This verse, Genesis 8:17, is part of the instructions given to Noah after the Great Flood subsided. It's a command from God to repopulate and replenish the Earth with all kinds of animal life. Here's a breakdown of what it means:
"Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh...": This refers to all the animals that Noah brought onto the Ark to save them from the flood. "All flesh" indicates all animals (birds, mammals, reptiles, etc.).
"...including birds, livestock, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth...": This specifies the categories of animals to be included:
Birds: All types of fowl.
Livestock: Domesticated animals like cattle, sheep, goats, etc., that are useful to humans.
Every creeping thing: Reptiles, insects, and other small creatures that move along the ground.
"...that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply on the earth.": This is the key purpose of the instruction. God wants the animals to:
Breed abundantly: Reproduce in large numbers.
Be fruitful: Be fertile and produce offspring.
Multiply on the earth: Increase their population and spread throughout the Earth.
In essence, the verse is a command to repopulate the Earth's animal kingdom after the devastation of the flood. It signifies a new beginning, a restart of life on Earth. God's blessing and intention are for these creatures to thrive and fill the Earth once more, just as they were intended to before the flood. It is a reaffirmation of God's initial blessing to the animals in Genesis 1:22, to be fruitful and multiply.
This verse, Genesis 8:17, is part of the instructions given to Noah after the Great Flood subsided. It's a command from God to repopulate and replenish the Earth with all kinds of animal life. Here's a breakdown of what it means:
"Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh...": This refers to all the animals that Noah brought onto the Ark to save them from the flood. "All flesh" indicates all animals (birds, mammals, reptiles, etc.).
"...including birds, livestock, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth...": This specifies the categories of animals to be included:
Birds: All types of fowl.
Livestock: Domesticated animals like cattle, sheep, goats, etc., that are useful to humans.
Every creeping thing: Reptiles, insects, and other small creatures that move along the ground.
"...that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply on the earth.": This is the key purpose of the instruction. God wants the animals to:
Breed abundantly: Reproduce in large numbers.
Be fruitful: Be fertile and produce offspring.
Multiply on the earth: Increase their population and spread throughout the Earth.
In essence, the verse is a command to repopulate the Earth's animal kingdom after the devastation of the flood. It signifies a new beginning, a restart of life on Earth. God's blessing and intention are for these creatures to thrive and fill the Earth once more, just as they were intended to before the flood. It is a reaffirmation of God's initial blessing to the animals in Genesis 1:22, to be fruitful and multiply.