Genesis 17:20
in Genesis 17As for Ishmael, I have heard you, and I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He will become the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
KJV
And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
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This verse in Genesis 17
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThis is the fruit of the blessing, as that, ch. i. (2.) They shall be considerable: Twelve princes shall he beget. We may charitably hope that spiritual blessings also were bestowed upon him, though the visible church was not brought out of his loins and the covenant was not lodged in his family.
This site's exposition
you are to name him Isaac
on Genesis 17:19-20
God answers both prayers, and the covenant goes to one of the two sons. God will bless Ishmael and make him into a great nation of twelve rulers. The twelve match the twelve tribes that come from the younger son. Sarah's son carries the name Isaac before he is conceived.
This site's exposition
He will become the father of twelve rulers
Adam Clarke traces the Arab tribes to Ishmael and points to the twelve names at 25:12 to 16. Matthew Henry hopes that spiritual blessings reached Ishmael as well, though the covenant was lodged elsewhere. God's answer echoes the name Ishmael, God hears.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
If Abraham, in his prayer for Ishmael, meant that he would have the covenant made with him, and the promised seed to come from him, then God did not answer him in the letter, but in that which was equivalent, nay, which was every way better. (1.) God repeats to him the promise of a son by Sarah: She shall bear thee a son indeed.
And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee, &c.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Twelve princes shall he beget, etc. - See the names of these twelve princes, Gen 25:12-16. From Ishmael proceeded the various tribes of the Arabs, called also Saracens by Christian writers. They were anciently, and still continue to be, a very numerous and powerful people. “It was somewhat wonderful, and not to be foreseen by human sagacity,” says Bishop Newton, “that a man’s whole posterity should so nearly resemble him, and retain the same inclinations, the same habits, and the same customs, throughout all ages!
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּֽלְיִשְׁמָעֵ֘אל | uleyishmael | and to Ishmael | H3458 → | 48 times |
| שְׁמַעְתִּיךָ֒ | shema'tikha | I have heard you | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| הִנֵּ֣ה׀ | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| בֵּרַ֣כְתִּי | berakhti | I will bless | H1288 → | 330 times |
| אֹת֗וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וְהִפְרֵיתִ֥י | vehifreiti | and I will make fruitful | H6509 → | 29 times |
| אֹת֛וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֥י | vehirbeiti | and I will multiply | H7235 → | 227 times |
| אֹת֖וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בִּמְאֹ֣ד | bimod | with muchness | H3966 → | 300 times |
| מְאֹ֑ד | meod | muchness | H3966 → | 300 times |
| שְׁנֵים־ | sheneim- | two [plus] | H8147 → | 768 times |
| עָשָׂ֤ר | ʾasar | ten | H6240 → | 338 times |
| נְשִׂיאִם֙ | nesiim | princes | H5387 → | 134 times |
| יוֹלִ֔יד | yolid | he will father | H3205 → | 496 times |
| וּנְתַתִּ֖יו | unetativ | and I will make him | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לְג֥וֹי | legoy | into a nation | H1471 → | 561 times |
| גָּדֽוֹל׃ | gadol | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
וּֽלְיִשְׁמָעֵ֘אלand to Ishmael
uleyishmaelH3458 →48 times
שְׁמַעְתִּיךָ֒I have heard you
shema'tikhaH8085 →1159 times
הִנֵּ֣ה׀here!
hinehH2009 →843 times
בֵּרַ֣כְתִּיI will bless
berakhtiH1288 →330 times
אֹת֗וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
וְהִפְרֵיתִ֥יand I will make fruitful
vehifreitiH6509 →29 times
אֹת֛וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֥יand I will multiply
vehirbeitiH7235 →227 times
אֹת֖וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
בִּמְאֹ֣דwith muchness
bimodH3966 →300 times
מְאֹ֑דmuchness
meodH3966 →300 times
שְׁנֵים־two [plus]
sheneim-H8147 →768 times
עָשָׂ֤רten
ʾasarH6240 →338 times
נְשִׂיאִם֙princes
nesiimH5387 →134 times
יוֹלִ֔ידhe will father
yolidH3205 →496 times
וּנְתַתִּ֖יוand I will make him
unetativH5414 →2011 times
לְג֥וֹיinto a nation
legoyH1471 →561 times
גָּדֽוֹל׃great
gadolH1419 →526 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 21:13But I will also make a nation of the slave woman’s son, because he is your offspring.”
it leads to
- Genesis 16:10
Then the angel added, “I will greatly multiply your offspring so that they will be too numerous to count.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 25:12–18
This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 21:18
Get up, lift up the boy, and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”
- Genesis 16:10
Through
Genesis 21:18Get up, lift up the boy, and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”
it leads to
- Genesis 21:13
But I will also make a nation of the slave woman’s son, because he is your offspring.”
- 1 Chronicles 1:29–31
These are their genealogies:
- Genesis 21:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies6
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.