Misinterpretations of Genesis 1:28 often twist 'replenish the earth' to imply a prior human population that needed repopulating, though the Hebrew term simply means 'fill,' not refill; others abuse 'subdue' and 'dominion' to justify environmental exploitation or unchecked population growth, ignoring the context of careful stewardship within God's benevolent design, while some reduce it to mere endorsement of procreation without acknowledging the broader mandate for wise governance over creation.
Genesis 1:28
King James Version (1769)
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 fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Genesis 1:28 records God's inaugural blessing upon humanity, commissioning Adam and Eve to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue it, and exercise dominion over every living creature, establishing humankind's foundational role as stewards of creation with the responsibility to cultivate, protect, and govern the natural world under divine authority, reflecting God's image and purpose for flourishing life in harmonious relationship with Him and the environment.