Genesis 1:31 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →God looks over the whole of His finished work and calls it very good.
The Context of Genesis 1:31
The end of the sixth day, the last day of making, with creatures and humanity now in place. Six times God has called His work good; here, surveying all of it together, He says very good. It is the verdict over the whole.
What Does Genesis 1:31 Mean?
Throughout the chapter God has paused to see what He made and call it good. Now He stands back and takes in everything at once, and the word grows stronger: very good. This is the satisfied gaze of a maker over finished work, light and sea and sky, plants and creatures and people, all of it together. The world began as a place God delighted in. Whatever is broken now, this was the original verdict over it, spoken before any shadow fell. Creation came from the hand of God praised and gladly welcomed into being.
That first goodness is not lost forever. The God who called the world very good loved it enough to enter it Himself in Jesus, to mend what had gone wrong and make all things new. Scripture closes with the promise of a renewed creation where God dwells with His people (Revelation 21:5). The delight of the sixth day points forward to a goodness God means to restore, fuller than the first.
Genesis 1:31 in the Original Language
tov (טוֹב), 'good' -- pleasing, beautiful, and right, here deepened to 'very good' over the whole.
How to Apply Genesis 1:31 Today
The world, and our place in it, began as something God called very good. On the days creation feels broken, we can hold to that first verdict and to the promise that God is making it new. We are part of something He delighted in from the start and has not given up on.
Frequently Asked Questions About Genesis 1:31
What does Genesis 1:31 mean?
God looks over the whole of His finished work and calls it very good.
What is the context of Genesis 1:31?
The end of the sixth day, the last day of making, with creatures and humanity now in place. Six times God has called His work good; here, surveying all of it together, He says very good. It is the verdict over the whole.
How can I apply Genesis 1:31 today?
The world, and our place in it, began as something God called very good. On the days creation feels broken, we can hold to that first verdict and to the promise that God is making it new. We are part of something He delighted in from the start and has not given up on.