New English Translation
Genesis 22:17
17I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the strongholds of their enemies.
Genesis 22:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
- New International Version (NIV)I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,
- English Standard Version (ESV)I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,
- New King James Version (NKJV)blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
Context of Genesis 22:17
15The Lord’s angel called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16and said, “‘I solemnly swear by my own name,’ decrees the Lord, ‘that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the strongholds of their enemies. 18Because you have obeyed me, all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants.’” 19Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set out together for Beer Sheba where Abraham stayed.
Read all of Genesis 22Genesis 22:17 word by word
כִּֽי־בָרֵ֣ךְ אֲבָרֶכְךָ֗ וְהַרְבָּ֨ה אַרְבֶּ֤ה אֶֽת־זַרְעֲךָ֙ כְּכוֹכְבֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְכַח֕וֹל אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־שְׂפַ֣ת הַיָּ֑ם וְיִרַ֣שׁ זַרְעֲךָ֔ אֵ֖ת שַׁ֥עַר אֹיְבָֽיו׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- That in blessingבָּרַךְbârak · to blessH1288
- thee, and in multiplyingרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
- thy seedזֶ֫רַעzera‛ · seed: childrenH2233
- as the starsכּוֹכָבkôkâb · starH3556
- of the heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- and as the sandחוֹלchôl · sandH2344
- upon the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
- shoreשָׂפָהώâphâh ώepheth · lip: shoreH8193
- shall possessיָרַשׁyârash yârêsh · to possess: takeH3423
- the gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
- of his enemiesאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
Cross-references for Genesis 22:17
- Genesis 12:2Then I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, so that you will exemplify divine blessing.
- Genesis 27:28May God give you the dew of the sky and the richness of the earth, and plenty of grain and new wine.
- Genesis 28:3May the sovereign God bless you! May he make you fruitful and give you a multitude of descendants! Then you will become a large nation.
- Genesis 49:25because of the God of your father, who will help you, because of the sovereign God, who will bless you with blessings from the sky above, blessings from the deep that lies below, and blessings of the breasts and womb.
- Deuteronomy 28:2All these blessings will come to you in abundance if you obey the Lord your God:
- Ephesians 1:3Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ.
- Genesis 13:16And I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone is able to count the dust of the earth, then your descendants also can be counted.
- Genesis 15:5The Lord took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”
- Genesis 17:6I will make you extremely fruitful. I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you.
- Genesis 26:4I will multiply your descendants so they will be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands. All the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants.
- Deuteronomy 1:10The Lord your God has increased your population to the point that you are now as numerous as the very stars of the sky.
- Jeremiah 33:22I will make the children who follow one another in the line of my servant David very numerous. I will also make the Levites who minister before me very numerous. I will make them all as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sands which are on the seashore.’”
- 1 Kings 9:26King Solomon also built ships in Ezion Geber, which is located near Elat in the land of Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea.
- Genesis 24:60They blessed Rebekah with these words: “Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands! May your descendants possess the strongholds of their enemies.”
- Numbers 24:17‘I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not close at hand. A star will march forth out of Jacob, and a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the skulls of Moab, and the heads of all the sons of Sheth.
- Deuteronomy 21:19his father and mother must seize him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his city.
Commentaries on Genesis 22:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Shall possess the gate of his enemies - Instead of gate the Septuagint have , cities; but as there is a very near resemblance between , cities, and , gates, the latter might have been the original reading in the Septuagint, though none of the MSS. now acknowledge it. By the gates may be meant all the strength, whether troops, counsels, or fortified cities of their enemies. So Matthew 16:18; : On this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-24Verses 1-24 - Abraham Was Tested 2. מריה morı̂yâh “Moriah”; Samaritan: מוראה môr'âh “Septuagint,” ̔́ hupsēlē Onkelos, “worship.” Some take the word to be a simple derivative, as the Septuagint and Onkelos, meaning “vision, high, worship.” It might mean “rebellious.” Others regard it as a compound of יה yâh “Jah, a name of God,” and מראה mı̂r'eh “shown,” מורה môreh “teacher,” or מורא môrā' “fear.” 14. יראה yı̂r'ēh “Jireh, will provide.” 16, נאם…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-19Verses 15-19 There are high declarations of God's favour to Abraham in this confirmation of the covenant with him, exceeding any he had yet been blessed with. Those that are willing to part with any thing for God, shall have it made up to them with unspeakable advantage. The promise, ver. #(18), doubtless points at the Messiah, and the grace of the gospel. Hereby we know the loving-kindness of God our Saviour towards sinful man, in that he hath not…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17Joshua and Old Testament Israel partially fulfilled the promise that Abraham’s descendants would conquer the cities (literally take possession of the gates) of God's enemies. The church will completely fulfill this promise (compare Matthew 16:18 and the study note there).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1913-19. Abraham lifted up his eyes ... and behold ... a ram, &c.--No method was more admirably calculated to give the patriarch a distinct idea of the purpose of grace than this scenic representation: and hence our Lord's allusion to it (Joh 8:56).Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 22:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 22
- 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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries