Exodus 1:7

7 But the Israelites were fruitful, increased rapidly,^[a] multiplied, and became extremely numerous so that the land was filled with them.

Exodus 1:7 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 1:7

And the children of Israel were fruitful
In their offspring; became like fruitful trees, as the word signifies:

and increased abundantly;
like creeping things, or rather like fishes, which increase very much, see ( Genesis 1:20 )

and multiplied;
became very numerous, whereby the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were fulfilled:

and waxed exceeding mighty;
were hale, and strong, of good constitutions, able bodied men, and so more dreaded by the Egyptians: a heap of words is here used to express the vast increase of the people of Israel in Egypt:

and the land was filled with them;
not the whole land of Egypt, but the land of Goshen: at first they were seated in a village in that country, but now they were spread throughout the towns and cities in it.

Exodus 1:7 In-Context

5 The total number of Jacob's descendants was 70; Joseph was already in Egypt.

6 Then Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died.

7 But the Israelites were fruitful, increased rapidly, multiplied, and became extremely numerous so that the land was filled with them.

8 A new king, who had not known Joseph, came to power in Egypt.

9 He said to his people, "Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and powerful than we are.

Footnotes

• [a] Gn 9:7