English Standard Version
Exodus 1:7
7But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)But their descendants, the Israelites, had many children and grandchildren. In fact, they multiplied so greatly that they became extremely powerful and filled the land.
Context of Exodus 1:7
5All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them. 8Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9And he said to his people, "Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us.
Read all of Exodus 1Exodus 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 12:37And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children.
- Genesis 1:20And God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the 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 of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
- Genesis 13:16I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.
- Genesis 15:5And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."
- Genesis 17:4"Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.
- Genesis 22:17I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,
- Genesis 26:4I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,
- Genesis 28:3God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a 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 come from your own body.
- Genesis 46:3Then he said, "I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation.
- Genesis 47:27Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly.
- Genesis 48:4and said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.'
- Deuteronomy 10:22Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.
- Deuteronomy 26:5"And you shall make response before the Lord your God, 'A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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Commentaries