פָּרָה (pa.rah)
pa.rah
be fruitful
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 25 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb para means to bear fruit or become fertile. It applies broadly to people, animals, plants, and even abstract concepts like justice in Isaiah 45:8. In Genesis, God commands Noah’s family and later Abraham to be fruitful, linking this growth directly to His blessing and covenant promises.
The word carries both literal and figurative weight. When used of Joseph in Genesis 49:22, it describes a tree bearing fruit near water, symbolizing prosperity despite adversity. In Psalm 128:3, the imagery shifts to a wife as a fruitful vine within the home, suggesting that fertility is not just biological but part of a blessed, stable life.
Its root sense connects with ideas of increase and productivity across contexts. Translators often render it as "be fruitful" or "bear fruit," though sometimes as "grow" or "increase" when the context emphasizes expansion rather than reproduction. The term reflects a worldview where physical and spiritual vitality are intertwined under divine provision.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word para carries a simple but profound promise: God desires growth in your life. Whether you are looking at family, work, or personal character, this verb reminds us that fruitfulness is not something we manufacture on our own. It is a response to divine blessing. In Genesis 1, God commands creation to be fruitful, linking this ability directly to His initial good design. This means that any positive change or increase you experience is part of a larger pattern of grace.
When life feels stagnant, this word offers hope. Joseph used it to describe how God made him fruitful even in the land of his affliction (Genesis 41:52). His success was not due to his own cleverness alone but because God opened doors where there seemed to be none. You can trust that God is able to bring life and productivity from difficult seasons.
Ultimately, being fruitful is about more than just numbers or wealth. It includes stability, peace, and the flourishing of those around you. The psalmist pictures a wife as a fruitful vine within the home, suggesting that true prosperity is rooted in faithful relationships and trust in God's provision. May you find encouragement in knowing that your efforts to live faithfully are seen and blessed by Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 25 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- be fruitful5×
- and/ I will make fruitful3×
- fruitful2×
- and/ they will be fruitful2×
- a fruit-bearer2×
- you will be fruitful1×
- they were fruitful1×
- so/ they may bear fruit1×
- it will bear fruit1×
- he has made fruitful/ me1×
- fruit-bearing1×
- and/ you will be fruitful1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פְּר֥וּ2×
- פְּר֣וּ2×
- וּ/פָר֥וּ2×
- תִּפְרֶ֔ה1×
- פֹּרָת֙1×
- פֹּרָ֖ת1×
- פֹּרִיָּה֮1×
- פֹּרִיָּֽה\׃1×
- פֹּֽרִיָּ֔ה1×
- פָּר֧וּ1×
- פְּרֵ֣ה1×
- מַפְרְ/ךָ֙1×
Key Verses
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Genesis 1:28
God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
This verse establishes the foundational command for all creation, showing that fruitfulness is a primary aspect of God's blessing on humanity.
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Genesis 41:52
The name of the second, he called Ephraim: “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
Joseph uses this word to testify that God can produce growth and success even in the midst of severe hardship and exile.
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Genesis 17:6
I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you.
God promises Abraham that he will be exceedingly fruitful, linking physical descendants directly to His covenant faithfulness.
-
Psalms 128:3
Your wife will be as a fruitful vine in the innermost parts of your house, your children like olive shoots around your table.
This metaphor shifts the focus from population growth to domestic stability, portraying a wife as a fruitful vine within the home.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word para mean?
How is para different from other words for increase?
Does this word only apply to having children?
Every Occurrence (25 verses across 6 books)
Genesis 14 verses
God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the…
Genesis 1:28God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish…
Genesis 8:17Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh, including birds, livestock, and every creeping…
Genesis 9:1God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth.
Genesis 9:7Be fruitful and multiply. Increase abundantly in the earth, and multiply in it.”
Genesis 17:6I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you.
Genesis 17:20As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him…
Genesis 26:22He left that place, and dug another well. They didn’t argue over that one. So he called it Rehoboth. He said, “For now…
Genesis 28:3May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples,
Genesis 35:11God said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will be from you, and…
Genesis 41:52The name of the second, he called Ephraim: “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
Genesis 47:27Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; and they got themselves possessions therein, and were…
Genesis 48:4and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and…
Genesis 49:22“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall.