The Meaning of Genesis 1:22 Explained

Genesis 1:22

KJV: And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

YLT: And God blesseth them, saying, 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and the fowl let multiply in the earth:'

Darby: And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply on the earth.

ASV: And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And God  blessed  them, saying,  Be fruitful,  and multiply,  and fill  the waters  in the seas,  and let fowl  multiply  in the earth. 

What does Genesis 1:22 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 1:20-31 - Man Creation's Crown
Creation reveals God's nature, as the picture the artist. His eternal Power and Godhead are visible in His works. See Romans 1:20. And all things and beings were made through Jesus Christ. Consider Colossians 1:15-16. The hands of the Son of God wove the blue curtains above us and filled them with luminaries. The seas are His and He made them, and filled them with living creatures. The woodlands are the outcome of His mind, and He filled them with flowers and birds. He taught them to live without care. He filled the tiny heart of the mother-bird with love to her young and blessed her. His are the cattle on a thousand hills. He molded the red earth into His own likeness and made Man. We were made to have dominion. See Psalms 8:6-8. Ask Him to put all things, especially all the evil things of your heart, under your feet. The world is good, and if you were good, you would find it so. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 1

1  God creates heaven and earth;
3  the light;
6  the firmament;
9  separates the dry land;
14  forms the sun, moon, and stars;
20  fishes and fowls;
24  cattle, wild beasts, and creeping things;
26  creates man in his own image, blesses him;
29  grants the fruits of the earth for food

What do the individual words in Genesis 1:22 mean?

And blessed them God saying Be fruitful and multiply and fill - the waters in the seas and birds let multiply on the earth
וַיְבָ֧רֶךְ אֹתָ֛ם אֱלֹהִ֖ים לֵאמֹ֑ר פְּר֣וּ וּרְב֗וּ וּמִלְא֤וּ אֶת־ הַמַּ֙יִם֙ בַּיַּמִּ֔ים וְהָע֖וֹף יִ֥רֶב בָּאָֽרֶץ

וַיְבָ֧רֶךְ  And  blessed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
אֱלֹהִ֖ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
פְּר֣וּ  Be  fruitful 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: פָּרָה 
Sense: to bear fruit, be fruitful, branch off.
וּרְב֗וּ  and  multiply 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
וּמִלְא֤וּ  and  fill 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַמַּ֙יִם֙  the  waters 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
בַּיַּמִּ֔ים  in  the  seas 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
וְהָע֖וֹף  and  birds 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹוף  
Sense: flying creatures, fowl, insects, birds.
יִ֥רֶב  let  multiply 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
בָּאָֽרֶץ  on  the  earth 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.