Genesis 17:6 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
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.
Genesis 17:6 nkjv
I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.
Genesis 17:6 niv
I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.
Genesis 17:6 esv
I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.
Genesis 17:6 nlt
I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!
Genesis 17 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1:28 | God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply..." | Command to all mankind for procreation |
| Gen 12:2 | "I will make of thee a great nation..." | Initial promise of nationhood |
| Gen 13:16 | "I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number..." | Seed beyond counting (innumerable) |
| Gen 15:5 | "Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them..." | Seed likened to stars, multitude |
| Gen 17:5 | "for a father of many nations have I made thee." | Abraham's name change reflecting promise |
| Gen 17:16 | "I will bless her and give thee a son also of her... she shall be a mother of nations..." | Sarah also blessed to be fruitful with nations |
| Gen 22:17 | "That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars..." | Oath-bound multiplication and blessing |
| Gen 25:13, 16 | "...princes of their nations." (Ishmael) | Fulfillment of nations from Ishmael |
| Gen 28:3 | "God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people." | Isaac blessing Jacob with similar promise |
| Gen 35:11 | "And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins..." | God repeats promise to Jacob (Israel) |
| Gen 46:3 | "I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation..." | God ensures Israel's growth in Egypt |
| Ex 1:7 | "And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty..." | Early fulfillment of fruitfulness |
| Deut 7:13-14 | "He will also bless the fruit of thy womb..." | God's blessing ensures fruitfulness |
| 2 Sam 7:12-16 | "I will set up thy seed after thee... establish his kingdom... Thy house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever..." | Promise of Davidic lineage and perpetual kingship |
| Ps 2:6-8 | "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion... I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance..." | Messianic king reigning over nations |
| Ps 89:3-4 | "I have made a covenant with my chosen... Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations." | God's faithfulness to Davidic covenant |
| Isa 9:6-7 | "For unto us a child is born... upon the throne of David... with judgment and with justice for ever." | Prophecy of Messiah, eternal King of Kings |
| Jer 23:5 | "I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper..." | Messianic King from David's line |
| Rom 4:17-18 | "(as it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,)" | Abraham as father of believers (spiritual) |
| Gal 3:7 | "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." | Spiritual seed of Abraham (faith) |
| Heb 11:12 | "Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude..." | Affirmation of supernatural fruitfulness |
| Rev 19:16 | "And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." | Ultimate fulfillment in Christ's kingship |
| Rev 7:9 | "a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues..." | Countless multitude of believers from all nations |
Genesis 17 verses
Genesis 17 6 meaning
God's reaffirmation of His covenant with Abram (now Abraham), explicitly promising him immense fruitfulness in progeny. This fruitfulness would not only lead to the formation of multiple physical nations, but also to royal descendants, signaling the establishment of diverse peoples and lineages of leadership emanating from him, all by divine enablement.
Genesis 17 6 Context
Genesis chapter 17 marks a pivotal moment in the Abrahamic covenant. Coming thirteen years after the birth of Ishmael, a period of silence, God appears to Abraham (then 99 years old), revealing Himself as El Shaddai, God Almighty. The immediate context of verse 6 is God's unilateral declaration of Abraham's destiny after commanding circumcision as the sign of the covenant. This covenant transcends mere personal blessing; it extends to his descendants and global implications. Historically, ancient Near Eastern cultures greatly valued fertility and lineage. This promise directly counters the natural limitations of Abraham and Sarah's advanced age, highlighting God's sovereign power to accomplish His word despite human impossibility. It also lays groundwork for understanding Israel's identity and future, along with the broader redemptive plan for all humanity.
Genesis 17 6 Word analysis
"And I will make thee": The Hebrew verb is "וְהִפְרֵיתִ֨י" (v'hiphreiti), a Hiphil imperfect of the root "פָּרָה" (parah), meaning "to be fruitful." The Hiphil stem indicates a causative action: "I will cause you to be fruitful" or "I will make you fruitful." This emphasizes that God is the active agent in bringing about this fruitfulness, not Abraham's own efforts or natural capacity.
"exceeding": The Hebrew phrase "מְאֹד מְאֹד" (me'od me'od) literally means "very very" or "exceedingly exceedingly." This emphatic repetition intensifies the promise, signifying an extraordinary, boundless, or super-abundant degree of fruitfulness that goes beyond normal human expectations or natural reproduction. It's a divine declaration of hyper-fertility.
"fruitful": The noun derived from "parah" (פָּרָה) implies numerical increase, prosperity, and spreading. In this context, it speaks primarily of progeny – countless descendants. This echoes the very first divine command to humanity in Genesis 1:28, establishing a foundational blessing upon Abraham and his seed.
"and I will make nations of thee": The Hebrew word for "nations" is "גּוֹיִם" (goyim). While it often refers to ethnic groups or gentile nations, here it signifies multiple distinct peoples or communities arising from Abraham's lineage. This includes not only the nation of Israel through Isaac and Jacob but also other nations like the Ishmaelites and Edomites (Gen 25:13-16, Gen 36:1-19), underscoring the vastness and diversity of his future progeny. It hints at the universal scope of the Abrahamic covenant.
"and kings shall come out of thee": The Hebrew for "kings" is "מְלָכִים" (melachim). This is a specific and profound promise of royal lineage and authority emanating from Abraham. This looks forward to the establishment of the Israelite monarchy (e.g., the Davidic line) but also to royalty among other nations descended from Abraham. Ultimately, this promise culminates in the Messianic King, Jesus Christ, who is the King of kings, embodying the ultimate fulfillment of divine rule and sovereignty promised through Abraham's seed.
"And I will make thee exceeding fruitful": This phrase encapsulates divine agency and supernatural enablement. It directly contrasts with Abraham and Sarah's advanced age and Sarah's barrenness (Gen 18:11), highlighting that God’s power transcends all human limitations and biological realities to fulfill His promises.
"nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee": This coupling emphasizes both demographic expansion and socio-political preeminence. It describes not just numerous people but structured, governed entities. This prophecy underlines Abraham's seminal role in the history of nations and particularly in the divine plan for human governance, ultimately pointing to the kingdom of God on earth.
Genesis 17 6 Bonus section
The Abrahamic covenant, reiterated and expanded in Gen 17:6, is an unconditional covenant. Its fulfillment depends solely on God's power and faithfulness, not on human performance or obedience, though obedience is the proper response to such a covenant. This divine unilateralism distinguishes it from bilateral covenants common in the ancient Near East, where both parties had obligations. Furthermore, the promise of "nations" (goyim) and "kings" not only prefigures the physical lineages but also points toward a spiritual dimension where Abraham becomes the "father of many nations" (Rom 4:17) through faith, comprising believers from all tribes and tongues who acknowledge God's universal dominion and the kingship of Christ. The progression from an individual to numerous nations, and then to rulers, highlights the cascading nature of God's blessing, influencing increasing spheres of existence from personal to global, culminating in God's universal rule through His Messiah.
Genesis 17 6 Commentary
Genesis 17:6 is a foundational statement within the Abrahamic covenant, underscoring the divine certainty of God's promise. The explicit use of "El Shaddai" (God Almighty) in the preceding verse (17:1) contextualizes this promise, emphasizing God's omnipotence to bring about what He declares, despite seemingly impossible circumstances. The repeated "I will make" (Hebrew: v'hiphreiti... v'natati) signifies God's absolute initiative and power. The promise of "exceeding fruitfulness" is a hyperbole to convey immense, unimaginable increase, ensuring not just offspring but a vast and thriving progeny that would form distinct nations. The inclusion of "kings" foreshadows a political and spiritual destiny of influence and rule, pointing toward both the literal monarchies arising from Abraham's descendants (e.g., Israelite kings like David) and ultimately the kingship of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who reigns over all nations (Rev 19:16). This verse solidifies the scope of the covenant: it is universal in its reach (father of many nations) and sovereign in its implementation, confirming that Abraham's blessing extends beyond one tribe to affect all humanity. It teaches God's faithfulness, His power to reverse barrenness (both physical and spiritual), and His long-term plan to establish His rule through a chosen lineage.