nê)
Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

of all
כָל־ (ḵāl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the earth,
הָאָ֔רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

and
וְאֶת־ (wə·’eṯ-)
Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

every
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

tree
הָעֵ֛ץ (hā·‘êṣ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6086: Tree, trees, wood

whose
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

fruit
פְרִי־ (p̄ə·rî-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6529: Fruit

contains
זֹרֵ֣עַ (zō·rê·a‘)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2232: To sow, to disseminate, plant, fructify

seed.
זָ֑רַע (zā·ra‘)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2233: Seed, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity

They will be
יִֽהְיֶ֖ה (yih·yeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

yours
לָכֶ֥ם (lā·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

for food.
לְאָכְלָֽה׃ (lə·’āḵ·lāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 402: Food, eating

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OT Law: Genesis 1:29 God said Behold I have given you (Gen. Ge Gn)