וַיִּבְרָ֣א (way·yiḇ·rā) in Genesis 1:21: Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
וַיִּבְרָ֣א (way·yiḇ·rā) in Genesis 1:21
Source Word
The BSB+ row for Genesis 1:21 links the English rendering "created" with וַיִּבְרָ֣א, Strong's H1254, and the morphology label Conj-w | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form keeps the reader's attention on God's action in the sequence of creation rather than on the morphology as an isolated label.
How To Communicate It
When teaching Genesis 1:21, use this form to show how the narrative reports God's creative act while letting Genesis 1 govern the doctrine of creation.
What Not To Say
- Grammar should serve context, not override it.
- Do not make consecutive imperfect morphology carry the whole doctrine of creation.
- Do not use the Qal stem by itself to settle a theological claim.
- Do not treat this occurrence as a complete word study for H1254.
What Does The Label Mean?
Hebrew-verb
Verb
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Conjunctive waw
Qal
Consecutive imperfect
Third person
Masculine
Singular
The consecutive imperfect carries the narrative or sequence forward in Genesis 1:21, linking this action to the movement around it.
This form carries the BSB rendering "created" within Genesis 1:21. Genesis 1 presents God ordering, filling, naming, blessing, and giving life to the created world by his word.
What The Form Does In This Verse
The narrative report in Genesis 1:21 that God created the great sea creatures and living creatures
The creation sequence of Genesis 1, where God's word brings ordered life into being
It carries the narrative action forward by reporting God's creative act in the fifth-day sequence.
The consecutive imperfect does not by itself settle the full doctrine of creation, chronology, or every use of H1254.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The form carries a major creation action in Genesis 1.
Waw-linked Qal consecutive imperfect third masculine singular. advances the creation narrative by reporting God's action. Attached to the created action in Genesis 1:21. Governed by the clause and passage context. The verbal form should be explained from the clause and context, not flattened into one automatic English value.
Who performs the creative action? God performs the creative action in the fifth-day sequence.
Direct: The form directly supports the narrative rendering "created."
Hebrew waw-linked sequence forms should be read from narrative context. The consecutive imperfect advances the report but does not alone settle chronology debates. The third masculine singular form points to God as the subject in context.
Consecutive imperfect proves every chronology claim: The form advances the narrative; larger chronology claims need broader textual argument. Qal means the theology is simple: Qal identifies the stem; Genesis 1 carries the doctrine.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The BSB+ row for Genesis 1:21 links the English rendering "created" with וַיִּבְרָ֣א, Strong's H1254, and the morphology label Conj-w | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms.
H1254 is represented here by the lemma בָּרָא. In this occurrence, the public guide is limited to the BSB rendering "created" rather than every possible gloss of the entry.
The waw-linked consecutive imperfect advances the creation narrative, reporting God's act within the ordered sequence of Genesis 1.
Genesis 1 presents God ordering, filling, naming, blessing, and giving life to the created world by his word.
The form fits Scripture's opening witness that creation is received from God and interpreted under his speech and order.
When teaching Genesis 1:21, use this form to show how the narrative reports God's creative act while letting Genesis 1 govern the doctrine of creation.
Do not derive a full doctrine of creation, chronology, or the lexical range of H1254 from Conj-w | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms alone. The form reports one action in the creation sequence.