And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
22. God blessed them ] With the creation of the living animals of the water and the air is introduced the mention of a new Divine act, that of blessing. It is connected with the gift of life (see note on Gen 1:21). The animal world differs from the vegetable world in its distinctive principle of life. The animals possess powers, instincts, and energies which are to be exercised, and on the exercise of which God gives His blessing. He has placed them in conditions favourable to their development and multiplication. Modern science, especially as represented by the honoured names of Darwin and Lyell, has shewn in what wonderful and varied ways the blessing of God has attended both the multiplication of animal life and the adaptation of the animals to their surroundings.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Gen 1:22-23
And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply
Gods blessing abundant
At the close of this day the Lord does what He has not done on any of the other four days; He blesses that which He has created, and the object of His blessing is an abundant and perpetual increase.
God is liberal; munificent in His donations both temporal and spiritual. Does He give joy? It is unspeakable joy. Does He give peace? It is a peace which passeth all understanding. Does He give pleasures? They are pleasures for evermore. Does He give glory: It is an exceeding eternal weight of glory. The close-handed and narrow-hearted Christian has not learned to be so in the school of the Master. All who are in His school, and who practice the lessons which they receive there, are open-handed and large-hearted. (A. McAuslane, D. D.)
Gods blessing upon the means of great importance
As in a course of physic, a diseased man is prescribed to boil certain midicinabble herbs in running water, and then to drink a quantity of that water, and so is cured of his disease; and yet we know that it is not the water, but the decoction or infusion, which cureth the patient: so it is not the bread that nourisheth, nor the abundance of outward things which enricheth or contenteth, but the infusion of Gods blessing, which is the staff of life, without which a man may starve for hunger with bread in his mouth, suffer the extremity of cold with good clothes on his back, and die like the children of Israel with the flesh of quails in his mouth. (J. Spencer.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 22. Let fowl multiply in the earth.] It is truly astonishing with what care, wisdom, and minute skill God has formed the different genera and species of birds, whether intended to live chiefly on land or in water. The structure of a single feather affords a world of wonders; and as God made the fowls that they might fly in the firmament of heaven, Ge 1:20, so he has adapted the form of their bodies, and the structure and disposition of their plumage, for that very purpose. The head and neck in flying are drawn principally within the breast-bone, so that the whole under part exhibits the appearance of a ship’s hull. The wings are made use of as sails, or rather oars, and the tail as a helm or rudder. By means of these the creature is not only able to preserve the centre of gravity, but also to go with vast speed through the air, either straight forward, circularly, or in any kind of angle, upwards or downwards. In these also God has shown his skill and his power in the great and in the little-in the vast ostrich and cassowary, and In the beautiful humming-bird, which in plumage excels the splendour of the peacock, and in size is almost on a level with the bee.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He gave them power of procreation and fruitfulness, which is justly mentioned as a great blessing, Psa 128:3-4.
Fill the waters in the seas; and consequently in the rivers, which come from the sea, and return into it.
Let fowl multiply in the earth, where they shall commonly have their habitation, though they had their original from the waters; of which see Poole on “Gen 1:20“.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And God blessed them,…. With a power to procreate their kind, and continue their species, as it is interpreted in the next clause;
saying, be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas: and these creatures do multiply exceedingly, and vast quantities there are of them in the mighty waters, though the consumption of some sorts of them is very great. Our English word “fish” is derived from the Hebrew word , “fush”, which signifies to multiply and increase:
and let fowl multiply in the earth; as they did, and continue to do to this day.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
22. And God blessed them What is the force of this benediction he soon declares. For God does not, after the manner of men, pray that we may be blessed; but, by the bare intimation of his purpose, effects what men seek by earnest entreaty. He therefore blesses his creatures when he commands them to increase and grow; that is, he infuses into them fecundity by his word. But it seems futile for God to address fishes and reptiles. I answer, this mode of speaking was no other than that which might be easily understood. For the experiment itself teaches, that the force of the word which was addressed to the fishes was not transient, but rather, being infused into their nature, has taken root, and constantly bears fruit.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(22) Be fruitful, and multiply.This blessing shows that the earth was replenished with animal life from a limited number of progenitors, and probably from a small number of centres, both for the flora and for the fauna.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 1:22. And God blessed them, &c. Not only their being, but the continuance of it is provided for. Life is a fleeting thing; succession is needful. God hath commanded it shall be, and, in virtue of his blessing, the heavens are stocked with fowl, and the fish replenish the waters; and all for the use of man. O that he were wise, that he knew the bountiful Giver!
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Gen 1:22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
Ver. 22. Be fruitful and multiply. ] By bidding them do so, he made them do so, for his words are operative. Trismegist saith the self-same things in effect that Moses here doth. God, saith he, crieth out to his works by his holy word, saying, “Bring ye forth fruit, grow and increase,” &c. Note the harmony here, and in twenty more passages, between Mercury and Moses. a God hath not left his truth without witness from the mouths of heathen writers. We may profitably read them, but not for ostentation. That were to make a calf of the treasure gotten out of Egypt.
a Morneus, De Verit. Relig. c. 9.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
blessed. See on Gen 1:1. Note the threefold blessing at Creation (Gen 1:22, Gen 1:28; Gen 2:3).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Gen 1:28, Gen 8:17, Gen 9:1, Gen 30:27, Gen 30:30, Gen 35:11, Lev 26:9, Job 40:15, Job 42:12, Psa 107:31, Psa 107:38, Psa 128:3, Psa 144:13, Psa 144:14, Pro 10:22
Reciprocal: Gen 1:20 – Let the waters Gen 48:16 – grow into
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 1:22. God blessed them Behold the cause of the continuance in existence, and of the fruitfulness and multiplication, of the sundry kinds of creatures! It is owing to this word only that, though thousands of years have rolled away since their creation, not one species of them, amid so many, has been lost. Hence the inclination in every creature to propagate its species, and hence the wonderful and tender care they take of their young, till they are able to provide for themselves! So that, notwithstanding the daily great consumption of the creatures for the food of man, there is still such a succession of them, that the innumerable multitudes consumed for our use are not even missed. How wonderful that Being who is the author of this fertility and plenteousness!
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1:22 And God {r} blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
(r) That is, by the virtue of his word he gave power to his creatures to reproduce.