43. Verse 22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas; and let birds be multiplied upon the earth.

Everything that has life in it from the Lord is fruitful and multiplies without limit. This does not happen during a person's lifetime, but in the next life it does so to an astonishing extent. In the Word 'to be fruitful' has reference to matters of love, while 'to multiply' has reference to matters of faith. The fruit of love contains the seed by which it multiplies itself to so great an extent. The Lord' s blessing also means, in the Word, fruitfulness and multiplication, for they are the outcome of that blessing.

Verse 23 And there was evening, and there was morning, a fifth day.

2847. 'I will certainly multiply' means derivations of truth from this affection. This is clear from the use of 'being multiplied' as having reference to truth, here therefore as derivations of truth from that affection, as stated immediately above. As regards 'being fruitful' having reference to good and 'being multiplied' to truth, see 43, 55, 913, 983.