Genesis 1:28
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Immediately after creating humanity in His image, God pronounces a blessing and gives the first human commission on the sixth day.
What Does Genesis 1:28 Mean?
Genesis 1:28 means that God blesses the humanity He has made and gives them their first commission -- to fill the earth and to govern it on His behalf. The verse opens not with a command but with a blessing: God's posture toward His new creatures is generous favor. Out of that blessing flows the calling to "be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth."
The commission has two movements. First, the gift and joy of family life: humanity is to grow and spread across the world, a calling that affirms the goodness of bodies, marriage, and children. Second, the responsibility of stewardship: to "subdue" the earth and "have dominion" over its creatures. This dominion is the rule of a caretaker, not a tyrant -- humanity governs as God's representatives, accountable to Him for how the world is treated. The verse presents work, family, and care for creation not as burdens imposed after a fall, but as part of the original blessing. To live fruitfully and to tend the world well is to take up the very purpose for which God made and blessed us.
In the Original Language
The Hebrew "barak" (blessed) frames the commission as gift, while "kabash" (subdue) and "radah" (have dominion) describe humanity's stewardship over the earth.
Cross References
“And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.”
- Genesis 9:1
“The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.”
- Psalm 115:16
“Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.”
- Psalm 127:3
Application
Receive your daily work, your family, and your care for the world as part of God's blessing and calling, carrying them out as a faithful steward answerable to Him.