Designed for Work, Destined for War, 2

Continued from "Designed for Work, Destined for War"

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it. . . . (Gen 1:28)

The Hebrew word translated subdue in Genesis 1:28 is kabash. The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT) explains this term as follows:

Despite recent interpretations of Gen 1:28 which have tried to make "subdue" mean a responsibility for building up, it is obvious from an overall study of the word's usage that this is not so. kabash assumes that the party being subdued is hostile to the subduer, necessitating some sort of coercion if the subduing is to take place.(Vol. I, p. 430)

The TWOT concludes,

Therefore "subdue" in Gen 1:28 implies that creation will not do man's bidding gladly or easily and that man must now bring creation into submission by main strength. (ibid.)

The Hebrew kabash comes from a root that means "to tread down". The Lutheran expositor Leupold observes that it carries the idea of a conqueror putting his foot on the neck of his foe.

God's use of this word, at the very least, lets man know that Adam would find his work a lot more challenging than a walk in the park. But there's a more sinister warning than hinted at in one word.

Continued in "Designed for Work, Destined for War, 3"