Genesis 9:1-7

1 God blessed Noah and his sons: He said, "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the Earth!

2 Every living creature - birds, animals, fish - will fall under your spell and be afraid of you. You're responsible for them.

3 All living creatures are yours for food; just as I gave you the plants, now I give you everything else.

4 Except for meat with its lifeblood still in it - don't eat that.

5 "But your own lifeblood I will avenge; I will avenge it against both animals and other humans.

6 Whoever sheds human blood, by humans let his blood be shed, Because God made humans in his image reflecting God's very nature.

7 You're here to bear fruit, reproduce, lavish life on the Earth, live bountifully!"

Genesis 9:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 9

In this chapter we have an account of God's blessing Noah and his sons, being just come out of the ark, with a renewal of the blessing of propagating their species, and replenishing the earth, the dominion over the creatures, and a freedom from the fear of them; with liberty to eat flesh, only it must not be eaten with blood; with a providential care and preservation of their lives from men and beasts, by making a law that that man or beast should die that shed man's blood, Ge 9:1-6 and after repeating the blessing of procreation, Ge 9:7 mention is made of a covenant God made with Noah, his sons, and all the creatures, that he would drown the world no more, the token of which should be the rainbow in the cloud, Ge 9:8-17 the names of the sons of Noah are observed, by whom the earth was repeopled, Ge 9:18,19 and seem to be observed for the sake of an event after recorded; Noah having planted a vineyard, and drank too freely of the wine of it, lay down uncovered in his tent, which Ham seeing, told his two brothers of it, who in a very modest manner covered him, Ge 9:20-23 of all which Noah being sensible when he awoke, cursed Canaan the son of Ham, and blessed Shem and Japheth, Ge 9:24-27 and the chapter is concluded with the age and death of Noah, Ge 9:28,29.