Exodus 1:7

Exodus 1:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
• New International Version (NIV)but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.

Context of Exodus 1:7

5All the descendants of Jacob were seventy people; Joseph was [already] in Egypt. 6Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation, but the Israelites were prolific and increased greatly; they multiplied and became extremely strong, so that the land was filled with them. 8Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph [nor the history of his accomplishments]. 9He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are too many and too mighty for us [they greatly outnumber us].

Exodus 1:7 word by word

וּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל פָּר֧וּ וַֽיִּשְׁרְצ֛וּ וַיִּרְבּ֥וּ וַיַּֽעַצְמ֖וּ בִּמְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֑ד וַתִּמָּלֵ֥א הָאָ֖רֶץ אֹתָֽם׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• were fruitfulפָּרָהpârâh · be fruitfulH6509
• and increased abundantlyשָׁרַץshârats · to swarmH8317
• and multipliedרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
• and waxed exceedingמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
• mightyעָצֹם‛âtsam · be vastH6105
• and the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• was filledמָלֵאmâlê' mâlâ' · to fillH4390

Cross-references for Exodus 1:7

• Exodus 12:37Now the Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides [the women and] the children.
• Genesis 1:20Then God said, “Let the waters swarm and abundantly produce living creatures, and let birds soar above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.”
• Genesis 9:1And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.
• Genesis 12:2And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you [abundantly], And make your name great (exalted, distinguished); And you shall be a blessing [a source of great good to others];
• Genesis 13:16I will make your descendants [as numerous] as the dust of the earth, so that if a man could count the [grains of] dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be counted.
• Genesis 15:5And the Lord brought Abram outside [his tent into the night] and said, “Look now toward the heavens and count the stars—if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “So [numerous] shall your descendants be.”
• Genesis 17:4“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And [as a result] you shall be the father of many nations.
• Genesis 22:17indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies [by conquering them].
• Genesis 26:4I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of the heavens, and will give to your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth be blessed,
• Genesis 28:3May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, so that you may become a [great] company of peoples.
• Genesis 35:11And God said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall be born of your loins.
• Genesis 46:3And He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you (your descendants) a great nation there.
• Genesis 47:27Now [the people of] Israel lived in the country of Egypt, in [the land of] Goshen, and they gained possessions and acquired property there and were fruitful and multiplied greatly.
• Genesis 48:4and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a great company of people, and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’
• Deuteronomy 10:22Your fathers went down to Egypt, seventy persons [in all], and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.
• Deuteronomy 26:5And you shall say before the Lord your God, ‘My father [Jacob] was a wandering Aramean, and he [along with his family] went down to Egypt and lived there [as strangers], few in number; but while there he became a great, mighty and populous nation.

Commentaries on Exodus 1:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7The children of Israel were fruitful - פרו paru, a general term, signifying that they were like healthy trees, bringing forth an abundance of fruit. And increased - ישרץ yishretsu, they increased like fishes, as the original word implies. See Genesis 1:20; (note), and the note there. Abundantly - ירבו yirbu, they multiplied; this is a separate term, and should not have been used as an adverb by our translators. And waxed exceeding mighty - מאד במאד ויעצמו…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7In no province does the population increase so rapidly as in that which was occupied by the Israelites. See the note at Genesis 47:6. At present it has more flocks and herds than any province in Egypt, and more fishermen, though many villages are deserted. Until the accession of the new king, the relations between the Egyptians and the Israelites were undoubtedly friendly. The expressions used in this verse imply the lapse of a considerable period after…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6-7Jacob’s family stayed in Egypt for a long time as part of God's plan. God told Abraham that his descendants would not receive the land of Canaan for 400 years, until the Canaanites' sins were complete (Genesis 15:13–16). Even in Egypt, God's promises were working. The descendants of the elderly Abraham and barren Sarah multiplied … exceedingly, just as God had said (Genesis 15:5). This was because God blessed them (Psalm 105:24).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. children of Israel were fruitful--They were living in a land where, according to the testimony of an ancient author, mothers produced three and four sometimes at a birth; and a modern writer declares "the females in Egypt, as well among the human race as among animals, surpass all others in fruitfulness." To this natural circumstance must be added the fulfilment of the promise made to Abraham.Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 1:7

• Israel

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Children of Israel
• Arise
• Bitter
• Exodus
• Hard
• Hebrew
• Moses

Commentaries on Exodus 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings