Genesis 9:2
The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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After the flood, God re-establishes humanity's dominion over the animals, but with a crucial shift: this power is now rooted in "fear and dread" rather than the loving, cheerful obedience of Eden. This instinctual fear, imposed by God, serves to protect humanity and ensure their service, even though the creatures themselves are no longer in a state of original innocence.
After the Great Flood, God renews His covenant with humanity, symbolized by the rainbow, and establishes new guidelines for life on earth. This includes granting humans dominion over animals, with their fear and dread ensuring human safety and subservience, and permitting them to eat animal flesh. However, God also lays down laws regarding the sanctity of human life and the prohibition of eating blood, setting the stage for the re-establishment of human society under His authority.
After the flood, God blesses Noah and his family with a renewed mandate over the earth. But something has changed from the original creation.
Before the Fall, Adam's dominion over the animals was likely characterized by love and gentle leadership. In Genesis 1:28, God told Adam to 'subdue' and 'have dominion.' After sin entered the world, this relationship shifted.
Genesis 9:2 describes this renewed dominion as one characterized by 'fear' and 'dread.' This isn't about cruelty, but a natural order established by God. The animals are no longer inherently drawn to humanity with pure affection. Instead, a healthy respect, and at times even fear, keeps them in their place, preventing them from overwhelming humanity. This establishes a new dynamic where humanity's authority is maintained not just by a gentle hand, but by an inherent awe that God has instilled. It's a pragmatic order for a fallen world, ensuring humanity's place without the naive trust of Eden.
With this renewed dominion comes a significant change in diet. God explicitly grants humanity permission to eat meat, a profound shift from the pre-flood world.
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In Genesis 9:3, God states, 'Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you.' This is a radical expansion of humanity's diet. While scholars debate whether meat was eaten before the flood, this passage marks the divine authorization for it. Previously, humanity's diet was primarily vegetarian (Genesis 1:29). Now, God delegates the authority to take animal life for sustenance.
This isn't a license for wanton destruction. The commentaries emphasize that this provision is a gift from God, to be received with thankfulness, not taken with a cruel or arbitrary hand. It's a fundamental aspect of the new covenant God makes with Noah, providing for humanity's needs in a world forever changed by the flood. This shift also establishes a clear boundary: while animals can be food, the sanctity of human life is paramount, as highlighted in the verses immediately following (Genesis 9:5-6).
Understand the original words
mora · Hebrew Noun
A state of being deeply intimidated or awestruck by someone's power; in this context, it refers to the God-ordained authority of humanity over the animal kingdom.
chittath · Hebrew Noun
A state of trembling or extreme agitation in the presence of someone; it emphasizes the heightened sense of awe or terror creatures feel toward humanity.
c. 3000 BC
Mankind's Fall
Adam and Eve's disobedience in the Garden of Eden introduces sin and its consequences into the world, altering humanity's relationship with God and creation.
c. 2348 BC— this verse
The Great Flood
God sends a global flood to cleanse the earth of pervasive wickedness, destroying all life except for Noah, his family, and the animals preserved on the ark.
Immediately after the Flood
God's Covenant and New Mandate
God establishes a new covenant with Noah and his descendants, promising never again to destroy all life with a flood and granting humanity a renewed mandate over the earth.
This psalm directly echoes Genesis 9:2, listing the dominion God has given humanity over the works of His hands, including the animals of the land, sea, and air.
Matthew 10:29-31Jesus uses the value of birds in God's sight to encourage his followers, highlighting how much more God values them, drawing a parallel to the dominion granted over creation.
Colossians 1:15-17This passage speaks of Christ's supremacy over all creation, showing that the authority and order established in Genesis 9:2 are part of God's larger plan for creation through His Son.
Hebrews 2:6-8The author of Hebrews quotes Psalm 8, directly referencing the dominion granted to humanity over all things, and then points to Jesus as the one in whom this dominion is fully realized.
gillGenesis 9:2: "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."
And the fear or you, and the dread of you, shall be upon every beast of the earth,.... This is a renewal, at least in part, of the grant of dominion to Adam over all the creatures; these obeyed him cheerfully, and from love, but sinning, he in a good measure lost…
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…
After the flood, God re-establishes humanity's dominion over the animals, but with a crucial shift: this power is now rooted in "fear and dread" rather than the loving, cheerful obedience of Eden. This instinctual fear, imposed by God, serves to protect humanity and ensure their service, even though the creatures themselves are no longer in a state of original innocence.
After the Great Flood, God renews His covenant with humanity, symbolized by the rainbow, and establishes new guidelines for life on earth. This includes granting humans dominion over animals, with their fear and dread ensuring human safety and subservience, and permitting them to eat animal flesh. However, God also lays down laws regarding the sanctity of human life and the prohibition of eating blood, setting the stage for the re-establishment of human society under His authority.
After the Great Flood, God renews His covenant with humanity, symbolized by the rainbow, and establishes new guidelines for life on earth. This includes granting humans dominion over animals, with their fear and dread ensuring human safety and subservience, and permitting them to eat animal flesh. However, God also lays down laws regarding the sanctity of human life and the prohibition of eating blood, setting the stage for the re-establishment of human society under His authority.
"The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered." — After the flood, God re-establishes humanity's dominion over the animals, but with a crucial shift: this power is now rooted in "fear and dread" rather than the loving, cheerful obedience of Eden. Th…
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