What is the meaning of Genesis 1:22? Then God blessed them God’s first spoken blessing lands on the living creatures He has just formed—every fish, whale, dolphin, and seabird (Genesis 1:21). Picture the Creator leaning in with favor, not merely permitting life but empowering it. Throughout Scripture, blessing always carries a tangible effect—look later at Genesis 1:28, where the same language propels humanity forward, and Genesis 9:1, where it restarts creation after the flood. Psalm 104:24-28 echoes this sustaining favor as God “gives them their food in season.” and said The blessing is delivered through God’s spoken word. In Genesis, every creative act flows from “God said” (Genesis 1:3, 1:6, 1:9). His voice is the engine of existence (Psalm 33:6). Hebrews 11:3 reminds us that “the universe was formed at God’s command.” Here, the words do more than communicate; they activate life’s capacity to multiply. Be fruitful and multiply This concise charge is both permission and mandate. • Fruitfulness—producing offspring—means each species continues as God originally designed. • Multiplication—expanding numbers—secures the stability of ecosystems. The same two verbs reappear with Noah (Genesis 8:17; 9:7) and again with Abraham’s line (Genesis 17:2), underscoring God’s ongoing plan to fill His world with life. and fill the waters of the seas The oceans, vast and dynamic, are divinely earmarked to teem with creatures (Psalm 104:25). God’s instruction ensures that every niche—coral reef, deep trench, rolling tide—will pulsate with created wonder. Isaiah 45:18 affirms that He “formed the earth… to be inhabited,” and that includes the watery realms. and let birds multiply on the earth While the waters are to be filled, the sky and land are to be enlivened by winged creatures. From soaring eagles to tiny sparrows, birds testify daily to God’s provision (Matthew 6:26) and ownership (Psalm 50:11). Their multiplication adds song, color, and motion to the planet, reflecting the Creator’s delight in variety. summary Genesis 1:22 records God’s first explicit blessing, actively empowering sea life and birds to reproduce and populate their respective domains. The verse showcases His favor, His authoritative word, and His purpose that the whole earth—oceans, skies, and land—would overflow with living testimony to His creative greatness. |
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