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. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.

A Conservative Version

In The King James Version

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.

In Context

19And God said, No, but Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son, and thou shall call his name Isaac. And I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.

21But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to thee at this set time in the next year.

Read all of Genesis 17

Cross References

Genesis 16:10And the agent of LORD said to her, I will greatly multiply thy seed, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

Genesis 21:18Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thy hand, for I will make him a great nation.

Genesis 25:13And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,

Matthew Henry on Genesis 17:16-23

15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. 16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. 17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? 18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Genesis 17:20