Genesis 1:22

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיְבָ֧רֶךְ אֹתָ֛ם אֱלֹהִ֖ים לֵאמֹ֑ר פְּר֣וּ וּרְב֗וּ וּמִלְא֤וּ אֶת־הַמַּ֙יִם֙ בַּיַּמִּ֔ים וְהָע֖וֹף יִ֥רֶב בָּאָֽרֶץ׃

Transliteration

And wayĕbārek ʾōtām ʾĕlōhîm lēʾmōr pĕrû and rĕbû and milʾû ʾet-the mayim in the yammîm and the ʿôp yireb in the ʾāreṣ

Grammar Details

*wayĕbārek*: verb, piel imperfect consecutive, 3rd person masculine singular - and blessed
*lēʾmōr*: preposition + qal infinitive construct - saying
*pĕrû*: verb, qal imperative, masculine plural - be fruitful
*rĕbû*: verb, qal imperative, masculine plural - multiply
*milʾû*: verb, qal imperative, masculine plural - fill
*ba-yammîm*: preposition + definite article + noun, masculine plural - in the seas
*yireb*: verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular, jussive - let multiply
*bā-ʾāreṣ*: preposition + definite article + noun, feminine singular - in the earth

Word Meanings

*wayĕbārek*: and blessed/and commended/and endowed with power
*pĕrû*: be fruitful/bear fruit/be productive
*rĕbû*: multiply/increase/become numerous
*milʾû*: fill/make full/occupy
*yireb*: let multiply/let increase/let become numerous

ℹ️

About this Translation

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Formal EquivalenceSource: American Standard VersionBest for: Word studies and original-language research

🎯 Translation Approach

A highly literal, word-for-word translation (ASV, 1901) augmented with Strong's numbering to connect English words to underlying Hebrew and Greek terms for study.

Word-for-word

5/5

Readability

2/5

💎 Distinctive Features

Integrated Strong's numbering: Links English terms to underlying Hebrew and Greek words for deeper lexical study.
Formal equivalence: Prioritizes close alignment with source-language forms and structures.
Divine name rendering: Frequently renders the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the Old Testament, following ASV tradition.
Study-focused formatting: Optimized for reference and research rather than casual reading.

✅ Strengths

High fidelity to original languages
Includes Strong's numbers for precise word study
Consistent lexical choices aid exegesis
Stable, longstanding scholarly text

⚠️ Considerations

Archaic language reduces readability
Older textual basis compared to some modern translations
Strong's numbers are a concordance index, not full lexical definitions

👥 Who is this for?

Ideal for

Pastors and teachers
Seminary students
Serious Bible students
Readers conducting word studies
Those referencing Hebrew/Greek tools

Consider alternatives for

Casual readers
Children and early teens
ESL learners seeking simple English
Readers preferring contemporary language

🔄 Compare with

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Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

Gen 8:17 : 17 Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee of all flesh, both birds, and cattle, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.
Gen 9:1 : 1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
Gen 1:28 : 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 birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Job 42:12 : 12 So Jehovah blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: And he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses.
Ps 107:38 : 38 He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; And he suffereth not their cattle to decrease.
Job 40:15 : 15 Behold now, behemoth, which I made as well as thee; He eateth grass as an ox.
Ps 107:31 : 31 Oh that men would praise Jehovah for his lovingkindness, And for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Gen 30:27 : 27 And Laban said unto him, If now I have found favor in thine eyes, tarry: for I have divined that Jehovah hath blessed me for thy sake.
Gen 30:30 : 30 For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it hath increased unto a multitude; and Jehovah hath blessed thee whithersoever I turned: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?
Gen 35:11 : 11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;
Lev 26:9 : 9 And I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and will establish my covenant with you.
Ps 128:3 : 3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine, In the innermost parts of thy house; Thy children like olive plants, Round about thy table.
Ps 144:13-14 : 13 [ When] our garners are full, affording all manner of store, [And] our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields; 14 [ When] our oxen are well laden; [When there is] no breaking in, and no going forth, And no outcry in our streets:
Prov 10:22 : 22 The blessing of Jehovah, it maketh rich; And he addeth no sorrow therewith.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

Gen 1:23-31
9 verses
89%
23And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
24And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind, cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their kind: and it was so.
25And God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the ground after its kind: and God saw that it was good.
26And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28And 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 birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
29And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food:
30and to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the heavens, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, [I have given] every green herb for food: and it was so.
31And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Gen 1:17-21
5 verses
87%
17And God set them in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth,
18and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
19And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
20And God said, Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
21And God created the great sea-monsters, and every living creature that moveth, wherewith the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 9:1-2
2 verses
86%
1And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
2And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the heavens; with all wherewith the ground teemeth, and all the fishes of the sea, into your hand are they delivered.
Gen 8:17
80%
17Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee of all flesh, both birds, and cattle, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.
Gen 9:7-8
2 verses
79%
7And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.
8And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,
Gen 1:6-12
7 verses
76%
6And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
8And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.
9And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
10And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
11And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, [and] fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so.
12And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:14-15
2 verses
76%
14And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years:
15and let them be for lights in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
Gen 2:19
74%
19And out of the ground Jehovah God formed every beast of the field, and every bird of the heavens; and brought them unto the man to see what he would call them: and whatsoever the man called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
Gen 7:3
73%
3of the birds also of the heavens, seven and seven, male and female, to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.
Gen 7:14
73%
14they, and every beast after its kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort.
Gen 5:2
73%
2male and female created he them, and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
Ps 148:10
72%
10Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying birds;
Ps 8:8
72%
8The birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, Whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
Gen 9:10
72%
10and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that go out of the ark, even every beast of the earth.
Gen 6:19-20
2 verses
72%
19And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
20Of the birds after their kind, and of the cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.
Gen 1:1-3
3 verses
72%
1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Gen 8:19
71%
19every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, whatsoever moveth upon the earth, after their families, went forth out of the ark.
Gen 28:3
71%
3And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a company of peoples;
Gen 8:15
71%
15And God spake unto Noah, saying,
Deut 4:17
71%
17the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flieth in the heavens,
Heb 6:14
71%
14saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
Exod 1:7
71%
7And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
Gen 2:4
71%
4These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Jehovah God made earth and heaven.