Overpopulation or Be Fruitful and Multiply

When Genesis 1:28 has been read it has often been interpreted as a command to humans to have large families. In doing so the interpreter seems to be neglecting the importance of the yo'mer of God as being the creative force in this myth. God does not command (y'tzav) the humans but rather speaks (yo'mer) an order into them for being able to have sexual reproduction. We can see that this ability to have sexual reproduction is in fact unique in the ordering of creation and a blessing given to sexual creatures. God only "blesses" the creatures that God has ordered to have the capacity of sexual relations (Genesis 1:22 (of birds, sea monsters, and possibly all creeping things); Genesis 1:28). In other words, "making babies" is a blessing not a commandment. Further evidence of the ability to have children as being a blessing of God is seen throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. The opposite is true as well. Being barren was seen as a curse from God (Genesis 16:2; 20:18; 1 Samuel 1:5; Isaiah 49:21). So to the mind of P having children was a gift bestowed upon humans rather than a stricture or commandment.

The verse goes on to tell humans to multiply and fill the earth, but this use of the blessing from God is given a purpose. God tells humans to increase in number so that they might kavash the earth (ha'aretz) and radah the fish, birds, and animals. The word kabash is often translated as "to subdue." This translation leaves much of the nuance of the word to be found wanting. It seems strange to our modern western sensibilities of power but kavash has a sense of 'bringing something into bondage, (Jeremiah 34:11)' 'treading down, (Micah 7:19)' or 'beating or making a path.' The noun form of the root is kevesh and is translated as 'footstool.' This helps in selecting a proper nuanced translation for the term as having something to do with making a path or 'treading down' a path. Now, if we imagine the landscape of the Israeli countryside we can begin to see how this word kavash might have been understood. God has just finished creating all of these plants and trees and wild things. Bestowing upon humanity the likeness and image of God (Genesis 1:27), God had a plan to allow humanity to participate in the creative process. This was not going to be limited to the procreation but included an ability to kavash. If we recall from the first several verses of the story the way God subdued the chaos of the primordial deep waters was to bring harmony of order. So too, humans were to bring harmony and order by clearing a way (treading down a path) in the world. Humans were to work with God in the continuing process of keeping back the chaos of the chaotic waters.

The verb radah is often translated as 'to rule.' This verb definitely connotes a sense of "ruling" "over" something but not in the tyrannical way in which one might imagine in our modern power hungry society. For Israel, the rule of the king was to be beneficial and a source of knowledge. In Deuteronomy 17:14-20 the king has a singular role to copy the law. This would have been a means of teaching by example for the people of Israel. As such, this would have been the understanding associated with "the ruling" of birds, fish, and beasts; limited power. Furthermore, Isaiah 11:1-9 describes in greater detail the ideal example that the ruler or the king is to set for the king's people. The ruler was to be kind, beneficial, and providing justice to the oppressed. For our modern ears, a better translation of radah would be "to care" instead of "to rule."

With our enlightened understanding of the Hebrew text, we can clearly see that this text in no way commands humanity to procreate uncontrollably but rather explains the blessing that sexual intercourse is and with it the responsibility to be good care-takers and harmonious orders of creation as we populate the earth. The world's population is approximately 6.6 billion people. To continue on our path of over-populating the earth would be to deny the provisions for the blessing of sexual reproduction given to us. As such we have moved from caretakers to ravenous usurpers and abusers of creation. With over-population we bring chaos to the resources of the world and deplete them. There are many ways in which over-population can be curbed and all of them would be required (including condoms, birth control, and/or homosexuality) by this text if we were to adhere to the conditions of creating harmonious order and caring for creation.

1. Nahum M. Sarna, The JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis, (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 1989), 6.