The verse uses a cascade of words to describe their growth – "fruitful," "increased abundantly," "multiplied," and "grew exceedingly strong" – not just to emphasize their numbers, but to reveal God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises to Abraham, turning their arrival in Egypt into a powerful nation. This isn't just natural population growth; it's a divine miracle underscoring God's covenantal power even in seemingly obscure beginnings.
But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them. Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The chapter opens by listing Jacob's descendants who came to Egypt, emphasizing that they were initially a family welcomed into the land. After Joseph and that generation passed away, a new Pharaoh, unaware of Joseph's service, arose and saw the growing Israelite population not as guests but as a potential threat. This led to the Israelites being oppressed with forced labor, yet even in their hardship, they continued to flourish and multiply, filling the land.
How could a family of seventy explode into a nation of millions in just a few centuries? This verse hints at a power far beyond natural human reproduction.
Exodus 1:7 describes an astonishing multiplication of the Israelites. This wasn't just a fortunate population boom; it was the direct fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham, made centuries earlier (Genesis 12:2). Despite the passage of time and changing circumstances, God remained faithful to His word. The text emphasizes this with repeated verbs: 'fruitful,' 'increased,' 'multiplied,' 'grew exceedingly mighty.' This incredible growth underscores that God's promises are not contingent on human effort alone, but on His sovereign power and faithfulness. What seemed impossible by human standards was a reality through divine intervention. From the initial seventy souls who entered Egypt, the nation grew to over 600,000 fighting men in roughly 215 years, a testament to a supernatural blessing.
This verse highlights not just numbers, but a profound vitality. What does this incredible fruitfulness signify in God's plan?
The Israelites' remarkable fertility wasn't accidental. The text uses vivid language, comparing their increase to that of fishes and insects – creatures known for rapid multiplication. This abundance was a sign of God's blessing upon them, even in a foreign land. Commentators note that Egypt itself was a land of plenty, and its women were known for exceptional fruitfulness. However, the Israelites' increase far surpassed the norm. This was a deliberate act of God, ensuring that His chosen people would grow and thrive, setting the stage for His redemptive plan. Their sheer numbers became a source of strength and a sign of God's favor, even as it would later alarm the Egyptians.
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Imagine a land teeming with life, so full that it becomes a prominent feature. What does this fullness represent?
The concluding phrase, 'so that the land was filled with them,' paints a powerful picture. It signifies not just a large population, but a people taking root and establishing themselves in the land of Goshen. This fullness was a tangible sign of God's presence and prosperity working among them. It wasn't an abstract promise; it was a visible reality. This abundance also foreshadows God's ultimate purpose: to bring His people into the Promised Land and fill it with His presence. Their growth in Egypt served as a prelude to their future inheritance, demonstrating God's power to establish and multiply His people, making them a force to be reckoned with.
Understand the original words
parah · Hebrew Verb
A verb describing the capacity to produce offspring, often used in Scripture to denote God's blessing and the fulfillment of His covenant command to be fruitful and multiply.
Yisra'el · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the ethnic and covenantal descendants of the patriarch Jacob, whom God renamed Israel; they are the chosen people through whom God reveals His plan of redemption.
melek · Hebrew Noun
A title for a monarch, often implying absolute rule; in this context, it refers to the sovereign power of Egypt who exercised authority over both his own people and the enslaved Israelites.
yada' · Hebrew Verb
In this context, it implies more than mere intellectual awareness; it denotes a lack of recognition of the covenantal favor, historical alliance, or the divine blessing associated with Joseph's role in Egypt.
This verse highlights a pivotal moment where God's promise to Abraham to make his descendants a great nation begins to spectacularly unfold, even as it sows the seeds for future conflict with Egypt.
c. 1876 BC
Jacob and his family enter Egypt
Jacob, with his extended family of about 70 people, settles in the land of Goshen in Egypt, seeking refuge from famine.
c. 1805 BC
Joseph dies in Egypt
Joseph, who had risen to high office, dies in Egypt, marking the end of the generation that knew Egypt's initial hospitality.
c. 1805 BC - 1570 BC— this verse
Israelites multiply in Goshen
During this period, the descendants of Jacob, originally about 70 people, experience extraordinary growth and become a vast population, filling the land of Goshen.
c. 1570 BC
New dynasty rises to power
A new Egyptian dynasty, possibly the Hyksos or a native Egyptian dynasty after their expulsion, comes to power, viewing the growing Israelite population with suspicion.
c. 1570 BC - 1450 BC
Israelites enslaved
The Egyptians begin to oppress the Israelites, forcing them into hard labor and enacting policies to control their population growth and perceived threat.
This passage directly parallels God's promise to Abraham of a vast lineage, echoing the incredible multiplication described in Exodus 1:7 as the fulfillment of that covenant.
Genesis 22:17This verse, a reiteration of God's promise to Abraham, compares his descendants to the uncountable stars and sand, directly informing the 'exceedingly mighty' growth of Israel in Egypt.
Deuteronomy 10:22This verse highlights the vast increase of Israel from seventy people in Egypt to a multitude 'like the stars of heaven,' mirroring the explosive growth seen in Exodus 1:7.
Psalm 107:38This verse speaks of God blessing the people so that they 'multiply greatly,' which directly connects to the miraculous fruitfulness and mighty increase of the Israelites described in Exodus 1:7.
Acts 7:17Stephen's speech recounts God's promise to Abraham and the subsequent multiplication of the people in Egypt, serving as a New Testament confirmation and echo of the event described in Exodus 1:7.
bensonExodus 1:7: "And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them."
Exodus 1:7 . And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly — Like fishes or insects, as one of the words here used signifies, and being generally healthful and strong, they waxed exceeding mighty, so that the land was filled with them — At least Goshen, their own allotment. This wonderful increase was the product of…
calvinExodus 1:1-7: "Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob."
- These are the names It is the intention of Moses to describe the miraculous deliverance of the people, (from whence the Greeks gave the name to the book;) but, before he comes to that, he briefly reminds us that the promise given to Abraham was not ineffectual, that his seed should be multiplied
"as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the…
The verse uses a cascade of words to describe their growth – "fruitful," "increased abundantly," "multiplied," and "grew exceedingly strong" – not just to emphasize their numbers, but to reveal God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises to Abraham, turning their arrival in Egypt into a powerful nation. This isn't just natural population growth; it's a divine miracle underscoring God's covenantal power even in seemingly obscure beginnings.
The chapter opens by listing Jacob's descendants who came to Egypt, emphasizing that they were initially a family welcomed into the land. After Joseph and that generation passed away, a new Pharaoh, unaware of Joseph's service, arose and saw the growing Israelite population not as guests but as a potential threat. This led to the Israelites being oppressed with forced labor, yet even in their hardship, they continued to flourish and multiply, filling the land.
The chapter opens by listing Jacob's descendants who came to Egypt, emphasizing that they were initially a family welcomed into the land. After Joseph and that generation passed away, a new Pharaoh, unaware of Joseph's service, arose and saw the growing Israelite population not as guests but as a potential threat. This led to the Israelites being oppressed with forced labor, yet even in their hardship, they continued to flourish and multiply, filling the land.
"But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them. Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “B…" — The verse uses a cascade of words to describe their growth – "fruitful," "increased abundantly," "multiplied," and "grew exceedingly strong" – not just to emphasize their numbers, but to reveal God's…
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Last reviewed October 2026
