In Genesis 1:28 God said to replenish the earth. What does replenish mean here?

Answer 1

fill the earth.
the original word in Hebrew is מלא which directly translated means 'to fill' , as in to fill the earth.
This verse has to do with the command God placed upon the first human pair to procreate and fill the earth with offspring.

Answer 2

4390. male' (maw-lay') 4391


Or malae (Esth. 7:5) {maw-law'}; a primitive root, to fill or (intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally and figuratively)

accomplish, confirm, + consecrate, be at an end, be expired, be fenced, fill, fulfil, (be, become, X draw, give in, go) full(-ly, -ly set, tale), (over-)flow, fulness, furnish, gather (selves, together), presume, replenish, satisfy, set, space, take a (hand-)full, + have wholly.

A KJV quirk (amongst many) to say "replenish". Note that the NASB says (properly)

God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

In Hebrew: וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם אֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם אֱלֹהִים פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁהָ וּרְדוּ בִּדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעֹוף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבְכָל־חַיָּה הָרֹמֶשֶׂת עַל־הָאָרֶץ׃

Answer 3

Another translation reads "Further, God blessed them and God said to them: Be fruitful and become many and fill the earth and subdue it, and have in subjection the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and every living creature that is moving upon the earth.”

Filling the earth means reproducing and filling it with humans.

Answer 4

It means to fill the earth, you are obviously using the King James Version, which has translated the Hebrew poorly. I recommend the New American Standard Bible - its a literal translation, and in my opinion better than the King James in terms of accuracy.

Genesis 1:28
God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (NAS)

Answer 5

In this case it meant to spread humanity throughout the earth, and to subdue the earth in the name of God, and man. Cain attempted to subdue it by farming the land, Abel by raising livestock. We should all remember the Mark of Cain, which caused the curse of murder to be brought forth upon the earth, and for nothing more than jealousy.

Answer 6

the word replenish here means to fill. it means to refill today but back in the 1,600s it meant to fill, if you can ever read an old dictionary you will find that words change meaning all the time. and in the dictionary from 1,600s says that replentish means to fill

Answer 7

It is human purpose for existing. Adam & Eve were to have many children and expand that Garden of Eden to cover the entire earth. They were to be in charge of all creatures on the planet for their care and benefit.

Answer 8

We should take care of the earth because we are God's co-creators.

Man is here presented as the climax of God's creative activity; he resembles God primarily because of the dominion God gives him over the rest of creation.

Answer 9

actual the Hebrew here (male - accessory e) potential to fill -- to no longer top off Lexicon effects stable's H4390 - male' ????? Transliteration male' Pronunciation mä·l?' (Key) element of Speech verb Root notice (Etymology) A primitive root TWOT Reference 1195 define of Biblical utilization a million) to fill, be complete a) (Qal) a million) to be complete a) fulness, abundance (participle) b) to be complete, be performed, be ended 2) to consecrate, fill the hand b) (Niphal) a million) to be filled, be armed, be happy 2) to be performed, be ended c) (Piel) a million) to fill 2) to fulfill 3) to fulfil, accomplish, complete 4) to ascertain d) (Pual) to be filled e) (Hithpael) to mass themselves against authorized version (KJV) Translation count style — entire: 249 AV — fill 107, complete 40 8, fulfil 28, consecrate 15, accomplish 7, top off 7, actually 6, set 6, expired 3, totally 2, collect 2, overflow 2, fulfill 2, misc 14

Answer 10

Your entry was taken from the NIV translation. The New American Standard Bible (NASB):

God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth....