God’s Word Translation
Genesis 1:28
28God blessed them and said, “Be fertile, increase in number, fill the earth, and be its master. Rule the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that crawl on the earth.”
Genesis 1:28 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: 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 earth.
- New International Version (NIV)God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Context of Genesis 1:28
26Then God said, “Let us make humans in our image, in our likeness. Let them rule the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the domestic animals all over the earth, and all the animals that crawl on the earth.” 27So God created humans in his image. In the image of God he created them. He created them male and female. God blessed them and said, “Be fertile, increase in number, fill the earth, and be its master. Rule the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that crawl on the earth.” 29God said, “I have given you every plant with seeds on the face of the earth and every tree that has fruit with seeds. This will be your food. 30I have given all green plants as food to every land animal, every bird in the sky, and every animal that crawls on the earth—every living, breathing animal.” And so it was.
Read all of Genesis 1Genesis 1:28 word by word
וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֹתָם֮ אֱלֹהִים֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָהֶ֜ם אֱלֹהִ֗ים פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֛וּ וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁ֑הָ וּרְד֞וּ בִּדְגַ֤ת הַיָּם֙ וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וּבְכָל־חַיָּ֖ה הָֽרֹמֶ֥שֶׂת עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- blessedבָּרַךְbârak · to blessH1288
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto them, Be fruitfulפָּרָהpârâh · be fruitfulH6509
- and multiplyרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
- and replenishמָלֵאmâlê' mâlâ' · to fillH4390
- the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- and subdue itכָּבַשׁkâbash · to subdueH3533
- and have dominionרָדָהrâdâh · to ruleH7287
- over the fishדָּגָהdâgâh · fishH1710
- of the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
- and over the fowlעוֹף‛ôph · birdH5775
- of the airשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- and over every living thingחַיchay · aliveH2416
- that movethרָמַשׂrâmaώ · to creepH7430
- upon the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
Cross-references for Genesis 1:28
- Genesis 1:22God blessed them and said, “Be fertile, increase in number, fill the sea, and let there be many birds on the earth.”
- Genesis 8:17Bring out every animal that’s with you: birds, domestic animals, and every creature that crawls on the earth. Be fertile, increase in number, and spread over the earth.”
- Genesis 9:1God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fertile, increase in number, and fill the earth.
- Genesis 17:16I will bless her, and I will also give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will become ⌞a mother of⌟ nations, and kings will come from her.”
- Genesis 22:17I will certainly bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of their enemies’ cities.
- Genesis 24:60They gave Rebekah a blessing: “May you, our sister, become the mother of many thousands of children. May your descendants take possession of their enemies’ cities.”
- Genesis 26:3Live here in this land for a while, and I will be with you and bless you. I will give all these lands to you and your descendants. I will keep the oath that I swore to your father Abraham.
- Genesis 33:5When he saw the women and children, Esau asked, “Who are these people here with you?” “The children God has graciously given me, sir,” Jacob answered.
- Genesis 49:25because of the God of your father who helps you, because of the Almighty who gives you blessings from the heavens above, blessings from the deep springs below the ground, blessings from breasts and womb.
- Leviticus 26:9and I will be pleased with you. Your families will be large, and I will keep my promise to you.
- 1 Chronicles 4:10Jabez prayed to the God of Israel, “Please bless me and give me more territory. May your power be with me and free me from evil so that I will not be in pain.” God gave him what he prayed for.
- 1 Chronicles 26:5Ammiel (the sixth), Issachar (the seventh), Peullethai (the eighth). God had blessed Obed Edom.
- Job 42:12The Lord blessed the latter years of Job’s life more than the earlier years. He had 14,000 sheep and goats, 6,000 camels, 2,000 oxen, and 1,000 donkeys.
- Psalms 107:38He blesses them, and their numbers multiply, and he does not allow a shortage of cattle.
- Psalms 127:1If the Lord does not build the house, it is useless for the builders to work on it. If the Lord does not protect a city, it is useless for the guard to stay alert.
- Psalms 128:3Your wife will be like a fruitful vine inside your home. Your children will be like young olive trees around your table.
Commentaries on Genesis 1:28
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 28And God blessed them - Marked them as being under his especial protection, and gave them power to propagate and multiply their own kind on the earth. A large volume would be insufficient to contain what we know of the excellence and perfection of man, even in his present degraded fallen state. Both his body and soul are adapted with astonishing wisdom to their residence and occupations; and also the place of their residence, as well as the surrounding…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 24-31Verses 24-31 - VIII. The Sixth Day 24. בהמה behēmâh “cattle; dumb, tame beasts.” רמשׂ remeś “creeping (small or low) animals.” חוּה chayâh “living thing; animal.” חוּת־חארץ chayatô -chā'ārets “wild beast.” 26. אדם 'ādām “man, mankind;” “be red.” A collective noun, having no plural number, and therefore denoting either an individual of the kind, or the kind or race itself. It is connected in etymology with אדמה 'ădāmâh “the red soil,” from which…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 26-28Verses 26-28 Man was made last of all the creatures: this was both an honour and a favour to him. Yet man was made the same day that the beasts were; his body was made of the same earth with theirs; and while he is in the body, he inhabits the same earth with them. God forbid that by indulging the body, and the desires of it, we should make ourselves like the beasts that perish! Man was to be a creature different from all that had been hitherto made…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 28God blessed them: See study note on 1:22; also see 17:16; 48:16; Deuteronomy 7:13. said: God speaks directly and intimately to humans. We are caretakers of his shared authority. subdue it; rule: As representatives of God's rule, humans are responsible for taking care of the world God created and managing it (see also Genesis 9:2; Psalm 8:5–8).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2828. Be fruitful, &c.--The human race in every country and age has been the offspring of the first pair. Amid all the varieties found among men, some black, some copper-colored, others white, the researches of modern science lead to a conclusion, fully accordant with the sacred history, that they are all of one species and of one family (Ac 17:26). What power in the word of God! "He spake and it was done. He commanded and all things stood fast" [Psa 33:9]…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 1:28
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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