Genesis 9:3

KJV

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

KJV (with Strong's)

Every moving thing {H7431} that liveth {H2416} shall be meat {H402} for you; even as the green {H3418} herb {H6212} have I given {H5414} you all things.

Complete Jewish Bible

Every moving thing that lives will be food for you; just as I gave you green plants before, so now I give you everything —

Berean Standard Bible

Everything that lives and moves will be food for you; just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you all things.

American Standard Version

Every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you; as the green herb have I given you all.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Genesis 9:3 inaugurates a new era in humanity's relationship with creation, marking a profound post-Flood dietary shift. God, in His sovereign benevolence, expands humanity's sustenance beyond solely plant life to include all living creatures, thereby re-establishing humanity's dominion under new covenantal terms and underscoring His ongoing provision for a world dramatically reshaped by the global deluge.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Genesis 9:3 is nestled within God's post-Flood covenant with Noah and all living creatures, immediately following the universal blessing and command to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" found in [Genesis 9:1](/genesis/9-1 "God's blessing and command to Noah"). It directly succeeds God's declaration that the "fear and dread" of humanity would be upon all creatures ([Genesis 9:2](/genesis/9-2 "The fear of man upon all creatures")), setting the stage for humanity's expanded authority and altered relationship with the animal kingdom. This dietary allowance stands in stark contrast to the pre-Flood vegetarian diet established in [Genesis 1:29](/genesis/1-29 "God's original dietary command in Eden"), making it a pivotal moment in the biblical narrative of creation and covenant.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The world after the Flood was fundamentally altered, both geologically and ecologically. The cataclysmic event likely changed climate patterns, vegetation, and the availability of food sources, potentially making a purely vegetarian diet unsustainable for a rapidly multiplying human population. In the ancient Near East, dietary practices were often intertwined with religious and social identity. This divine decree to consume animal flesh would have been understood as a significant act of divine provision and a re-affirmation of humanity's unique status within creation, distinct from the animals. It also laid foundational principles for later dietary laws and sacrificial systems, highlighting the sanctity of life even as it was consumed.

* **Key Themes:** This verse contributes significantly to several overarching themes within Genesis and the broader biblical narrative. It powerfully illustrates God's **sovereign provision** for His creation, demonstrating His adaptable care for humanity's needs in a changed world. It marks a **new beginning** for humanity, with a renewed mandate to fill the earth and a revised relationship with the animal kingdom. Furthermore, it is an integral part of the **Noahic Covenant**, establishing new terms for human existence and interaction with the natural world, including the subsequent prohibition against consuming blood in [Genesis 9:4](/genesis/9-4 "The prohibition against consuming blood"), which underscores the **sanctity of life** even in consumption.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **moving thing (Hebrew, _remes'_ H7431):** From the root `רָמַשׂ` (ramash), meaning to creep or swarm. While often referring to smaller, creeping animals, in this context, especially with the qualifier "that liveth," it broadens to encompass a wide range of rapidly moving or swarming animals. Its usage here signifies a comprehensive inclusion of various animal types for consumption, moving beyond the specific categories often implied by `remes` elsewhere.
* **liveth (Hebrew, _chay'_ H2416):** From `חָיָה` (chayah), meaning alive or living. This word emphasizes the vitality and animation of the creatures being designated as food. The phrase "every moving thing that liveth" (`kol remes asher hu chay`) stresses the comprehensive nature of the allowance, indicating that any creature possessing life, not just specific types, is now permitted for human sustenance. It underscores that life itself is the object of this new provision.
* **meat (Hebrew, _ʼoklâh'_ H402):** A feminine noun derived from `אֻכָל` (ukal), meaning food or consumption. This term explicitly designates the animal flesh as sustenance, paralleling the "green herb" previously given. Its straightforward meaning highlights the practical purpose of this decree: to provide nourishment for humanity in the post-diluvian world, indicating a direct and practical expansion of the human diet.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you":** This clause represents the core of the new dietary allowance. "Every moving thing" (`kol remes`) combined with "that liveth" (`asher hu chay`) signifies a broad, inclusive permission for humanity to consume animal life for food. This is a direct divine decree, transforming previously forbidden or unconsidered creatures into legitimate sources of sustenance for Noah and his descendants. It establishes a fundamental shift from the pre-Flood vegetarian diet.
* **"even as the green herb have I given you all things.":** This concluding phrase draws a direct parallel between the newly permitted animal diet and the original grant of vegetation in [Genesis 1:29](/genesis/1-29 "God's original grant of vegetation for food"). The "green herb" (`yereq esev`) represents the foundational, universally available food source from creation. By stating "even as," God underscores the continuity of His provision and the permanence of this new allowance. It implies that animal flesh is now as legitimate and divinely sanctioned a food source as plants, given with the same divine authority and generosity.

#### Literary Devices
Genesis 9:3 employs several literary devices to convey its profound message. The most prominent is **Divine Decree**, as God directly pronounces this new dietary law, emphasizing His absolute authority and sovereign control over creation and human life. There is clear **Parallelism** in the phrase "even as the green herb have I given you all things," which explicitly links the new permission to eat meat with the original grant of vegetation, highlighting continuity in God's provision despite changed circumstances. This comparison also functions as a form of **Analogy**, making the new concept understandable by relating it to an established truth. Furthermore, the verse signifies a profound **Symbolism** of a new covenantal order and a fresh start for humanity after the cataclysm, where God re-establishes life on earth with new terms and expanded provisions, demonstrating His enduring care and commitment to sustaining His creation.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Genesis 9:3 is a powerful testament to God's adaptable and comprehensive provision for humanity, demonstrating His sovereignty over all creation and His benevolent care for His people in a drastically altered world. This dietary expansion is not merely a practical adjustment but a theological statement about God's ongoing commitment to sustain life and His re-establishment of humanity's dominion under new covenantal terms. It sets the stage for the unfolding narrative of God's relationship with humanity, where His commands and provisions evolve to meet new realities, always with His ultimate redemptive purposes in view.

* [Deuteronomy 14:3-20](/deuteronomy/14-3-20 "Dietary laws for Israel") - This passage provides specific dietary laws given to Israel, distinguishing between clean and unclean animals, which further refines the broad permission of Genesis 9:3 for a specific covenant people.
* [Acts 10:13-15](/acts/10-13-15 "Peter's vision of clean and unclean animals") - Peter's vision dramatically illustrates the New Testament fulfillment of these dietary laws, declaring all foods clean and signifying the breaking down of barriers between Jew and Gentile in Christ.
* [1 Timothy 4:4-5](/1_timothy/4-4-5 "Every creature of God is good") - Paul affirms that "every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer," echoing the expansive provision of Genesis 9:3 and its ultimate spiritual fulfillment in Christ.

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Genesis 9:3 serves as a profound reminder of God's faithful and adaptable provision for our physical needs, even in the wake of cataclysmic change. It teaches us to trust in His wisdom and generosity, recognizing that all sustenance, both physical and spiritual, flows from His benevolent hand. This verse encourages us to receive God's gifts with profound gratitude, acknowledging His sovereignty over all creation. It also implicitly calls us to be responsible stewards of the resources He provides, understanding that even with expanded permission, there remains a divine expectation of respect for life and creation. In our own lives, when circumstances shift dramatically or resources seem scarce, this passage offers assurance that God remains our ultimate provider, capable of adapting His provisions to meet our needs and guide us into new ways of living.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does God's adaptability in providing for humanity in Genesis 9:3 encourage your trust in His provision during times of personal change or uncertainty?**
* **What does the shift from a purely vegetarian diet to including animal flesh reveal about God's ongoing relationship with humanity and His creation?**
* **In what ways can we, as recipients of God's abundant provision, demonstrate responsible stewardship and gratitude for all that He has given us?**

### FAQ
**Why did God change humanity's diet after the Flood?**

Answer: The Bible does not explicitly state a singular reason, but theological interpretations suggest several factors. The drastically altered post-Flood environment, potentially less hospitable to a purely vegetarian diet year-round, may have necessitated a broader food source for human survival and propagation. Furthermore, this dietary change was part of a new covenantal order established by God with Noah and all living creatures ([Genesis 9:1-17](/genesis/9-1-17 "The Noahic Covenant")). It re-established humanity's dominion over creation, granting them a new right to consume animal life, which also laid the groundwork for later sacrificial systems and the principle of the sanctity of life (as seen in the immediate prohibition against consuming blood in [Genesis 9:4](/genesis/9-4 "The prohibition against consuming blood")).

**Does this verse mean all animals are now clean to eat for all people?**

Answer: In the immediate context of [Genesis 9:3](/genesis/9-3 "God's permission to eat all living things"), the allowance is indeed broad ("Every moving thing that liveth"). However, later in the Old Testament, God instituted specific dietary laws for the nation of Israel, distinguishing between "clean" and "unclean" animals ([Leviticus 11](/leviticus/11 "Dietary laws in Leviticus 11")). These Mosaic laws were part of Israel's unique covenant relationship with God, serving to set them apart as a holy people. For New Testament believers, these specific Mosaic dietary laws are generally understood to have been fulfilled in Christ. Passages like [Acts 10:13-15](/acts/10-13-15 "Peter's vision of clean and unclean animals") and [1 Timothy 4:4](/1_timothy/4-4 "Every creature of God is good") indicate that in the New Covenant, all foods are permissible if received with thanksgiving, signifying a shift from ceremonial distinctions to a focus on spiritual purity and freedom in Christ.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Genesis 9:3 directly addresses a dietary change, its deeper Christ-centered fulfillment lies in the progression of God's expansive provision and the ultimate lifting of ceremonial distinctions through Jesus Christ. The broad allowance of "every moving thing that liveth" for food foreshadows the New Covenant truth that in Christ, all foods are made clean and acceptable, provided they are received with thanksgiving ([1 Timothy 4:4](/1_timothy/4-4 "Receiving God's creation with thanksgiving")). This principle is powerfully illustrated in Peter's vision in [Acts 10:9-16](/acts/10-9-16 "Peter's vision and the inclusion of Gentiles"), where a voice declares, "What God has cleansed, you must not call common," signifying not only the abolition of Old Testament dietary laws but also the breaking down of barriers between Jew and Gentile, inviting all humanity into God's family. Thus, Christ fulfills the spirit of God's generous provision, moving beyond specific dietary restrictions to a universal invitation to partake in God's goodness, culminating in the spiritual nourishment found in Him as the true [Bread of Life](/john/6-35 "Jesus, the Bread of Life") and the [Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God").

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Romans 14:14

I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that [there is] nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him [it is] unclean.

Colossians 2:21

(Touch not; taste not; handle not;

Colossians 2:22

Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

Deuteronomy 12:15

Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.

1 Timothy 4:3

Forbidding to marry, [and commanding] to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

1 Timothy 4:5

For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

1 Corinthians 10:31

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.