New International Version
Genesis 48:4
4and 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.’
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.
- 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.’
- New Living Translation (NLT)He said to me, ‘I will make you fruitful, and I will multiply your descendants. I will make you a multitude of nations. And I will give this land of Canaan to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’
Context of Genesis 48:4
2When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed. 3Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me 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.’ 5“Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. 6Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers.
Read all of Genesis 48Genesis 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 12:2“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 13:15All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.
- Genesis 22:17I 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 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,
- Genesis 28:3May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples.
- Genesis 32:12But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’ ”
- Genesis 35:11And God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.
- Genesis 46:3“I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.
- Genesis 47:27Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.
- Exodus 1:7but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.
- Deuteronomy 32:8When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel.
- Amos 9:14and I will bring my people Israel back from exile. “They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
- Genesis 17:8The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and 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
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
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Commentaries