Genesis 15:5

15:5 The Lord ¹  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 22:17

22:17 I will indeed bless you, ²  and I will greatly multiply ³  your descendants ⁴  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 ⁵  of the strongholds ⁶  of their enemies.

Genesis 22:1

The Sacrifice of Isaac

22:1 Some time after these things God tested ⁷  Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am!” Abraham ⁸  replied.

Genesis 27:23

27:23 He did not recognize him because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau’s hands. So Isaac blessed Jacob. ⁹ 

¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form (either an imperfect or cohortative) emphasizes the certainty of the blessing.

³ tn Here too the infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the following finite verb (either an imperfect or cohortative).

⁴ tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.

⁵ tn Or “inherit.”

⁶ tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. To break through the gate complex would be to conquer the city, for the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”).

⁷ sn The Hebrew verb used here means “to test; to try; to prove.” In this passage God tests Abraham to see if he would be obedient. See T. W. Mann, The Book of the Torah, 44-48. See also J. L. Crenshaw, A Whirlpool of Torment (OBT), 9-30; and J. I. Lawlor, “The Test of Abraham,” GTJ 1 (1980): 19-35.

⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁹ tn Heb “and he blessed him.” The referents of the pronouns “he” (Isaac) and “him” (Jacob) have been specified in the translation for clarity.