Be fruitful and multiply

"Adam and Eve" by Ephraim Moshe Lilien, 1923

In Judaism, Christianity, and some other Abrahamic religions, the commandment to "be fruitful and multiply" (referred to as the "creation mandate" in some denominations of Christianity) is the divine injunction which forms part of Genesis 1:28, in which God, after having created the world and all in it, ascribes to humankind the tasks of filling, subduing, and ruling over the earth.[1][2] The cultural mandate includes the sentence "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the Earth."

The text finds an immediate interpretation in the opening chapter of the book of Exodus as the description of the Israelites in Egypt are alluded to as, "fruitful, increased greatly, multiplied, and extremely strong, so that the land was filled with them."[3]

In Orthodox Judaism, the mandate to "be fruitful and multiply" is interpreted as requiring every couple to have at least a son and a daughter.[4] Other Jewish groups (such as Reform Judaism) and individual Jews have interpreted this mandate differently. For example, Richard Friedman in his Commentary on the Torah (2001) claims that the mandate "be fruitful and multiply and fill the Earth" has "been fulfilled."[5] The mandate is elaborated upon in numerous parts of the Talmud, for example in Kidushin.

In the interpretation of some denominations of Christianity, adherents should actively work to fulfill the mandate.[2] Within Christianity in general, the cultural mandate is most elaborately developed in the West by Neo-Calvinism, which explores the implications for modern, pluralistic society, of this Calvinistic assertion.

Despite "be fruitful and multiply" being the most important mitzvah, contraception is permitted in Judaism in appropriate circumstances such as difficult family situations. In instances like these, rabbis may allow women to start contraceptive methods.[6]

  1. ^ Mare, H.W., 1973. The Cultural Mandate and the New Testament Gospel Imperative. Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 16, pp. 139–147.
  2. ^ a b Wagner, C. Peter (1998). Church Growth and the Whole Gospel: A Biblical Mandate. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 12. ISBN 978-1-57910-201-2.
  3. ^ intertextual.bible/text/genesis-1.28-exodus-1.7
  4. ^ Talmud, b. Yevamot 61b
  5. ^ Friedman, Richard (2001). Commentary on the Torah. Harper.
  6. ^ Isaacs, Ronald H. "Does Judaism Allow Birth Control?". My Jewish Learning. 70/Faces Media. Retrieved 25 May 2023.