New International Version
Genesis 22:17
17I 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,
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;
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies.
Context of Genesis 22:17
15The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 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, 18and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” 19Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.
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 12:2“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
- Genesis 27:28May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness— an abundance of grain and new wine.
- Genesis 28:3May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples.
- Genesis 49:25because of your father’s God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the skies above, blessings of the deep springs below, blessings of the breast and womb.
- Deuteronomy 28:2All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:
- Ephesians 1:3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
- Genesis 13:16I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.
- Genesis 15:5He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
- Genesis 17:6I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.
- Genesis 26:4I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed,
- Deuteronomy 1:10The Lord your God has increased your numbers so that today you are as numerous as the stars in the sky.
- Jeremiah 33:22I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’ ”
- 1 Kings 9:26King Solomon also built ships at Ezion Geber, which is near Elath in Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea.
- Genesis 24:60And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring possess the cities of their enemies.”
- Numbers 24:17“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth.
- Deuteronomy 21:19his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town.
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 International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries