But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.
7. And the children of Israel were fruitful. שרף, rendered in A V increased abundantly, — occurs first in Genesis 1:20, where it is rendered bring forth abundantly As a noun it signifies reptiles. מאד, meod; in A V exceeding is repeated twice after עצמו, they waxed mighty; but may properly be considered as augmenting the force of each of the preceding verbs.
In these verses we have, 1. A recital of the names of the twelve patriarchs, as they are called, Act 7:8. Their names are often repeated in scripture, that they may not sound uncouth to us, as other hard names, but that, by their occurring so frequently, they may become familiar to us; and to show how precious God's spiritual Israel are to him, and...
Commenting on Exodus 1:1-7
And the children of Israel were fruitful,.... In their offspring; became like fruitful trees, as the word signifies: and increased abundantly; like creeping things, or rather like fishes, which increase very much, see Gen 1:20. and multiplied; became very numerous, whereby the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were fulfilled: and waxed exceeding mighty; were hale, and strong, of good constitutions, able bodied men...