Genesis 17:6

Gen 17:6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

Ver. 6. I will make thee exceeding fruitful.] Heb., Foecundabo te valde valde :and as oft as thou thinkest upon thy new name, thou shalt remember my promise, and rest assured of my performance. See how God, of his grace, condescends unto us, and accommodates us.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17:6 kings will be among them! This is the first indication that Israel would become a monarchy (see also 35:11; 36:31; Num 24:7; Deut 17:14-18; 28:36).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

6. kings shall come out of thee] Cf. Gen_17:16 and Gen_35:11 (P). The promise contains a reference to the Israelite monarchy. This is recognized as overruled by God (cf. 1 Samuel 11, 12) to be the means of the people’s blessing and expansion. Cf. Num_24:14; Num_24:17-19.

With the “kings” of Israel, compare the “princes” of “Ishmael” (Gen_17:20) and “the dukes of Edom” (Gen_36:40).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And I will make thee exceeding fruitful,.... In children, for he had not only a son by Sarai, from whom sprung a numerous offspring, but he had six sons by Keturah, who became the heads of large nations:

and I will make nations of thee; as the nations of Israel and Judah, of the Midianites and Edomites, of the Arabs, Saracens, and Turks:

and kings shall come out of thee; as the twelve princes of Ishmael, the kings of Edom and Midian, of the Arabs, Saracens, and Turks, and of Israel and Judah, and especially, as observed by Grotius, and others, the King Messiah: to which may be added, in a mystical sense, all Christian kings and princes of the same faith with him; nay, all believers, who are all kings and priests unto God.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

So did the kings of Israel and Judah, of Edom, of the Saracens, and the Messias, who is King of kings, and Lord of lords.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

6. Exceeding fruitful… nations… kings — A threefold promise, enhanced in the two following verses by the mention of “an everlasting covenant” and “an everlasting possession.” Mark the gradation. 1) A numerous posterity, in itself an enviable blessing, and the glory of a Hebrew. 2) That posterity would branch out into nations; a higher honour still than merely that of a numerous family. 3) These nations should rise to the dignity of mighty civil powers, and be represented and ruled by mighty kings. 4) God’s covenant with Abraham would abide through all the ages, an everlasting covenant, by which all the families of the earth should be blessed. 5) The land of Canaan for an everlasting possession. The whole is crowned by the closing words of Gen_17:8.

And I will be their God — Here observes Murphy, “the temporal and the spiritual are brought together. The land of promise is made sure to the heirs of promise for a perpetual possession, and God engages to be their God. The phrase perpetual possession has here two elements of meaning: first, that the possession, in its coming form of a certain land, shall last as long as the co-existing relations of things are continued; and, secondly, that the said possession, in all the variety of its ever grander phases, will last absolutely forever. Each form will be perfectly adequate to each stage of a progressive humanity. But in all its forms, and at every stage, it will be their chief glory that God is their God.”

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, a promise fulfilled in the Ishmaelites, the descendants of Keturah, the Edomites, and the Israelitesand kings (e.g. David and Solomon) shall come out of thee.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

ונתתיך לגוים AND I WILL MAKE NATIONS OF THEE — Israel and Edom only are intended here for Ishmael was already born to him and He could not, therefore, have been making any announcement concerning him.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

AND I WILL MAKE NATIONS OF THEE. The language of Rashi: “Israel and Edom are referred to here, for Ishmael was already born to him, and He could not therefore have been making any announcement concerning him.”But in my opinion it is not correct that He should inform him of Esau at the time of the covenant of circumcision since Esau does not observe circumcision and has not been commanded thereon, as the Sages expounded in Tractate Sanhedrin: “For in Isaac shall seed be called to thee, but not all of Isaac.” of the children of Isaac, namely Jacob and Esau, but only “in” Isaac, meaning only one, Jacob. Instead, [the proper interpretation is that] Israel alone is called “nations” and “peoples,” as in the verses: Yea, He loveth the peoples; They shall call peoples unto the mountains;, Verse 19. After thee, Benjamin, among the peoples. Even after the birth of all the tribes, He said: A nation and a company of nations shall be of thee; And I will make of thee a company of peoples., 48:4.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

והפרתי אותך במאד מאד ונתתיך לגוים, as we already explained, this refers to Yitzchok, Ishmael and the sons of Keturah. Alternatively, it refers only to Yitzchok's offspring Yaakov, and his offspring alone. The meaning of the word גוים then would be "tribes" as suggested by Onkelos. [in a different manuscript from that copied in our Chumashim. Ed.]

ומלכים ממך יצאו, this too means the same as Onkelos said, that some of your descendants will become kings over nations.

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.