Genesis 17:7

17:7 I will confirm ¹  my covenant as a perpetual ²  covenant between me and you. It will extend to your descendants after you throughout their generations. I will be your God and the God of your descendants after you. ³ 

Jeremiah 32:38-39

32:38 They will be my people, and I will be their God. ⁴  32:39 I will give them a single-minded purpose to live in a way that always shows respect for me. They will want to do that for ⁵  their own good and the good of the children who descend from them.

Acts 2:39

2:39 For the promise ⁶  is for you and your children, and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”

Acts 3:25

3:25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, ⁷  saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants ⁸  all the nations ⁹  of the earth will be blessed.’ ¹⁰ 

¹ tn The verb קוּם (qum, “to arise, to stand up”) in the Hiphil verbal stem means “to confirm, to give effect to, to carry out” (i.e., a covenant or oath; see BDB 878-79 s.v. קוּם).

² tn Or “as an eternal.”

³ tn Heb “to be to you for God and to your descendants after you.”

⁴ sn The covenant formula setting forth the basic relationship is reinstituted along with a new covenant (v. 40). See also 24:7; 30:22; 31:1 and the study note on 30:22.

⁵ tn Heb “I will give to them one heart and one way to [= in order that they may] fear me all the days for good to them.” The phrase “one heart” refers both to unanimity of will and accord (cf. 1 Chr 12:38 [12:39 HT]; 2 Chr 30:12) and to singleness of purpose or intent (cf. Ezek 11:19 and see BDB 525 s.v. ֵלב 4 where reference is made to “inclinations, resolutions, and determinations of the will”). The phrase “one way” refers to one way of life or conduct (cf. BDB 203 s.v. דֶּרֶךְ 6.a where reference is made to moral action and character), a way of life that is further qualified by the goal of showing “fear, reverence, respect” for the Lord. The Hebrew sentence has been broken up to avoid a long complex sentence in English which is contrary to contemporary English style. However, an attempt has been made to preserve all the connections of the original.

⁶ sn The promise refers to the promise of the Holy Spirit that Jesus received from the Father in 2:33 and which he now pours out on others. The promise consists of the Holy Spirit (see note in 2:33). Jesus is the active mediator of God’s blessing.

⁷ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

⁸ tn Or “in your offspring”; Grk “in your seed.”

⁹ tn Or “families.” The Greek word πατριά (patria) can indicate persons of succeeding generations who are related by birth (“lineage,” “family”) but it can also indicate a relatively large unit of people who make up a sociopolitical group and who share a presumed biological descent. In many contexts πατριά is very similar to ἔθνος (eqnos) and λαός (laos). In light of the context of the OT quotation, it is better to translate πατριά as “nations” here.

¹⁰ sn A quotation from Gen 22:18.