Genesis 1:28

28 blessed them, and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals.

Genesis 1:28 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 1:28

And God blessed them
The man and the woman he had made, with all the blessings of nature and Providence; with all the good things of life; with his presence, and with communion with himself in a natural way, through the creatures; and particularly with a power of procreating their species, as follows;

and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish
the earth:
if this is not an express command, as the Jews understand it, for marriage and procreation of children, it seems to be more than a bare permission; at least it is a direction and an advice to what was proper and convenient for the increase of mankind, and for the filling of the earth with inhabitants, which was the end of its being made, ( Isaiah 45:18 ) . This shows that marriage is an ordinance of God, instituted in paradise, and is honourable; and that procreation is a natural action, and might have been, and may be performed without sin,

and subdue it;
the earth; not that it was in the hands of others, who had no right to it, and to be conquered and taken out of their hands; but is to be understood of their taking possession, and making use of it; of their tilling the land, and making it subservient to their use:

and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of
the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the face of
the earth;
which was giving them an universal and unlimited dominion over all the creatures; of which see an enumeration in ( Psalms 8:6-8 ) .

Genesis 1:28 In-Context

26 Then God said, "And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small."
27 So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female,
28 blessed them, and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals.
29 I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat;
30 but for all the wild animals and for all the birds I have provided grass and leafy plants for food" - and it was done.

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Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.