King James Bible
"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 fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."
God's blessing precedes His commands, establishing that what follows flows from divine favor rather than burden. This blessing connects humanity directly to God's creative authority, marking humans as uniquely commissioned among all creation. The first mandate calls humans to fill the earth through procreation, extending the creative work God began. This command establishes family and community as fundamental to human purpose, with "replenish" suggesting both numerical growth and geographic expansion. Subduing implies bringing order to creation, cultivating and developing the earth's potential for human flourishing. This is not destructive domination but productive stewardship, transforming raw creation into organized civilization. Humans receive authority over all animal life across every domain—sea, sky, and land—establishing them as God's representatives on earth. This comprehensive dominion implies responsible governance rather than exploitation, as humans rule under God's ultimate sovereignty.