And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse isn't just about repopulating the earth; it’s God renewing a mandate given at creation, showing His faithfulness to humanity after the flood. This repetition signifies that, despite judgment, God’s original purpose for life and multiplication remains firmly in place for this new beginning.
And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Fresh off the ark and facing a world washed clean, Noah and his sons are given a foundational blessing and command from God. This new beginning reinstates humanity's purpose to fill the earth, mirroring the original commission given to Adam and Eve. The subsequent verses detail God's establishment of a covenant, symbolized by the rainbow, and outline new regulations concerning food, the sanctity of life, and humanity's renewed dominion over the animal kingdom.
After the devastation of the flood, God doesn't just let humanity start over. He actively blesses Noah and his sons, initiating a new phase for the world.
The blessing in Genesis 9:1 is more than just a command; it's a covenant renewal. It echoes the original blessing given to Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:28, but with new significance.
A Second Chance
With the world reshaped, how does humanity's relationship with the animal kingdom change? God grants new authority, but also establishes new boundaries.
Genesis 9:1-3 reveals a shift in the human-animal dynamic. While God renews humanity's dominion, it's now accompanied by a new reality and new responsibilities.
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New Authority, New Fear
Understand the original words
barak · Hebrew Verb
To bestow favor, prosperity, and the capacity for growth and life; it signifies divine empowerment for fulfilling one's purpose.
parah · Hebrew Verb
The divine command to propagate the human race, ensuring the continued existence and expansion of humanity across the creation.
rabah · Hebrew Verb
To become numerous or increase in size; often used regarding the multiplication of people, animals, or blessings.
This command is a divine reset after the flood. It's God's reaffirmation of His creation mandate, given to Noah and his family as the new progenitors of humanity, ensuring life's continuation under new terms and a renewed covenant.
~2348 BC— this verse
The Great Flood
A catastrophic global flood sent by God to cleanse the earth of wickedness, leaving only Noah, his family, and pairs of animals aboard an ark.
c. 2347 BC
Noah's Ark Lands
After the floodwaters recede, the ark comes to rest on the mountains of Ararat, and Noah and his family begin to repopulate the earth.
c. 2347 BC
God Establishes Covenant with Noah
God makes a covenant with Noah and all living creatures, promising never again to destroy all life with a flood, marked by the sign of the rainbow.
c. 2347 BC
New Laws for Humanity
Following the flood, God institutes new laws regarding the use of animals for food, the sanctity of human life, and the prohibition of consuming blood.
c. 2347 BC
Noah's Descendants Spread
Noah's three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, become the fathers of new nations, beginning the repopulation and expansion across the earth.
This verse is a direct echo of the original blessing given to Adam and Eve, showing a continuity of God's plan for humanity's propagation and dominion over the earth.
Deuteronomy 7:13This passage highlights God's blessing upon His people through fruitfulness and increase, mirroring the command given to Noah and his sons to repopulate the earth.
Psalm 107:38This verse speaks of God blessing His people so that they multiply greatly, reflecting the core theme of 'be fruitful and multiply' given to Noah after the flood.
Jeremiah 29:6This prophecy to the exiles in Babylon commands them to multiply and increase, demonstrating the ongoing importance of God's command for His people to thrive and fill the land.
Colossians 1:16This verse speaks of all things being created through and for Christ, touching upon the concept of God's creative and ordering power over all life, which underpins the command for humanity to multiply and fill the earth.
clarkeGenesis 9:1: "And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth."
God blessed Noah - Even the increase of families, which appears to depend on merely natural means, and sometimes fortuitous circumstances, is all of God. It is by his power and wisdom that the human being is formed, and it is by his providence alone that man is supported and preserved.
calvinGenesis 9:1-29: "And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth."
And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.
Et timor vester et pavor vester erit super omnem bestiam terrae, et super omne volatile coeli, cum omnibus quae gradiuntur in terra, et omnibus pi…
The verse isn't just about repopulating the earth; it’s God renewing a mandate given at creation, showing His faithfulness to humanity after the flood. This repetition signifies that, despite judgment, God’s original purpose for life and multiplication remains firmly in place for this new beginning.
Fresh off the ark and facing a world washed clean, Noah and his sons are given a foundational blessing and command from God. This new beginning reinstates humanity's purpose to fill the earth, mirroring the original commission given to Adam and Eve. The subsequent verses detail God's establishment of a covenant, symbolized by the rainbow, and outline new regulations concerning food, the sanctity of life, and humanity's renewed dominion over the animal kingdom.
Fresh off the ark and facing a world washed clean, Noah and his sons are given a foundational blessing and command from God. This new beginning reinstates humanity's purpose to fill the earth, mirroring the original commission given to Adam and Eve. The subsequent verses detail God's establishment of a covenant, symbolized by the rainbow, and outline new regulations concerning food, the sanctity of life, and humanity's renewed dominion over the animal kingdom.
"And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth." — The verse isn't just about repopulating the earth; it’s God renewing a mandate given at creation, showing His faithfulness to humanity after the flood. This repetition signifies that, despite judgm…
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Last reviewed October 2026