Genesis 48:4

Genesis 48:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.
• New International Version (NIV)and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.’
• English Standard Version (ESV)and said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.'
• New King James Version (NKJV)and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’

Context of Genesis 48:4

2When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has just come to you,” Israel regained strength and sat up on his bed. 3Jacob said to Joseph, “The sovereign God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. He said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and will multiply you. I will make you into a group of nations, and I will give this land to your descendants as an everlasting possession.’ 5“Now, as for your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, they will be mine. Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine just as Reuben and Simeon are. 6Any children that you father after them will be yours; they will be listed under the names of their brothers in their inheritance.

Genesis 48:4 word by word

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י הִנְנִ֤י מַפְרְךָ֙ וְהִרְבִּיתִ֔ךָ וּנְתַתִּ֖יךָ לִקְהַ֣ל עַמִּ֑ים וְנָ֨תַתִּ֜י אֶת־הָאָ֧רֶץ הַזֹּ֛את לְזַרְעֲךָ֥ אַחֲרֶ֖יךָ אֲחֻזַּ֥ת עוֹלָֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitfulפָּרָהpârâh · be fruitfulH6509
• and multiplyרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
• thee, and I will makeנָתַןnâthan · to give: makeH5414
• of thee a multitudeקָהָלqâhâl · assemblyH6951
• of peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• and will giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• this landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• to thy seedזֶ֫רַעzera‛ · seed: childrenH2233
• after theeאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• an everlastingעוֹלָם‛ôlâm ‛ôlâm · forever: enduringH5769
• possessionאֲחֻזָּה'ăchûzzâh · possessionH272

Cross-references for Genesis 48:4

• 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 13:15I will give all the land that you see to you and your descendants forever.
• Genesis 22:17I 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 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.
• 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 32:12But you said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’”
• Genesis 35:11Then God said to him, “I am the sovereign God. Be fruitful and multiply! A nation – even a company of nations – will descend from you; kings will be among your descendants!
• Genesis 46:3He said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.
• Genesis 47:27Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen, and they owned land there. They were fruitful and increased rapidly in number.
• Exodus 1:7The Israelites, however, were fruitful, increased greatly, multiplied, and became extremely strong, so that the land was filled with them.
• Deuteronomy 32:8When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided up humankind, he set the boundaries of the peoples, according to the number of the heavenly assembly.
• Amos 9:14I will bring back my people, Israel; they will rebuild the cities lying in rubble and settle down. They will plant vineyards and drink the wine they produce; they will grow orchards and eat the fruit they produce.
• Genesis 17:8I will give the whole land of Canaan – the land where you are now residing – to you and your descendants after you as a permanent possession. I will be their God.”

Commentaries on Genesis 48:4

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-22Verses 1-22 - Joseph Visits His Sick Father The right of primogeniture has been forfeited by Reuben. The double portion in the inheritance is now transferred to Joseph. He is the first-born of her who was intended by Jacob to be his first and only wife. He has also been the means of saving all his father‘s house, even after he had been sold into slavery by his brethren. He has therefore, undeniable claims to this part of the first-born‘s rights. Genesis…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4Jacob remembered how God Almighty appeared to him and promised him Abraham's blessing: countless descendants living in the land … as an everlasting possession (compare 28:10–22).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-43-4. God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz--The object of Jacob, in thus reverting to the memorable vision at Beth-el [Ge 28:10-15]--one of the great landmarks in his history--was to point out the splendid promises in reserve for his posterity--to engage Joseph's interest and preserve his continued connection with the people of God, rather than with the Egyptians.Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Dreadful
• Jacob
• Antediluvian Patriarchs
• Genesis
• Manasseh (2)
• eternity, everlasting, eternal, forever

Commentaries on Genesis 48

• 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