Genesis 1:22 · Bible study
Genesis 1:22 Commentary: The First Blessing — Meaning and Power
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does God bless the fish and birds? Explore the first blessing in Scripture and how it still works in creation today.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God’s word that imparts reproductive power and purpose to sea and sky creatures, ensuring their perpetuation.
- Key words: “Bless” (barak, H1288), “be fruitful” (parah, H6509), “multiply” (rabah, H7235), “fill” (male, H4390).
- Main debate: Whether the blessing is a creative empowerment (Calvin) or a command that creatures instinctively obey; how it relates to the human blessing in verse 28.
- Theological theme: God is the source of all life and fertility; he delights in a flourishing creation.
- Best use: To illustrate God’s provision and the goodness of the natural world, and to ground our understanding of blessing in divine initiative.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters of the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”
KJV King James Version 1769
And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
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 Darby Bible 1890
And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply on the earth.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And he blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the waters of the sea: and let the birds be multiplied upon the earth.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y Dios los bendijo diciendo: Fructificad y multiplicad, y henchid las aguas en los mares, y las aves se multipliquen en la tierra.
E Deus os abençoou dizendo: Frutificai e multiplicai, e enchei as águas nos mares, e as aves se multipliquem na terra.
Dieu les bénit, en disant: Soyez féconds, multipliez, et remplissez les eaux des mers; et que les oiseaux multiplient sur la terre.
Und Gott segnete sie und sprach: Seid fruchtbar und mehrt euch und erfüllt das Wasser im Meer; und das Gefieder mehre sich auf Erden.
En God zegende ze, zeggende: Zijt vruchtbaar, en vermenigvuldigt, en vervult de wateren in de zeeen; en het gevogelte vermenigvuldige op de aarde!
E Dio li benedisse, dicendo: “Crescete, moltiplicate, ed empite le acque dei mari, e moltiplichino gli uccelli sulla terra”.
Błogosławił im tedy Bóg, mówiąc: Rozradzajcie się, i rozmnażajcie się, a napełniajcie wody morskie; i ptactwo niech się rozmnaża na ziemi.
И благословил их Бог, говоря: плодитесь и размножайтесь, и наполняйте воды в морях, и птицы да размножаются на земле.
神 就賜福給這一切，說：「滋生 繁多，充滿 海中 的水；雀鳥 也要多生 在地上。」
And God gave them his blessing, saying, Be fertile and have increase, making all the waters of the seas full, and let the birds be increased in the earth.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Genesis 1:22
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The commentators represented here agree that God’s blessing on the sea creatures and birds is not a mere wish but an effective word that imparts reproductive power. Adam Clarke marvels at the design that allows birds to fly, linking it to this blessing. John Calvin directly states that God ‘infuses into them fecundity by his word,’ meaning the command itself provides the ability to multiply. Matthew Henry and John Wesley both emphasize that fruitfulness is the effect of this blessing and that the yearly multiplication of fish and fowl is the continuing fruit of it. John Gill notes that the blessing grants ‘a power to procreate their kind.’ The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges adds that God placed the animals in conditions favorable to their development, echoing modern scientific observation. In essence, the consensus is that this verse reveals God as the source of all life, and his blessing continues to sustain creation.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the blessing | God's word on the fifth day effectively ensures the fruitfulness and multiplication of aquatic and avian life. | Some, like Calvin, stress that the blessing infuses procreative power into the creatures' nature; others see it primarily as a divine command that they follow by design. |
| Relationship to human blessing | Both Genesis 1:22 and 1:28 share the language of being fruitful, multiplying, and filling, indicating a common pattern of divine blessing for life. | Human blessing adds dominion and the image of God, leading some to see a qualitative difference in purpose; others emphasize continuity in God’s care for all creatures. |
| Continuance of the blessing | All traditions affirm that this blessing remains in effect, seen in the ongoing reproduction of species. | Interpreters differ on whether this blessing operates entirely apart from human influence or whether human sin (and redemption) has any effect on the created order’s fruitfulness. |
| Scope of 'fill' | The command to fill the waters and earth implies more than survival—it envisions abundance and thriving. | Some see this as a mandate for unchecked population growth in nature; others view it as part of a balanced ecosystem that God sustains, with limits observed in nature. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Genesis 1:22 falls on the fifth day of creation, when God populates the waters and skies that he separated on the second day. The structure of Genesis 1 pairs the forming of realms on days 1–3 with the filling of those realms on days 4–6. On day five, the waters and the expanse receive their living inhabitants.
In the ancient Near East, creation stories often depicted gods struggling against chaotic waters. Here, the waters are not hostile; they are commanded to teem with life. The Hebrew word ‘bless’ (בָּרַךְ, barak) carries the idea of giving power for prosperity and increase. When God blesses, he is not expressing a hope but giving real capacity. The command ‘be fruitful and multiply’ is paired with ‘fill the waters in the seas,’ showing that the creatures are given both ability and purpose.
The verb ‘fill’ (מָלֵא, male) implies abundance, not mere survival. This matches the observation that sea and sky creatures multiply in vast numbers, as noted by commentators like John Gill, who pointed out that even the English word ‘fish’ may be derived from a Hebrew root meaning ‘to multiply.’ The blessing is not limited to the original moment; it establishes a pattern that continues. Matthew Henry wrote that ‘Life is a wasting thing… therefore the wise Creator not only made the individuals, but provided for the propagating of the several species.’
This blessing is also the first occurrence of divine blessing in Scripture. It sets a pattern that later extends to humans (Genesis 1:28), to Noah (Genesis 9:1), and to the patriarchs (Genesis 35:11). It reveals a God who delights in life and sustains its continuity through his word.
Textual Notes
The consulted commentaries do not note any significant textual variants for Genesis 1:22. The Hebrew text is stable across ancient manuscripts, and the versions (Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac) translate the verse consistently.
Reception History
From the early centuries of the church, Genesis 1:22 has been read as evidence of God’s fatherly care for all he has made. The Reformation theologian John Calvin interpreted the blessing as an infusion of fecundity by God’s word, a creative act that still powers animal reproduction. In the eighteenth century, Matthew Henry and John Wesley pointed to the annual multiplication of fish and birds as the ongoing fruit of this same blessing. The nineteenth-century Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges drew connections to the observations of naturalists like Darwin and Lyell, seeing in the blessing an affirmation of the conditions that allow species to thrive and adapt. Across these traditions, the verse has been used liturgically and devotionally to celebrate God’s provision and to call believers to a reverent wonder at the created order.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s blessing is the source of fruitfulness. The creatures do not generate their own power to multiply; it comes from the Creator’s word (Calvin).
- God’s blessing includes purpose. The command to fill the waters and earth shows that multiplication is not random but part of an ordered design (Cambridge Bible).
- God’s blessing endures. The annual renewal of fish and bird populations is the continuing effect of this original blessing (Henry, Wesley).
Five-point outline
- The timing of the blessing: It comes on the fifth day, when the first living creatures inhabit the newly formed realms.
- The recipients: Sea creatures and birds, representing all non-human animal life that fills the water and air.
- The content: Three imperatives — be fruitful, multiply, fill — each building on the other, indicating growth and expansion.
- The means: God’s word itself is the power that enables fruitfulness; as Calvin notes, he infuses fecundity by his word.
- The lasting effect: This blessing continues, seen in the vast numbers and variety of fish and birds today.
Illustration hooks
- Stand on a beach and watch the seabirds dive, or peer into a tide pool full of tiny life. The abundance is a visible reminder of a blessing spoken long ago.
- Consider how a single pair of birds can produce multiple broods in a season, and how fish release thousands of eggs. Their capacity for multiplication seems built into their nature, reflecting this ancient command.
- Farmers and fishermen know that a good year depends on many factors, but behind the natural processes stands a Creator who ordered his world to be fruitful. This passage invites us to see ordinary life in light of its source.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why would God bless animals and not just people? Does this mean animals have a special status?
- How does God’s blessing work — is it a one-time event or an ongoing force?
- What does this blessing tell us about God’s care for creation today, especially in light of environmental concerns?
Leading a Discussion
Genesis 1:22 gives us the first blessing in the Bible. As your group looks at this verse, think about what it reveals about God’s character and his relationship with the world he made. This blessing is simple, yet it still shapes the world we live in.
Discussion questions
- Read Genesis 1:20–23 aloud. What words or phrases stand out to you?
- In this blessing, God commands the creatures to be fruitful, multiply, and fill. What do these actions imply about God’s intentions for creation?
- According to the commentaries, what does it mean for God to “bless” (Calvin says he infuses fecundity; Henry says fruitfulness is the effect)? How does that shape your understanding of blessing?
- Compare this blessing with the one given to humans in Genesis 1:28. What similarities and differences do you see?
- How do you see evidence of this blessing in the natural world today? What does this choice tell us about God’s care for creation?
- What does this passage teach us about God’s ongoing care for non-human creation?
- How might this ancient blessing influence the way we view our own work, our environment, or our prayers for fruitfulness in our lives?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 1:28 | God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” |
| Genesis 8:17 | Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh, including birds, livestock, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply on the earth.” |
| Genesis 9:1 | God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth. |
| Genesis 30:27 | Laban said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, stay here, for I have divined that Yahweh has blessed me for your sake.” |
| Genesis 30:30 | For it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased to a multitude. Yahweh has blessed you wherever I turned. Now when will I provide for my own house also?” |
| Genesis 35:11 | God said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will come out of your body. |
| Leviticus 26:9 | “‘I will have respect for you, make you fruitful, multiply you, and will establish my covenant with you. |
| Job 40:15 | “See now behemoth, which I made as well as you. He eats grass as an ox. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke marvels at the precise skill with which God designed birds for flight, noting how their bodies, wings, and tail function like a ship's hull, oars, and rudder. He sees God's wisdom displayed equally in the vast ostrich and the tiny hummingbird, whose feathers rival the peacock's splendor.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that the Hebrew verb "create" is used here for the first time since verse 1, indicating that animal life is a genuinely new kind of existence, unlike earlier modifications of existing matter. He also notes that the blessing of fruitfulness implies only a single pair of each larger species was made, from which God’s power produced the multitudes that fill the waters and air.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that God's blessing is not a wish or prayer but an effective command that actually grants fruitfulness to the creatures. He acknowledges the oddness of God speaking to fish and reptiles, but explains this was spoken for human comprehension. The force of that word was not temporary; it became permanently embedded in their nature.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary highlights that God’s blessing on sea and sky creatures marks a shift from mere creation to active empowerment. It argues that animal life differs from plants by possessing instincts and energies meant to be exercised. The text suggests this divine favor supports both their multiplication and their adaptation to the environment, noting how modern science observes these processes in action.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Bible highlights that God’s blessing on sea creatures and birds is an active command to multiply and fill their respective domains. This directive establishes a clear order where each living group is assigned its own space, emphasizing the divine intention for life to occupy the waters and the earth in abundance.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill draws attention to the Hebrew word behind "fish," which literally means to multiply and increase, tying the very name of these creatures to God's blessing of fruitfulness. He notes that despite heavy consumption of some kinds, they continue to multiply abundantly, fulfilling the command to fill the waters.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch insist that the Hebrew verbs are imperatives, not relative clauses, so birds are not created from water as some translations imply. They also note the text does not claim only one pair of each kind was made; the wording suggests many individuals were created at once, and the order from lower to higher animals explains why fish and birds came before land animals.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees a deliberate pattern in creation's progress: each day produces something more excellent than the last, teaching that we should strive to make our final works our best. He also stresses that God himself performed the command to bring forth life from the waters, not because the waters had any power of their own.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that no living creature was created until the fifth day, showing a gradual advance from less excellent beings to more excellent ones. He emphasizes that both fish and fowl came out of the waters, and that their ongoing fruitfulness from year to year is still the effect of God's original blessing.