Genesis 22:17

“that I will surely bless you and will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of the heavens and as the sand that is on the shore of the sea; and your offspring will possess the gate of its enemies.”
Genesis 22:17 · direct translation from the Hebrew

Study it in the app

Abraham is promised offspring through whom all the nations of the earth will be blessedWho Jesus Is Abraham did not withhold his only son and received the blessingObedience

With the Hebrew beneath

thatכִּיI will surely bless youבָרֵךְ אֲבָרֶכְךָand will surely multiplyוְהַרְבָּה אַרְבֶּהyour offspringאֶת זַרְעֲךָas the starsכְּכוֹכְבֵיof the heavensהַשָּׁמַיִםand as the sandוְכַחוֹלthatאֲשֶׁרis onעַלthe shoreשְׂפַתof the sea;הַיָּםand your offspringזַרְעֲךָwill possessוְיִרַשׁthe gateאֵת שַׁעַרof its enemies.אֹיְבָיו

Context

To “possess the gate” of the enemies is to take control of their cities. The gate was the place where the elders gathered and the affairs of the city were settled (Ruth 4:1-2, 11; Deuteronomy 21:19).

Source: Ruth 4:1; Ruth 4:11; Deuteronomy 21:19

Probable

Quotation · Hebrews 6:14

Go to Hebrews 6:14

Hebrews quotes the beginning of the oath of Genesis 22:16-17. Where the Hebrew says “I will multiply your offspring,” Hebrews says “I will multiply you.”

Formula: λέγων “saying” (Hebrews 6:14)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: λέγων Εἰ μὴν εὐλογῶν εὐλογήσω σε καὶ πληθύνων πληθυνῶ σε

Hebrew (Masoretic text): כִּי בָרֵךְ אֲבָרֶכְךָ וְהַרְבָּה אַרְבֶּה אֶת זַרְעֲךָ כְּכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וְכַחוֹל אֲשֶׁר עַל שְׂפַת הַיָּם וְיִרַשׁ זַרְעֲךָ אֵת שַׁעַר אֹיְבָיו

Septuagint (Genesis 22:17 in the Septuagint numbering): εἰ μὴν μὴν εὐλογῶν εὐλογήσω σε, καὶ πλῆ πληθυνῶ τὸ σπέρμα σου ὡς τοὺς ἀστέρας τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ὡς τὴν τὴν παρὰ τὸ χεῖλος τῆς θαλάσσης· καὶ κληρονομήσει τὸ σπέρμα σου τὰς πόλεις τῶν ὑπεναντίων.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 5 consecutive words: “μὴν εὐλογῶν εὐλογήσω σε καὶ.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Allusion · Hebrews 11:12

Go to Hebrews 11:12

Hebrews describes Abraham’s offspring with the images of Genesis 22:17: the stars of heaven and the sand on the shore (“lip”) of the sea.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

כוֹכְבֵיjojveH3556ἄστραastraG798“star”
חוֹלjolH2344ἄμμοςammosG285“sand”
שְׂפַתsefatH8193χεῖλοςcheilosG5491“lip; edge”
יָּםyamH3220θαλάσσηςthalassēsG2281“sea; west”

Allusion · Genesis 24:60

Go to Genesis 24:60

Both verses say that the offspring “will possess the gate” of its enemies: in 22:17 YHWH promises it to Abraham; in 24:60 her family wishes it for Rebekah.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

יִרַשׁyirashH3423יִירַשׁyirashH3423“possess; drive out”
שַׁעַרshaarH8179שַׁעַרshaarH8179“gate (of the city)”
זַרְעֲzaraH2233זַרְעֵzareH2233“seed; offspring; semen”

Genesis 22:17, word by word

I will surely bless youבָרֵךְvarech

bless

God gives good things: life, children, harvests.

Where else “varech” appears

and will surely multiplyהַרְבָּהharba

multiply

To grow in number.

Where else “harba” appears

your offspringזַרְעֲzara

offspring

The children, grandchildren and whole line that come from someone.

Where else “zara” appears

as the starsכוֹכְבֵיchochve

star

Star.

Where else “chochve” appears

of the heavensשָּׁמַיִםshamayim

sky

The high space seen above the earth, where the birds, clouds, sun and stars are.

Where else “shamayim” appears

and as the sandחוֹלchol

sand

Sand.

Where else “chol” appears

the shoreשְׂפַתsefat

edge

The edge where the sea or a river ends and the land begins.

Where else “sefat” appears

of the seaיָּםyam

sea

The sea, or a large lake.

Where else “yam” appears

will possessיִרַשׁyirash

possess

To occupy a land and make it one's own.

Where else “yirash” appears

the gateשַׁעַרshaar

gate

The entrance of a city or house, with doors that close.

Where else “shaar” appears

of its enemiesאֹיְבָיoyvay

enemy

Enemy, foe: one who hates and opposes another.

Where else “oyvay” appears

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Hebrews 6:14

Hebrews quotes the beginning of the oath of Genesis 22:16-17. Where the Hebrew says “I will multiply your offspring,” Hebrews says “I will multiply you.”

See them side by side

Genesis 22:17

¹⁷that I will surely bless you and will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of the heavens and as the sand that is on the shore of the sea; and your offspring will possess the gate of its enemies.

Hebrews 6:14

¹⁴saying: Surely I will bless you abundantly, and I will multiply you abundantly.

The context

16and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares YHWH, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only one,

17 · This verse (above)

18And through your offspring all the nations of the earth will bless themselves, because you listened to my voice.”

Read all of Genesis 22

To study Genesis 22 in a group

1. What it says
What did Elohim ask of Abraham, and what provision appeared on the mountain (vv. 2, 12-13)?
2. What it means
What does this account teach about trusting Elohim and his provision (vv. 12-14)?
3. How I live it
What is hard for you to place in Elohim’s hands, and how can you talk with him about it?

How to use it