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

5The souls that came out of the line of Jacob numbered 70 in all, while Joseph was already in Egypt. 6Then Joseph died, as did all his brothers and all that generation. Yet Bnei-Yisrael were fruitful, increased abundantly, multiplied and grew extremely numerous—so the land was filled with them. 8Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9He said to his people, “Look, the people of Bnei-Yisrael are too numerous and too powerful for 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 12:37Then Bnei-Yisrael journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about 600,000 men on foot, as well as children.
• Genesis 1:20Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures! Let flying creatures fly above the land across the expanse of the sky.”
• Genesis 9:1God blessed Noah and his sons, and He said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the land.
• Genesis 12:2My heart’s desire is to make you into a great nation, to bless you, to make your name great so that you may be a blessing.
• Genesis 13:16I will make your seed like the dust of the earth so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your seed could also be counted.
• Genesis 15:5He took him outside and said, “Look up now, at the sky, and count the stars—if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “So shall your seed be.”
• Genesis 17:4“For My part, because My covenant is with you, you will be the father of a multitude of nations.
• Genesis 22:17I will richly bless you and bountifully multiply your seed like the stars of heaven, and like the sand that is on the seashore, and your seed will possess the gate of his enemies.
• Genesis 26:4I will multiply your seed like the stars of the sky and I will give your seed all these lands. And in your seed all the nations of the earth will continually be blessed,
• Genesis 28:3Now may El Shaddai bless you, and make you fruitful and multiply you so that you will become an assembly of peoples.
• Genesis 35:11God also said to him: “I am El Shaddai. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and an assembly of nations will come from you. From your loins will come forth kings.
• Genesis 46:3“I am God, the God of your father,” He said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will turn you into a great nation there.
• Genesis 47:27Meanwhile, Israel settled in the land of Egypt in the land of Goshen, acquired property in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly.
• Genesis 48:4He said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and multiply you and turn you into an assembly of peoples, and I will give this land to your seed after you as an everlasting possession.’
• Deuteronomy 10:22Your fathers went down to Egypt with 70 persons, and now Adonai your God has made you like the stars of the heavens in number.
• Deuteronomy 26:5“Then you are to respond before Adonai your God, ‘My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt and lived there as an outsider, few in number. But there he became a great nation—mighty and numerous.

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