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.
Cross-references
Genesis 1:22 uses the same 'be fruitful and multiply' blessing for animals — extending it to humans here elevates their unique dignity.
In Genesis 26:24, God reaffirms the promise to 'multiply your descendants' — reapplying the original creation blessing to Isaac.
In Genesis 26:4, God promises Isaac's descendants will 'multiply as the stars' — directly echoing the fruitfulness command from creation.
Genesis 9:1 directly reiterates this same blessing to Noah — the creation mandate is renewed for post-flood humanity.
Genesis 2:19 shows Adam naming the animals, exercising the dominion and authority over creatures God just granted him.
Genesis 28:3 carries the creation blessing forward: Isaac asks God to make Jacob fruitful and numerous, using the same language as the original human mandate.
Genesis 6:1 shows humanity increasing in number on the earth, fulfilling the creation command to multiply and fill the earth.
Genesis 5:4 records Adam having many sons and daughters — a direct fulfillment of the 'be fruitful and multiply' command.
Genesis 9:2 directly renews the creation mandate: God again commands fruitfulness and grants human authority over animals, echoing the original blessing after the flood resets creation.
Genesis 8:17 reissues this creation blessing after the flood — God's mandate to fill the earth endures through judgment.
Genesis 9:7 echoes the same 'be fruitful and multiply' command, reinforcing humanity's charge to increase on the renewed earth.
Genesis 22:17 echoes the multiplication mandate — Abraham's offspring will be countless as stars and sand, fulfilling 'fill the earth.'
Genesis 17:16 narrows the creation blessing to Sarah — she shall become nations, fulfilling 'fill the earth' through Abraham's line.
Genesis 17:20 applies the same fruitful-and-multiply promise to Ishmael — God's blessing of multiplication extends to Abraham's other son.
In Genesis 24:60, Rebekah's family blesses her to become 'thousands of ten thousands' — echoing the 'be fruitful and multiply' blessing from creation.
In Genesis 49:25, Jacob's blessing includes 'blessings of the womb' — fertility language echoing the original command to multiply.
In Leviticus 26:9, God promises to 'make you fruitful and multiply' — directly applying creation language to covenant Israel.
Isaiah 45:18 states God formed the earth to be inhabited — directly reflecting the command to fill the earth with human life.
Psalm 8:6 directly quotes the dominion mandate — 'everything under their feet' — as David marvels that God granted such authority to mere mortals.
Psalm 115:16 directly echoes this: 'the earth he has given to mankind' — affirming God's gift of earthly dominion to humanity.
Exodus 1:7 shows Israel fulfilling the creation command — 'fruitful, multiplied, filled the land' — language directly mirroring God's original words to humanity.
Jeremiah 29:6 reapplies the 'be fruitful and multiply' command to exiles in Babylon — God's creation mandate extended even in displacement.
Psalm 50:12 declares the earth remains God's — a reminder that human dominion is delegated stewardship, not absolute ownership.
In Psalm 107:38, God's blessing results in multiplied increase — echoing the creation mandate where God's blessing enables fruitful multiplication.
Psalm 127 presents children as God's reward and heritage — reflecting the creation blessing where fruitfulness comes from divine blessing, not human effort.
Psalm 127:3 echoes the fruitfulness theme — children are presented not just as commanded but as God's reward and heritage.
Psalm 128:3 depicts the blessed household as fruitful, echoing the original creation blessing where God's favor produces increase and multiplication.
1 Timothy 4:3 defends marriage and food as God's good creation, countering those who reject what God blessed at creation for human reception.