Blessing, food, and blood (Genesis 9:1–7)

Says וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת־נֹחַ וְאֶת־בָּנָיו, and God blessed Noah and his sons, and said פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (9:1). In 9:2 וּמוֹרַאֲכֶם וְחִתְּכֶם (mora'akhem vekhittekhem) is the fear of you and the terror of you (the BSB has The fear and dread of you); בְּיֶדְכֶם נִתָּנוּ, into your hand they are given. In 9:3 כָּל־רֶמֶשׂ אֲשֶׁר הוּא־חַי, every moving thing that is alive (the BSB has Everything that lives and moves), shall be food, as the green of plants. In 9:4 אַךְ־בָּשָׂר בְּנַפְשׁוֹ דָמוֹ לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ, only flesh with its life, its blood, you shall not eat (the BSB’s meat with its lifeblood joins the two nouns). In 9:5 one verb, אֶדְרֹשׁ (edrosh, I will require), stands three times, from the hand of each man his brother. In 9:7 the blessing is spoken again, with שִׁרְצוּ בָאָרֶץ, swarm in the earth (the BSB has spread out). Swete’s plus at 9:1 and fill at 9:7 belong in the Greek note.

Implies 9:1, 7 renew the blessing of 1:28: the same three commands, in the same order, after and God blessed. Noah stands where Adam stood only as far as this shared wording goes; subdue and rule are not repeated, and fear takes their place. See the Hebrew note and the xref to 1:28.

Uncertain Whether 9:3 first permits meat or ratifies existing practice is open, as is whether the ban on blood binds readers today. No lean is taken.