Genesis 9:7

7 And you,^[a] be fruitful and multiply, teem on the earth and multiply in it."

Genesis 9:7 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 9:7

And you, be ye fruitful and multiply
Instead of taking away the lives of men, the great concern should be to multiply them; and this indeed is one reason of the above law, to prevent the decrease and ruin of mankind; and which was peculiarly needful, when there were so few men in the world as only four, and therefore it is repeated in stronger terms:

bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein;
that the whole earth might be overspread with men, and repeopled sufficiently, as it was by the sons of Noah, see ( Genesis 9:19 ) ( 10:32 ) .

Genesis 9:7 In-Context

5 And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.

6 "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.

7 And you, be fruitful and multiply, teem on the earth and multiply in it."

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him,

9 "Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you,

Footnotes

• [a]. In Hebrew you is plural