Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.

GENESIS 8:17KJV
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Genesis 8:17 (KJV)

What does Genesis 8:17 mean?

Genesis 8:17 records God instructing Noah to bring out every living creature from the ark—birds, animals, and all creatures that move on the ground—so they can multiply and fill the earth again. This verse marks the moment when life is allowed to spread out and repopulate the world after the flood.

God is speaking directly to Noah after the floodwaters have receded and the ark has come to rest. The command is practical: Noah is to release all the animals he has cared for during the flood, so that life can start anew. The verse emphasizes restoration and a fresh beginning for all living things on earth.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 8:17

  • "thing" (חַי־, ḥay): This word means "living thing" or "creature." It highlights that God’s concern is for all forms of life, not just humans.
  • "breed abundantly" (שָׁרַץ, sharats): This verb means to swarm or teem, often used for creatures that multiply quickly. The sense is not just to survive, but to flourish in great numbers.
  • "be fruitful" (פָּרָה, parah) and "multiply" (רָבָה, rabah): These two verbs together stress both the ability to produce offspring and to increase greatly in number, echoing the blessing given to creatures in Genesis 1.

Why Genesis 8:17 matters

  • Genesis 8:17 shows that God’s care extends to all living creatures, not just people, and that the renewal of the earth after the flood is meant for every kind of life.
  • The verse echoes the language of Genesis 1, connecting the post-flood world to the original creation and showing that God’s purpose for life to fill the earth continues.
  • This command sets the stage for the world’s repopulation, making it clear that the flood was not the end, but a new beginning for creation.

Where else these words appear

“abundantly” Hebrew H8317 · used in 14 verses

  • Genesis 1:20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
  • Exodus 1:7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
  • Leviticus 11:42 Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.

“thing” Hebrew H7431 · used in 17 verses

  • Genesis 1:24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
  • Genesis 7:14 They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.
  • Psalms 104:25 So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.

“creepeth” Hebrew H7430 · used in 17 verses

  • Genesis 1:21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
  • Genesis 7:14 They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.
  • Leviticus 11:46 This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth:

“fruitful” Hebrew H6509 · used in 28 verses

  • Genesis 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.
  • Genesis 41:52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.
  • Psalms 128:3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.