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.

GENESIS 17:20KJV
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Genesis 17:20 (KJV)

What does Genesis 17:20 mean?

Genesis 17:20 records God’s promise to Abraham that Ishmael, Abraham’s son by Hagar, will be blessed, become fruitful, have many descendants, and father twelve princes, leading to the formation of a great nation. God assures Abraham that Ishmael will receive significant blessings, even though the main covenant will pass through Isaac.

In this verse, God is speaking directly to Abraham, responding to Abraham’s earlier concern for Ishmael’s future. The verse emphasizes that while God’s special covenant will be with Isaac, Ishmael is not forgotten—God will make him fruitful (give him many descendants) and multiply him greatly, with twelve princes (leaders) coming from his line. This sets the stage for the later history of Ishmael’s descendants as an important people group.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 17:20

  • The word “blessed” (בָּרַךְ, barakh) means to bestow favor or goodness. Here, it highlights that God’s kindness and provision extend to Ishmael, not just to Isaac.
  • “Fruitful” (פָּרָה, parah) means to be productive or to have many offspring. God’s promise is not just about numbers but about a lasting legacy.
  • “Multiply” (רָבָה, rabah) and “exceedingly” (מְאֹד מְאֹד, me’od me’od) together stress the overwhelming abundance of Ishmael’s descendants—God is promising not just growth, but extraordinary increase.
  • “Princes” (נָשִׂיא, nasi) refers to tribal leaders or chiefs, showing that Ishmael’s descendants will have structure and prominence, not just numbers.

Why Genesis 17:20 matters

  • Genesis 17:20 clarifies that God’s care and blessing are not limited to the chosen line; Ishmael, though not the child of the covenant, is still given a significant future.
  • The verse explains the origin of the twelve princes, connecting later genealogies and tribal histories back to this promise.
  • This reassurance to Abraham shows God’s attentiveness to personal concerns, even as He works out larger covenant plans.

Where else these words appear

“fruitful” Hebrew H6509 · used in 28 verses

  • Genesis 1:22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
  • Genesis 41:52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.
  • Psalms 128:3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.

“Ishmael” Hebrew H3458 · used in 44 verses

  • Genesis 16:11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
  • 2 Kings 25:23 And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.
  • Jeremiah 41:1 Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and the princes of the king, even ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah.

“princes” Hebrew H5387 · used in 120 verses

  • Genesis 23:6 Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.
  • Numbers 7:60 On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, prince of the children of Benjamin, offered:
  • 2 Chronicles 5:2 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.