Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 2. The fear of you and the dread, &c.] Prior to the fall, man ruled the inferior animals by love and kindness, for then gentleness and docility were their principal characteristics. After the fall, untractableness, with savage ferocity, prevailed among almost all orders of the brute creation; enmity to man seems particularly to prevail; and had not God in his mercy impressed their minds with the fear and terror of man, so that some submit to his will while others flee from his residence, the human race would long ere this have been totally destroyed by the beasts of the field. Did the horse know his own strength, and the weakness of the miserable wretch who unmercifully rides, drives, whips, goads, and oppresses him, would he not with one stroke of his hoof destroy his tyrant possessor? But while God hides these things from him he impresses his mind with the fear of his owner, so that either by cheerful or sullen submission he is trained up for, and employed in, the most useful and important purposes; and even willingly submits, when tortured for the sport and amusement of his more bruitish oppressor. Tigers, wolves, lions, and hyaenas, the determinate foes of man, incapable of being tamed or domesticated, flee, through the principle of terror, from the dwelling of man, and thus he is providentially safe. Hence, by fear and by dread man rules every beast of the earth, every fowl of the air, and every fish of the sea. How wise and gracious is this order of the Divine providence! and with what thankfulness should it be considered by every human being!
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-3 - The blessing of God is the cause of our doing well. On him we depend to him we should be thankful. Let us not forget the advantage an pleasure we have from the labour of beasts, and which their fles affords. Nor ought we to be less thankful for the security we enjo from the savage and hurtful beasts, through the fear of man which God has fixed deep in them. We see the fulfilment of this promise ever day, and on every side. This grant of the animals for food full warrants the use of them, but not the abuse of them by gluttony, stil less by cruelty. We ought not to pain them needlessly whilst they live nor when we take away their lives.
Original Hebrew ומוראכם4172 וחתכם2844 יהיה1961 על5921 כל3605 חית2416 הארץ776 ועל5921 כל3605 עוף5775 השׁמים8064 בכל3605 אשׁר834 תרמשׂ7430 האדמה127 ובכל3605 דגי1709 הים3220 בידכם3027 נתנו׃5414
