King James Version

Genesis 17:20

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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Hebrew

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וּֽלְיִשְׁמָעֵ֘אלuleyishmaeland to Ishmaelיִשְׁמָעֵאלconjunction, preposition, noun, proper name — “and to Ishmael”H3458Jishmael, the name of Abraham's oldest son, and of five IsraelitesIshmael.שְׁמַעְתִּיךָ֒shematikhahearשָׁמַעverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “hear”, a completed actionH8085to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)[idiom] attentively, call (gather) together, [idiom] carefully, [idiom] certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, [idiom] diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), [idiom] indeed, listen, make (a) n…הִנֵּ֣הhinehloהִנֵּהparticle, demonstrative — “lo”H2009lo!behold, lo, see.בֵּרַ֣כְתִּיberakhtiblessבָרַךְverb, piel, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “bless”, a completed actionH1288to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason)[idiom] abundantly, [idiom] altogether, [idiom] at all, blaspheme, bless, congratulate, curse, [idiom] greatly, [idiom] indeed, kneel (down), praise, salute, [idiom] still, thank.אֹת֗וֹotvoobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).וְהִפְרֵיתִ֥יvehifreytiand bearפָּרָהconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “and bear”, a completed action in a sequenceH6509to bear fruit (literally or figuratively)bear, bring forth (fruit), (be, cause to be, make) fruitful, grow, increase.אֹת֛וֹotvoobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֥יvehirbeytiand increaseרָבָהconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “and increase”, a completed action in a sequenceH7235to increase (in whatever respect)(bring in) abundance ([idiom] -antly), [phrase] archer (by mistake for H7232 (רָבַב)), be in authority, bring up, [idiom] continue, enlarge, excel, exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly, [idiom] -ness), grow up, heap, incre…אֹת֖וֹotvoobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).בִּמְאֹ֣דbimodin especiallyמְאֹדpreposition, adverb — “in especially”H3966properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated)diligently, especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast, good, great(-ly), [idiom] louder and louder, might(-ily, -y), (so) much, quickly, (so) sore, utterly, very ([phrase] much, sore), well.מְאֹ֑דmeodespeciallyמְאֹדadverb — “especially”H3966properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated)diligently, especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast, good, great(-ly), [idiom] louder and louder, might(-ily, -y), (so) much, quickly, (so) sore, utterly, very ([phrase] much, sore), well.שְׁנֵיםsheneymtwoשְׁנַיִםadjective, cardinal, masculine, dual, absolute — “two”, the ordinary formH8147two; also (as ordinal) twofoldboth, couple, double, second, twain, [phrase] twelfth, [phrase] twelve, [phrase] twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.עָשָׂ֤רasarteenעָשָׂרadjective, cardinal, masculine, singular, absolute — “teen”, the ordinary formH6240ten (only in combination), i.e. -teen; also (ordinal) -teenth(eigh-, fif-, four-, nine-, seven-, six-, thir-) teen(-th), [phrase] eleven(-th), [phrase] sixscore thousand, [phrase] twelve(-th).נְשִׂיאִם֙nesiimcaptainנָשִׂיאnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “captain”, the ordinary formH5387properly, an exalted one, i.e. a king or sheik; also a rising mistcaptain, chief, cloud, governor, prince, ruler, vapour.יוֹלִ֔ידyolidbearיָלַדverb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “bear”, an unfinished actionH3205to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineagebear, beget, birth(-day), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (wom…וּנְתַתִּ֖יוunetativand giveנָתַןconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 1st person, common, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and give”, a completed action in a sequenceH5414to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] wi…לְג֥וֹיlegoyto Gentileגּוֹיpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “to Gentile”, the ordinary formH1471a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locustsGentile, heathen, nation, people.גָּדֽוֹלgadolgreatגָּדוֹלadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “great”, the ordinary formH1419great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent[phrase] aloud, elder(-est), [phrase] exceeding(-ly), [phrase] far, (man of) great (man, matter, thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble, proud thing, [idiom] sore, ([idiom]) very.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

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.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Young’s Literal Translation

As to Ishmael, I have heard thee; lo, I have blessed him, and made him fruitful, and multiplied him, very exceedingly; twelve princes doth he beget, and I have made him become a great nation;

World English Bible

As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.

Darby Translation

And for Ishmael I have heard thee: behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful, and will very greatly multiply him; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

Douay-Rheims

And as for Ismael I have also heard thee. Behold, I will bless him, and increase, and multiply him exceedingly: he shall beget twelve chiefs, and I will make him a great nation.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

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.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And concerning Ismael, behold, I have heard thee, and, behold, I have blessed him, and will increase him and multiply him exceedingly; twelve nations shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Περὶ δὲ Ἰσμαὴλ ἰδοὺ ἐπήκουσά σου· καὶ ἰδοὺ εὐλόγηκα αὐτὸν, καὶ αὐξανῶ αὐτὸν, καὶ πληθυνῶ αὐτὸν σφόδρα δώδεκα ἔθνη γεννήσει, καὶ δώσω αὐτὸν εἰς ἔθνος μέγα.