What does פָּרָה (pārāh) mean in the Bible?
פָּרָה (pārāh): Denotes productive growth from within; used of both biological fertility and covenant blessing's multiplication through generations.
Hebrew · H6509
פָּרָה
To bear fruit (literally or figuratively)
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פָּרָה H6509
Pronunciation pārāh
What does פָּרָה (pārāh) mean in the Bible?
פָּרָה (pārāh): Denotes productive growth from within; used of both biological fertility and covenant blessing's multiplication through generations.
Full entry for פָּרָה (H6509) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6509?
The BSB source-word alignment has 29 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include Be fruitful (5), fruitful (3), and be fruitful (2), and make you fruitful (2), a fruitful (1).
Where does פָּרָה (pārāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 1:22. Its strongest book concentrations include Genesis (15), Isaiah (4), Exodus (2), Ezekiel (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It Be fruitful 5× Genesis 1:22, Genesis 1:28, Genesis 9:1, Genesis 9:7
fruitful 3× Genesis 17:6, Psalms 105:24, Ezekiel 19:10
and be fruitful 2× Genesis 8:17, Ezekiel 36:11
and make you fruitful 2× Genesis 28:3, Leviticus 26:9
a fruitful 1× Genesis 49:22
and became fruitful 1× Genesis 47:27
and increase 1× Jeremiah 3:16
and we will be fruitful 1× Genesis 26:22
for the fruitful 1× Isaiah 32:12
has made me fruitful 1× Genesis 41:52
I will make him fruitful 1× Genesis 17:20
I will make you fruitful 1× Genesis 48:4
is a fruitful 1× Genesis 49:22
may sprout 1× Isaiah 45:8
on its fruitful 1× Isaiah 17:6
that bears 1× Deuteronomy 29:18
were fruitful 1× Exodus 1:7
where they will be fruitful 1× Jeremiah 23:3
will be like a fruitful 1× Psalms 128:3
will bear fruit 1× Isaiah 11:1
you become fruitful 1× Exodus 23:30
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 1:22 פְּר֣וּ to Be fruitful Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural Genesis 1:28 פְּר֥וּ to Be fruitful Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural Genesis 8:17 וּפָר֥וּ to and be fruitful Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Genesis 9:1 פְּר֥וּ to Be fruitful Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural Genesis 9:7 פְּר֣וּ to be fruitful Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural Genesis 17:6 וְהִפְרֵתִ֤י to fruitful Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular Genesis 17:20 וְהִפְרֵיתִ֥י to I will make him fruitful Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular Genesis 26:22 וּפָרִ֥ינוּ to and we will be fruitful Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common plural Genesis 28:3 וְיַפְרְךָ֖ to and make you fruitful Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular | second person masculine singular Genesis 35:11 פְּרֵ֣ה to Be fruitful Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 1:22
Aligned rows 29
Books represented 8
Genesis 15 Exodus 2 Leviticus 1 Deuteronomy 1 Psalms 2 Isaiah 4 Jeremiah 2 Ezekiel 2
Source forms
וּפָר֥וּ 2x ū·p̄ā·rū Genesis 8:17, Jeremiah 23:3
פְּר֣וּ 2x pə·rū Genesis 1:22, Genesis 9:7
פְּר֥וּ 2x pə·rū Genesis 1:28, Genesis 9:1
הִפְרַ֥נִי 1x hip̄·ra·nî Genesis 41:52
וְהִפְרֵיתִ֥י 1x wə·hip̄·rê·ṯî Genesis 17:20
וְהִפְרֵיתִ֣י 1x wə·hip̄·rê·ṯî Leviticus 26:9
וְהִפְרֵתִ֤י 1x wə·hip̄·rê·ṯî Genesis 17:6
וַיֶּ֣פֶר 1x way·ye·p̄er Psalms 105:24
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural 4x Genesis 1:22, Genesis 1:28, Genesis 9:1, Genesis 9:7
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular 4x Psalms 128:3, Isaiah 17:6, Isaiah 32:12, Ezekiel 19:10
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular 3x Genesis 17:6, Genesis 17:20, Leviticus 26:9
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 3x Genesis 8:17, Jeremiah 23:3, Ezekiel 36:11
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular construct 2x Genesis 49:22
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular | second person masculine singular 1x Genesis 28:3
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1x Psalms 105:24
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural 1x Isaiah 45:8
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Denotes productive growth from within; used of both biological fertility and covenant blessing's multiplication through generations.
Strong's H6509
Lexical occurrences 29 verses Word forms 1 form 15 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Genesis 1:26-28 Source Gloss
to bear fruit (literally or figuratively)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Denotes productive growth from within; used of both biological fertility and covenant blessing's multiplication through generations.
to bear fruit (literally or figuratively) BDB: bear fruit Usage: bear, bring forth (fruit), (be, cause to be, make) fruitful, grow, increase.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 1 Aligned forms 15
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 15×
Participle active Deut 29:17 · Ezek 19:10 · Gen 49:22 · Isa 17:6 · Isa 32:12 · Ps 128:3 7×
Sequential imperfect Gen 1:22 · Gen 1:28 · Gen 9:1 · Gen 9:7 · Gen 35:11 5×
Imperfect Exod 23:30 · Isa 11:1 2×
Perfect Exod 1:7 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Divine command for humanity to multiply and fill the earth
Renewal of blessing to Noah's descendants to be fruitful and multiply
Land's abundant production of grain during years of plenty in Egypt
Israelites multiply and become numerous, fulfilling the ancestral blessing
God's promise to Jacob that he will be fruitful and multiply into nations
Showing 5 selected witnesses from 29 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
פָּרָה is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain