God’s Word Translation
Genesis 12:3
3I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you, I will curse. Through you every family on earth will be blessed.”
Genesis 12:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
- New International Version (NIV)I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
- New King James Version (NKJV)I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Context of Genesis 12:3
1The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your land, your relatives, and your father’s home. Go to the land that I will show you. 2I will make you a great nation, I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you, I will curse. Through you every family on earth will be blessed.” 4So Abram left, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran. 5Abram set out for Canaan. He took along his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions they had accumulated and the servants they had acquired in Haran.
Read all of Genesis 12Genesis 12:3 word by word
וַאֲבָֽרֲכָה֙ מְבָ֣רְכֶ֔יךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ֖ אָאֹ֑ר וְנִבְרְכ֣וּ בְךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הָאֲדָמָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Genesis 12:3
- Genesis 27:29May nations serve you. May people bow down to you. Be the master of your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed. May those who bless you be blessed.”
- Exodus 23:22But if you will listen to him and do everything I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an opponent to your opponents.
- Numbers 24:9His people lie down ⌞and⌟ rest like a lion. They are like a lioness. Who dares to disturb them? Those who bless you will be blessed! Those who curse you will be cursed!”
- Matthew 25:40“The king will answer them, ‘I can guarantee this truth: Whatever you did for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant ⌞they seemed⌟, you did for me.’
- Genesis 18:18After all, Abraham is going to become a great and mighty nation and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
- Genesis 22:18Through your descendant all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
- Genesis 26:4I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and give all these lands to your descendants. Through your descendant all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
- Genesis 28:14Your descendants will be like the dust on the earth. You will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. Through you and through your descendant every family on earth will be blessed.
- Genesis 30:27Laban replied, “Listen to me. I’ve learned from the signs I’ve seen that the Lord has blessed me because of you.”
- Genesis 39:5From that time on the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s household because of Joseph. Therefore, the Lord’s blessing was on everything Potiphar owned in his house and in his fields.
- Psalms 72:17May his name endure forever. May his name continue as long as the sun ⌞shines⌟. May all nations be blessed through him and call him blessed.
- Acts 3:25You are the descendants of the prophets and the heirs of the promise that God made to our ancestors when he said to Abraham, ‘Through your descendant all people on earth will be blessed.’
- Romans 4:11Abraham’s faith was the basis of his approval by God while he was still uncircumcised. The mark of circumcision is the seal of that approval. Therefore, he is the father of every believer who is not circumcised, and their faith, too, is regarded as the basis of their approval by God.
- 1 Corinthians 1:30You are partners with Christ Jesus because of God. Jesus has become our wisdom sent from God, our approval, our holiness, and our ransom from sin.
- Galatians 3:8Scripture saw ahead of time that God would give his approval to non-Jewish people who have faith. So Scripture announced the Good News to Abraham ahead of time when it said, “Through you all the people of the world will be blessed.”
- Ephesians 1:3Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Through Christ, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing that heaven has to offer.
Commentaries on Genesis 12:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3In thee - In thy posterity, in the Messiah, who shall spring from thee, shall all families of the earth be blessed; for as he shall take on him human nature from the posterity of Abraham, he shall taste death for every man, his Gospel shall be preached throughout the world, and innumerable blessings be derived on all mankind through his death and intercession.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-9Verses 1-9 - The Call of Abram 6. שׁכם shekem Shekem, “the upper part of the back.” Here it is the name of a person, the owner of this place, where afterward is built the town called at first Shekem, then Flavia Neapolis, and now Nablous. אלון 'ēlôn “the oak;” related: “be lasting, strong.” מורה môreh In Onkelos “plain;” Moreh, “archer, early rain, teacher.” Here the name of a man who owned the oak that marked the spot. In the Septuagint it is rendered…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Because Abram obeyed the command to be a blessing (12:2), God gave him three more promises. those who curse you: People who ignored Abram and his covenant were rejecting God's choice and plan. all the families on earth will be blessed: By faith, they could join the covenant God was making with Abram. The blessing spread worldwide through Abraham, Israel, the covenants, the prophets, Scripture, and the Messiah (Galatians 3:8, 16; compare Romans 9:4–5).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-201. Now the Lord had said unto Abram--It pleased God, who has often been found of them who sought Him not, to reveal Himself to Abraham perhaps by a miracle; and the conversion of Abraham is one of the most remarkable in Bible history. Get thee out of thy country--His being brought to the knowledge and worship of the true God had probably been a considerable time before. This call included two promises: the first, showing the land of his future posterity…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 12:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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