Genesis 22:17

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

I will surely bless you and will greatly multiply your offspring like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore, and your offspring will possess the gates of their enemies.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

כִּֽי־בָרֵ֣ךְ אֲבָרֶכְךָ֗ וְהַרְבָּ֨ה אַרְבֶּ֤ה אֶֽת־זַרְעֲךָ֙ כְּכוֹכְבֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְכַח֕וֹל אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־שְׂפַ֣ת הַיָּ֑ם וְיִרַ֣שׁ זַרְעֲךָ֔ אֵ֖ת שַׁ֥עַר אֹיְבָֽיו׃

Transliteration

that-bārēk ʾăbārekəkā wə-harbāh ʾarbeh ʾet-zarʿăkā as-kôkəbê the-šāmayim and-as-the-ḥôl ʾăšer upon-śəpat the-yām wə-yiraš zarʿăkā ʾēt šaʿar ʾōyəbāyw

Grammar Details

• *bārēk*: Piel infinitive absolute - blessing
• *ʾăbārekəkā*: Piel imperfect, 1st person singular + 2nd masculine singular object suffix - I will bless you
• *wə-harbāh*: conjunction + Hiphil infinitive absolute - and multiplying
• *ʾarbeh*: Hiphil imperfect, 1st person singular - I will multiply
• *zarʿăkā*: masculine singular noun + 2nd masculine singular possessive suffix - your seed/offspring
• *kôkəbê*: masculine plural construct noun - stars of
• *šāmayim*: masculine plural noun with definite article - the heavens
• *ḥôl*: masculine singular noun with definite article - the sand
• *śəpat*: feminine singular construct noun - shore/lip of
• *yām*: masculine singular noun with definite article - the sea
• *wə-yiraš*: conjunction + Qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and he shall possess
• *šaʿar*: masculine singular construct noun - gate of
• *ʾōyəbāyw*: masculine plural Qal participle + 3rd masculine singular possessive suffix - his enemies

Word Meanings

• *bārēk ʾăbārekəkā*: surely bless you/greatly bless you/indeed bless you
• *harbāh ʾarbeh*: surely multiply/greatly multiply/indeed multiply
• *zarʿăkā*: your seed/your offspring/your descendants
• *yiraš*: shall possess/shall inherit/shall take possession of
• *šaʿar*: gate/city/territory

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  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;

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  That in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies;

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  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;

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  that in blessing{H1288} I will bless{H1288} thee, and in multiplying{H7235} I will multiply{H7235} thy seed{H2233} as the stars{H3556} of the heavens,{H8064} and as the sand{H2344} which is upon the{H3220} seashore;{H8193} and thy seed{H2233} shall possess{H3423} the gate{H8179} of his enemies;{H341}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  That in blessing{H1288}{(H8763)} I will bless{H1288}{(H8762)} thee, and in multiplying{H7235}{(H8687)} I will multiply{H7235}{(H8686)} thy seed{H2233} as the stars{H3556} of the heaven{H8064}, and as the sand{H2344} which is upon the sea{H3220} shore{H8193}; and thy seed{H2233} shall possess{H3423}{(H8799)} the gate{H8179} of his enemies{H341}{(H8802)};

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  that I will blesse th and multiplye thy seed as the starres of heaven and as the sonde vpo the seesyde. And thy seed shall possesse the gates of hys enymies.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  I wyll prospere and multiplye thy sede as the starres of heauen, and as the sonde vpon the see shore. And thy sede shall possesse the gates of his enemies:

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Therefore will I surely blesse thee, and will greatly multiplie thy seede, as the starres of the heauen, and as the sand which is vpon the sea shore, and thy seede shall possesse the gate of his enemies.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  That in blessing I wyll blesse thee, and in multiplying I wyll multiplie thy seede as the starres of heauen, and as the sande which is vpon the sea side, and thy seede shall possesse the gates of his enemies.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  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;

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  that in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore. Your seed will possess the gate of his enemies.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  that blessing I bless thee, and multiplying I multiply thy seed as stars of the heavens, and as sand which `is' on the sea-shore; and thy seed doth possess the gate of his enemies;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore. And thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  That I will certainly give you my blessing, and your seed will be increased like the stars of heaven and the sand by the seaside; your seed will take the land of those who are against them;

• World English Bible (2000)

  that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your seed greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your seed will possess the gate of his enemies.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  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.

Referenced Verses

• Gen 15:5 : 5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them." Then He added, "So will your descendants be."
• Gen 13:16 : 16 I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust of the earth, your descendants could also be counted.
• Gen 24:60 : 60 They blessed Rebekah and said to her, "Our sister, may you become thousands upon thousands. May your offspring possess the gate of their enemies."
• Gen 26:4 : 4 I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and give them all these lands, and through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
• Jer 33:22 : 22 Just as the stars in the sky cannot be counted and the sand on the seashore cannot be measured, so will I multiply the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me.
• Dan 2:44-45 : 44 In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will establish a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will stand forever. 45 This is because you saw a stone cut out from a mountain without human hands, and it crushed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God has made known to the king what will happen in the future. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is trustworthy.
• Mic 1:9 : 9 For her wound is incurable; it has even reached Judah. It has reached the gates of my people, even to Jerusalem itself.
• Luke 1:68-75 : 68 'Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and provided redemption for His people. 69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, 70 just as He spoke through the mouth of His holy prophets from long ago— 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. 72 He has shown mercy to our ancestors and remembered His holy covenant— 73 the oath that He swore to our father Abraham, to grant us: 74 that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, would serve Him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
• 1 Cor 15:57 : 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
• Eph 1:3 : 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
• Rev 11:15 : 15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever."
• Gen 12:2 : 2 And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
• Gen 17:6 : 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.
• Gen 27:28-29 : 28 May God give you the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth, an abundance of grain and new wine. 29 May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. Cursed be those who curse you, and blessed be those who bless you.
• Gen 28:3 : 3 May God Almighty bless you, make you fruitful, and multiply you, so that you become a community of peoples.
• Gen 28:14-22 : 14 Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west, to the east, to the north, and to the south. Through you and your descendants, all the families of the earth will be blessed. 15 Look, I am with you, and I will guard you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, because I will not leave you until I have done everything I promised you. 16 Jacob woke up from his sleep and said, 'Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.' 17 He was afraid and said, 'How amazing is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.' 18 Early in the morning, Jacob took the stone he had used as a pillow, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on its top. 19 He called the name of that place Bethel, but previously the name of the city was called Luz. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, 'If God will be with me and watch over me on this journey I am taking, and give me food to eat and clothes to wear, 21 'so that I return safely to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God.' 22 And this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of everything you give me, I will surely give a tenth back to you.'
• Gen 32:12 : 12 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from Esau, for I am afraid of him. He might come and strike me, the mothers, and the children.
• Gen 49:25-26 : 25 Because of the God of your father, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and womb. 26 The blessings of your father are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-old hills. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers.
• Num 24:17-19 : 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 and destroy all the sons of Sheth. 18 Edom will become a possession; Seir, his enemy, will also be a possession. But Israel will grow strong. 19 A ruler will come out of Jacob and will destroy the survivors of the city.
• Deut 1:10 : 10 The LORD your God has multiplied you, and now you are as numerous as the stars in the sky.
• Deut 21:19 : 19 his father and mother are to take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his city.
• Deut 28:2-9 : 2 All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you listen to the voice of the LORD your God. 3 You will be blessed in the city, and you will be blessed in the field. 4 Blessed will be the fruit of your womb, the produce of your land, and the offspring of your livestock—including the young of your cattle and the increase of your flocks. 5 Blessed will be your basket and your kneading bowl. 6 You will be blessed when you come in, and you will be blessed when you go out. 7 The LORD will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you. They will come out against you in one direction but flee from you in seven directions. 8 The LORD will command the blessing on your storehouses and on all you set your hand to do. He will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. 9 The LORD will establish you as His holy people, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. 10 Then all the peoples of the earth will see that the name of the LORD is called upon you, and they will stand in awe of you. 11 The LORD will make you prosper abundantly in the fruit of your womb, in the offspring of your livestock, and in the produce of your land on the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. 12 The LORD will open the heavens, His rich treasury, to give rain to your land in its season and bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow. 13 The LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you will only go upwards and not downwards, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God that I am commanding you today, to observe and to do them.
• Josh 1:1-9 : 1 After the death of Moses, the servant of the LORD, the LORD spoke to Joshua, son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now, therefore, arise, cross over this Jordan—you and all the people—into the land that I am giving to them, to the children of Israel. 3 Every place the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 Your territory will stretch from the wilderness and this Lebanon to the great river, the Euphrates River—all the land of the Hittites—and westward to the Great Sea, where the sun sets. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you nor abandon you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to obey all the law that my servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left so that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips. Meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” 10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people:
• 2 Sam 8:1-9 : 1 After this, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them; he took control of the bridle of the mother-city from the Philistines. 2 David also defeated Moab. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them with a rope. He measured two lengths of rope to put them to death and one full length to let them live, and the Moabites became servants to David, bringing him tribute. 3 David defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his control over the Euphrates River. 4 From Hadadezer, David captured a thousand chariots, seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all the chariot horses but spared enough horses for a hundred chariots. 5 When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. 6 Then David stationed garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became his servants, bringing tribute. The LORD gave David victory wherever he went. 7 David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 From Betah and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a great amount of bronze. 9 When Toi, king of Hamath, heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, 10 he sent his son Joram to King David to ask for peace and to congratulate him on his victory over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Toi. Joram brought with him articles of silver, gold, and bronze. 11 King David dedicated these articles to the LORD, along with the silver and gold he had dedicated from all the nations he had subdued: 12 from Aram, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah. 13 David gained renown when he returned after striking down eighteen thousand Arameans in the Valley of Salt. 14 He stationed garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became David's subjects. The LORD gave David victory wherever he went. 15 David reigned over all Israel, administering justice and righteousness to all his people. 16 Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder. 17 Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests, and Seraiah was the scribe. 18 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites, and David's sons were priests.
• 2 Sam 10:1-9 : 1 After this, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king in his place. 2 Then David said, 'I will show kindness to Hanun, the son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.' So David sent his servants to console Hanun about his father. But when David’s servants arrived in the land of the Ammonites, 3 the officials of the Ammonites said to Hanun, their lord, 'Do you really think David is honoring your father by sending comforters to you? Isn’t it rather to investigate, spy out the city, and overthrow it that David has sent his servants to you?' 4 So Hanun seized David's servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments at the hips, exposing their buttocks, and sent them away. 5 When this was reported to David, he sent messengers to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated. The king said, 'Stay at Jericho until your beards grow back, and then return.' 6 When the Ammonites realized they had become odious to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth-Rehob and Zobah, as well as the king of Maacah with one thousand men, and twelve thousand men from Tob. 7 When David heard of this, he sent Joab and all the army of mighty warriors. 8 The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance of the city gate, while the Arameans from Zobah and Rehob, along with the men of Tob and Maacah, were stationed by themselves in the open field. 9 When Joab saw that battle lines were drawn up against him both in front and behind, he chose some of the select men of Israel and arrayed them against the Arameans. 10 He placed the rest of the people under the command of his brother Abishai, who arrayed them against the Ammonites. 11 Joab said, 'If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you will help me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to help you.' 12 Be strong, and let us show strength for the sake of our people and the cities of our God. May the LORD do what seems good to Him. 13 Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. 14 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they also fled before Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites and went back to Jerusalem. 15 When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together. 16 Hadadezer sent for the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates River. They came to Helam, led by Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer’s army. 17 When David was informed, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. The Arameans formed their battle lines to meet David and fought against him. 18 But the Arameans fled before Israel. David killed seven hundred Aramean charioteers and forty thousand horsemen. He also struck down Shobach, the commander of their army, who died there. 19 When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subject to them. So the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.
• 1 Kgs 9:26 : 26 King Solomon also built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, near Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea in the land of Edom.
• Ps 2:8-9 : 8 Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession. 9 You will break them with an iron rod; You will shatter them like a potter's vessel.
• Ps 72:8-9 : 8 He will have dominion from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. 9 Those who dwell in the desert will bow before him, and his enemies will lick the dust.
• Jer 32:22 : 22 You gave them this land You swore to give to their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.