| jerusalem bible | (alternative genesis) |
|---|---|
|
God blessed them saying, 'Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters of the seas and let the birds multiply upon the earth'. Evening came and morning came: the fifth day. |
The Shining Ones protected them, saying 'Thrive and become abundant - fill the waters of the reservoir; and let the birds be plentiful on the land'. There was evening and there was morning - a fifth day [stage]. |
The word
is transliterated as beruk, and, in a religious sense,
meant 'blessed'; but the associated 
= rak meant 'the quality of being tender, weak or soft'
- and, alternatively, 'pampered' or 'preserved'. In a secular
context, we feel justified in using the translation 'protected'
or 'preserved'.
The expression
literally meant 'the rainwater in the waters'; this appears
to refer back to verse 20, and should indicate the filling of
the reservoir.
