Genesis 17:16

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Genesis 17:16 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And I will bless her, and moreover I will give thee a son of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be [a mother of] nations; kings of peoples shall be of her.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And I will bless her, and moreover I will give thee a son of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be [a mother of] nations; kings of peoples shall be of her.
Genesis 17:16 — American Standard Version

Context — Genesis 17

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
16And I will bless her, and moreover I will give thee a son of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be [a mother of] nations; kings of peoples shall be of her.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And I will bless her, etc.] The Targum of Jonathan adds, “in her body”, with fruitfulness, who before was barren, and in her soul with spiritual blessings, and in both with the blessing of eternal life: and give thee a son also of her; as he had given him one of Hagar: God had before promised Abraham a son that should be his heir, but he had not till now told him that he should be born of Sarah his wife: yea, I will bless her; which is repeated for the confirmation of it, and for the greater strengthening Abraham’s faith in it: and she shall be [a mother] of nations; of the twelve tribes of Israel; of the two nations of Israel and Judah; kings of people shall be of her; as David, Solomon,…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“- The Sealing of the Covenant 1. שׁדי shaday, Shaddai, “Irresistible, able to destroy, and by inference to make, Almighty.” שׁדד shādad “be strong, destroy.” This name is found six times in Genesis, and thirty-one times in Job. 5. אברהם 'abrâhām, Abraham, from אברם 'abrām “high-father,” and הם hām the radical part of המין hāmôn a “multitude,” is obtained by a euphonic abbreviation אברהם 'abrâhām, “father of a multitude.” The root רהם rhm is a variation of רום rvm; affording, however, a link of connection in sound and sense with the root המה hāmâh “hum, be tumultuous,” from which comes המון hāmôn a “multitude.” The confluence of the biliterals רם rm and הם hm yields the…”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification