Discovery BoxGenesis 17:16 
Context17:16 I will bless her and will give you a son through her. I will bless her and she will become a mother of nations. 1 Kings of countries 2 will come from her!”
Genesis 17:20
Context17:20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. 3 I will indeed bless him, make him fruitful, and give him a multitude of descendants. 4 He will become the father of twelve princes; 5 I will make him into a great nation.
1 tn Heb “she will become nations.”
2 tn Heb “peoples.”
3 sn The Hebrew verb translated “I have heard you” forms a wordplay with the name Ishmael, which means “God hears.” See the note on the name “Ishmael” in 16:11.
4 tn Heb “And I will multiply him exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.
5 tn For a discussion of the Hebrew word translated “princes,” see E. A. Speiser, “Background and Function of the Biblical Nasi’,” CBQ 25 (1963): 111-17.
