The Meaning of Genesis 17:6 Explained

Genesis 17:6

KJV: And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

YLT: and I have made thee exceeding fruitful, and made thee become nations, and kings go out from thee.

Darby: And I will make thee exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

ASV: And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I will make  thee exceeding  fruitful,  and I will make  nations  of thee, and kings  shall come out  of thee. 

What does Genesis 17:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 17:1-14 - God's Covenant With Abraham
At least thirteen years had passed since the promise of Isaac was first made. Years of sorrow and discipline, but God had not forgotten. Always under such circumstances the Eternal voice bids us to walk before him and be perfect. Our surrender must be complete, our obedience absolute, our faith fixed steadfastly on the Promiser. So only can God fulfill His covenant, which includes fruitfulness, the salvation of our households, the inheritance and abundance of spiritual reproductiveness. These promises were made to Abram, being yet uncircumcised, when he was yet a Gentile, proving that they were irrespective of any mere Hebrew interpretation. See Romans 4:11. But the rite was the sign and seal of the national covenant with the Hebrew race. Spiritually it stands for the separation of the believer; and though the rite passed away with Judaism, its spiritual significance is permanent, see Colossians 2:11. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 17

1  God renews the covenant with Abram,
5  and changes his name to Abraham, in token of a greater blessing
9  Circumcision is instituted
15  Sarai's name is changed to Sarah, and she is blessed
17  Isaac is promised, and the time of his birth fixed
23  Abraham and Ishmael are circumcised

What do the individual words in Genesis 17:6 mean?

And I will make fruitful you exceedingly greatly I will make nations [of you] and kings from you shall come out
וְהִפְרֵתִ֤י אֹֽתְךָ֙ בִּמְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֔ד וּנְתַתִּ֖יךָ לְגוֹיִ֑ם וּמְלָכִ֖ים מִמְּךָ֥ יֵצֵֽאוּ

וְהִפְרֵתִ֤י  And  I  will  make  fruitful 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: פָּרָה 
Sense: to bear fruit, be fruitful, branch off.
בִּמְאֹ֣ד  exceedingly 
Parse: Preposition-b, Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.
מְאֹ֔ד  greatly 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.
וּנְתַתִּ֖יךָ  I  will  make 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לְגוֹיִ֑ם  nations  [of  you] 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
וּמְלָכִ֖ים  and  kings 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
מִמְּךָ֥  from  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
יֵצֵֽאוּ  shall  come  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.