H6509 H6509
Be fruitful, bear fruit; in the Hifil, to make fruitful — a key verb of divine blessing and covenant promise.
One of the most theologically charged verbs in the Hebrew Bible, appearing first in God's blessing upon newly created life (Genesis 1:22, 28) and recurring as a covenant refrain through the patriarchal narratives. In the Qal stem it describes the natural capacity to bear fruit or offspring, applied to humans, animals, and plants alike. The Hifil causative — always with God as subject — expresses the divine act of making someone fruitful, a hallmark of the Abrahamic promises (Genesis 17:6, 20; 48:4). Spanish fructificad and French etre fecond both capture the rich intersection of biological fertility and theological blessing.
Senses
1. be fruitful, bear fruit — The Qal sense covers natural fruitfulness — bearing fruit, being productive in offspring or harvest. It spans the creation mandate (Genesis 1:22, 28), the post-flood renewal (Genesis 8:17; 9:1, 7), Israel's multiplication in Egypt (Exodus 1:7), and prophetic imagery of a fruitful shoot (Isaiah 11:1). The participle poriyyah describes a vine or person as inherently fruitful (Ezekiel 19:10; Genesis 49:22). French et-fructifier and Spanish fructificad consistently render the imperative blessing formula peru urevu. 22×
AR["أَثْمَرُوا","أَثْمِرُوا","أَثْمِرْ","الْمُثْمِرَةِ","تَثمِرَ","مُثمِرَةٍ","مُثْمِرٍ","مُثْمِرَةً","مُثْمِرَةٍ","وَ-تُثْمِرُ","وَ-تُثْمِرُونَ","وَ-نَثمُرُ","وَ-يُثْمِرُونَ","وَأَثْمَرُوا","وَيُثْمِرُونَ","يُثْمِرُ"]·ben["আর-তারা-ফলবন্ত-হল","আর-ফলবান-হবে","আর-বৃদ্ধি-পাব","এবং-তারা-ফলবন্ত-হক","এবং-ফলবান-হবে","ও-তারা-ফলবন্ত-হবে","ফলবতী","ফলবন্ত","ফলবন্ত-হও","ফলবন্ত-হবে","ফলবান-হও","ফলবান-হবে","ফলবান-হল"]·DE["[ופרו]","[ופריתם]","[יפרה]","[פריה]","des-Fruchtbaums","du-sind-fruchtbar","fruitful","sei-fruchtbar","seid-fruchtbar","und-fruchtbar-sein","und-sie-waren-fruchtbar","und-wir-sind-fruchtbar","waren-fruchtbar"]·EN["and-are-fruitful","and-be-fruitful","and-they-will-be-fruitful","and-we-will-be-fruitful","and-were-fruitful","be-fruitful","fruitful","fruitfulness","were-fruitful","will-bear-fruit","you-are-fruitful"]·FR["et-fructifier","et-nous---être-fécond","et-étaient-fécond","et-être-fécond","fructifier","fruitfulness","tu-sont-fécond","étaient-fécond","être-fécond"]·heb["ו-פרה","ו-פרו","ו-פריתם","יפרה","פוריה","פורייה","פרה","פרו","תפרה"]·HI["और-फले","और-फलेंगी","और-फलेंगे","और-फलेनगे","और-फलोगे-तुम","और-फूलेंगे","फलदायक","फलदायी","फलदार","फलदार-की","फले-फूले","फलेगी","फलो","फूल","बढ़ो"]·ID["beranak-cuculah","beranak-pinak","berbuah","dan-berbuah","dan-biarlah-mereka-beranak-cucu","dan-kami-akan-berbuah","dan-mereka-akan-beranak-cucu","dan-mereka-beranak-cucu","engkau berbuah","yang-berbuah"]·IT["[ופרו]","[פריה]","e-essere-fecondo","e-essere-fruitful","e-furono-fruitful","e-noi-will-essere-fruitful","essere-fecondo","essere-fruitful","fruitfulness","fruttiffico'","furono-fruitful","tu-sono-fruitful"]·jav["Mugi-berbuah","badhé-wohan","ingkang-awoh","ingkang-subur","kembangna","lan-dados-akèh","lan-kembangaken","lan-kita-woh","lan-piyambakipun-manak-pianak","lan-sami-momong","panjenengan-dados-kathah,","sarta-awoh","subur","woh"]·KO["그리고-다산하였다","그리고-번성하라","그리고-번성하리라","그리고-불어나면","네가-번성하여","번성하라","생육했다","열매-많은","열매-맺는","열매-맺으리라","열매를-맺으라"]·PT["Frutificai","e-frutificaram","e-frutificardes","e-frutificaremos","e-frutificarão","e-frutifiquem","frutifica","frutificai","frutificaram","frutificares","frutificará","frutífera","frutíferos","árvore-frutífera"]·RU["и-плодятся","и-расплодились","и-расплодимся","и-расплодитесь","и-расплодятся","плодились","плодись","плодитесь","плодовитая","плодоносной","плодоносный","плодоносящей","принесёт-плод","расплодишься"]·ES["fructifica","fructificación","fructificad","fructificaron","fructificará","fructifiques","fructífera","fructíferas","y-fructificaremos","y-fructificaron","y-fructificarán","y-fructificarán;","y-fructifiquen","y-fructifiquéis"]·SW["akamnyumba","jaa","kuzaa","litazaa","mzabibu","mzabibu-mwenye","na-mkazae","na-tutazaa","na-watazaa","na-wazae","walizaa","wenye-matunda","yenye-matunda","zaeni"]·TR["bereketlendiler","meyve-verecek","meyveli-ağacın","ve-verimli-olacaklar","ve-verimli-olacağız","ve-verimli-olsunlar","ve-çoğaldılar","ve-çoğaldığınızda","verimli","verimli-ol","verimli-olun","çoğalırsın"]·urd["اور-بڑھیں-گے","اور-پھلو-پھولو-گے","اور-پھلیں-پھولیں","اور-پھلیں-پھولیں-گے","اور-پھلیں-گی","اور-پھلے","پھل","پھل-پھولے-گی","پھلدار","پھلو","پھلو-پھولو","پھلے"]
2. make fruitful (causative) — The Hifil causative denotes God's sovereign act of making someone fruitful, always with the deity as subject. It appears exclusively in covenant and blessing contexts: Abraham (Genesis 17:6), Ishmael (Genesis 17:20), Jacob at Bethel (Genesis 28:3; 48:4), and Joseph's naming of Ephraim, 'God has made me fruitful' (Genesis 41:52). Spanish te hare fructificar and German fruchtbar machte mich highlight the causative agency, distinguishing this divine prerogative from the natural Qal sense. 7×
AR["أَثْمَرَنِيَ","أُثْمِرُكَ","وَ-أَثمَرَ","وَ-أُثْمِرُ","وَ-أُثْمِرُكُمْ","وَيُثْمِرُكَ"]·ben["আমি-তোমাকে-ফলবন্ত-করছি","আর-ফলবান-করুন","এবং-তিনি-ফলবান-করলেন","এবং-ফলবান-করব","ফলবান-করেছেন-আমাকে"]·DE["fruchtbar-machte-mich","ich-mache-dich-fruchtbar","und-er-gemacht-fruitful","und-ich-will-fruchtbar-machen","und-ich-wird-machen-du-fruchtbar","und-mache-dich-fruchtbar","und-will-fruchtbar-machen"]·EN["and-He-made-fruitful","and-I-will-make-fruitful","and-I-will-make-you-fruitful","and-make-fruitful-you","has-made-me-fruitful","making-fruitful-you"]·FR["a-fit-moi-fécond","et-Je---faire-fécond","et-faire-fécond-tu","et-je-fera-faire-tu-fruitful","et-être-fécond","faisant-fécond-tu"]·heb["ו-הפריתי","ו-יפר","ו-פרה","ו-פרה-ך","פרה-י","פרה-ך"]·HI["और-उसने-बढ़ाया","और-फलदार बनाऊंगा","और-फलवंत-बनाए-तुझे","और-फलवन्त-करुनग","फलवन्त-करता-हूँ-तुझे","फलवन्त-बनाया-मुझे"]·ID["dan-Aku-akan-membuat-kamu-berbuah","dan-Aku-membuat-berbuah","dan-Ia-membuat-bertambah-banyak","dan-membuatmu-berbuah","menjadikan-engkau-berbuah"]·IT["e-fare-fruitful-tu","e-fruttiffico'","e-io-fara-fare-tu-fruitful","e-io-will-fare-fruitful","facendo-fruitful-tu","ha-fece-me-fruitful"]·jav["Gusti-Allah-sampun-damel-kula-mundhak","Lan-Kula-badhé-damel-mawoh","Lan-dipundadosaken","lan-Kawula-nguntabaken","lan-Kula-badhé-damel-mawoh","lan-ndadosaken-wohing","ndadosaken-awoh-sira"]·KO["그리고-나는-많게-할것이다","그리고-번성케-하셨으니","그리고-번성하게-하겠다","그리고-번성하게-하시기를-너를","내가-너를-다산하게-하리라","번성하게하셨다"]·PT["E-farei-frutificar","E-fez-frutificar","e-farei-frutificar","e-frutifique-te","e-vos-farei-frutificar","farei-frutificar-te","fez-frutificar-me"]·RU["И-размножил","И-распложу","и-расплодит-тебя","и-распложу","и-сделаю-плодовитыми","плодиться-дал-мне","распложу-тебя"]·ES["Y-multiplicó","Y-te-haré-fructificar","me-hizo-fructificar","te-haré-fructífero","y-haga-fructificar-te","y-haré-fructificar","y-os-haré-fecundos"]·SW["Na-nitakuzidisha","amenifanya-nizae","kuuzaliana","na-akawafanya-wengi","na-nitamzidisha","na-nitawafanya-wengi","nitakuzidisha"]·TR["Ve-verimli-kılacağım","ve-verimli-kılacağım","ve-verimli-kılsın-seni","ve-çoğalttı","verimli-kıldı-beni","çoğaltıyorum-seni"]·urd["اور-اُس-نے-بڑھایا","اور-پھلاؤں-گا","اور-پھلائے-تجھے","اور-پھلدار-کروں-گا","پھلاؤں-گا-تجھے","پھلایا-مجھے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [פָּרָה] vb. bear fruit, be fruitful (NH = BH 1, פְּרִי = BH; Ph. פר fruit; Ethiopic ፈርየ: ፈረየ: blossom, bear fruit; Assyrian pirʾu, posterity; cf. also 𝔗 פֵּירָא, Syriac ܦܶܐܪܳܐ fruit, and BaZMG xii (1887), 604);— Qal Pf. 3 pl. פָּרוּ Ex 1:7; 1 pl. consec. וּפָרִינוּ Gn 26:22, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יִפְרֶה Is 11:1, etc.; Imv. ms. פְּרֵה Gn 35:11, mpl. פְּרוּ 1:22 +; Pt. act. פֹּרֶה Dt 29:17, f.…