Why does the book of Genesis repeat: “and God saw that it was good” (see Gen. 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31)?

The answer

These words refer not to the external charm of the things created, but to their fitness and perfection for the purposes that God intended for His creation.⁴³⁹ So also, a person’s goodness lies in fulfilling his mission and cooperating with others.

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty

Notes

⁴³⁹ St. Basil of Caesarea, Hexamaeron 3.10 (NPNF II/8:71).

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty, Catechism of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Volume 1, Books 1–3. First English Edition, 2023. Published by St. George Coptic Orthodox Church, Sporting, Alexandria, and Queen St. Mary & Prince Tadros Coptic Orthodox Church, South Brunswick, NJ. Copyright © 2023. Translation and Editing: Youth of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, Arabian Gulf, and Egypt.