Genesis 9:2
What does Genesis 9:2 mean?
A plain-English look at Genesis 9:2 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Genesis 9:2 means
God explains that animals will now fear humanity, a distinct change from the pre-Flood world. This newly established dominion means animals will be delivered into human hands, indicating an authority and control that wasn't explicitly stated before. This fear acts as a natural deterrent, allowing humanity to manage and utilize the animal kingdom without being overwhelmed by it. It underscores humanity's unique position in creation, granted by God, to oversee and interact with all living creatures on earth, recognizing their subordinate role to humankind.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And 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.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And 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.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And the fear of you will be strong in every beast of the earth and every bird of the air; everything which goes on the land, and all the fishes of the sea, are given into your hands.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and your fear and your dread is on every beast of the earth, and on every fowl of the heavens, on all that creepeth on the ground, and on all fishes of the sea--into your hand they have been given.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And let the fear and dread of you be upon all the beasts of the earth, and upon all the fowls of the air, and all that move upon the earth: all the fishes of the sea are delivered into your hand.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And let the fear of you and the dread of you be upon every animal of the earth, and upon all fowl of the heavens: upon all that moveth [on] the ground; and upon all the fishes of the sea: into your hand are they delivered.
Context
Following the blessing and the command to multiply in verse 1, this verse details a specific aspect of humanity's renewed relationship with the created order. It immediately precedes God's permission to eat meat, setting the stage for a dietary change. This shift in the human-animal dynamic explains *how* humanity will exercise its dominion over animals, providing the rationale for the subsequent allowance of animal consumption.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- 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 birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
- Hosea 2:18
And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the birds of the heavens, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the land, and will make them to lie down safely.
- Psalms 104:20
Thou makest darkness, and it is night, Wherein all the beasts of the forest creep forth.
- Genesis 35:5
And they journeyed: and a terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
- Psalms 8:4
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?
- Leviticus 26:22
And I will send the beast of the field among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your ways shall become desolate.
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