Genesis 13:16

13:16 And I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone is able to count the dust of the earth, then your descendants also can be counted. ¹ 

Genesis 16:10

16:10 I will greatly multiply your descendants,” the Lord’s angel added, ²  “so that they will be too numerous to count.” ³ 

Genesis 21:13

21:13 But I will also make the son of the slave wife into a great nation, for he is your descendant too.”

Genesis 22:17

22:17 I will indeed bless you, ⁴  and I will greatly multiply ⁵  your descendants ⁶  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 ⁷  of the strongholds ⁸  of their enemies.

Genesis 3:15

3:15 And I will put hostility ⁹  between you and the woman

and between your offspring and her offspring; ¹⁰ 

her offspring will attack ¹¹  your head,

and ¹²  you ¹³  will attack her offspring’s heel.” ¹⁴ 

Genesis 15:5

15:5 The Lord ¹⁵  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 15:13

15:13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain ¹⁶  that your descendants will be strangers ¹⁷  in a foreign country. ¹⁸  They will be enslaved and oppressed ¹⁹  for four hundred years.

Genesis 17:7

17:7 I will confirm ²⁰  my covenant as a perpetual ²¹  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. ²² 

Genesis 17:10

17:10 This is my requirement that you and your descendants after you must keep: ²³  Every male among you must be circumcised. ²⁴ 

Genesis 24:60

24:60 They blessed Rebekah with these words: ²⁵ 

“Our sister, may you become the mother ²⁶  of thousands of ten thousands!

May your descendants possess the strongholds ²⁷  of their enemies.”

Genesis 26:4

26:4 I will multiply your descendants so they will be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them ²⁸  all these lands. All the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants. ²⁹ 

Genesis 28:14

28:14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, ³⁰  and you will spread out ³¹  to the west, east, north, and south. All the families of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ³²  using your name and that of your descendants. ³³ 

Genesis 32:12

32:12 But you ³⁴  said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper ³⁵  and will make ³⁶  your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’” ³⁷ 

Genesis 48:11

48:11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected ³⁸  to see you ³⁹  again, but now God has allowed me to see your children ⁴⁰  too.”

Genesis 26:24

26:24 The Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.”

[13:16]  ¹ tn The translation “can be counted” (potential imperfect) is suggested by the use of יוּכַל (yukhal, “is able”) in the preceding clause.

[16:10]  ² tn Heb “The Lord’s angel said, ‘I will greatly multiply your descendants….” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[16:10]  ³ tn Heb “cannot be numbered because of abundance.”

[22:17]  ³ tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form (either an imperfect or cohortative) emphasizes the certainty of the blessing.

[22:17]  ⁴ tn Here too the infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the following finite verb (either an imperfect or cohortative).

[22:17]  ⁵ 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.

[22:17]  ⁶ tn Or “inherit.”

[22:17]  ⁷ 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”).

[3:15]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew word translated “hostility” is derived from the root אֵיב (’ev, “to be hostile, to be an adversary [or enemy]”). The curse announces that there will be continuing hostility between the serpent and the woman. The serpent will now live in a “battle zone,” as it were.

[3:15]  ⁵ sn The Hebrew word translated “offspring” is a collective singular. The text anticipates the ongoing struggle between human beings (the woman’s offspring) and deadly poisonous snakes (the serpent’s offspring). An ancient Jewish interpretation of the passage states: “He made the serpent, cause of the deceit, press the earth with belly and flank, having bitterly driven him out. He aroused a dire enmity between them. The one guards his head to save it, the other his heel, for death is at hand in the proximity of men and malignant poisonous snakes.” See Sib. Or. 1:59-64. For a similar interpretation see Josephus, Ant. 1.1.4 (1.50-51).

[3:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “he will attack [or “bruise”] you [on] the head.” The singular pronoun and verb agree grammatically with the collective singular noun “offspring.” For other examples of singular verb and pronominal forms being used with the collective singular “offspring,” see Gen 16:10; 22:17; 24:60. The word “head” is an adverbial accusative, locating the blow. A crushing blow to the head would be potentially fatal.

[3:15]  ⁷ tn Or “but you will…”; or “as they attack your head, you will attack their heel.” The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) is understood as contrastive. Both clauses place the subject before the verb, a construction that is sometimes used to indicate synchronic action (see Judg 15:14).

[3:15]  ⁸ sn You will attack her offspring’s heel. Though the conflict will actually involve the serpent’s offspring (snakes) and the woman’s offspring (human beings), v. 15b for rhetorical effect depicts the conflict as being between the serpent and the woman’s offspring, as if the serpent will outlive the woman. The statement is personalized for the sake of the addressee (the serpent) and reflects the ancient Semitic concept of corporate solidarity, which emphasizes the close relationship between a progenitor and his offspring. Note Gen 28:14, where the Lord says to Jacob, “Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth, and you [second masculine singular] will spread out in all directions.” Jacob will “spread out” in all directions through his offspring, but the text states the matter as if this will happen to him personally.

[3:15]  ⁹ tn Heb “you will attack him [on] the heel.” The verb (translated “attack”) is repeated here, a fact that is obscured by some translations (e.g., NIV “crush…strike”). The singular pronoun agrees grammatically with the collective singular noun “offspring.” For other examples of singular verb and pronominal forms being used with the collective singular “offspring,” see Gen 16:10; 22:17; 24:60. The word “heel” is an adverbial accusative, locating the blow. A bite on the heel from a poisonous serpent is potentially fatal.

[15:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:13]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew construction is emphatic, with the Qal infinitive absolute followed by the imperfect from יָדַע (yada’, “know”). The imperfect here has an obligatory or imperatival force.

[15:13]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew word גֵּר (ger, “sojourner, stranger”) is related to the verb גּוּר (gur, “to sojourn, to stay for awhile”). Abram’s descendants will stay in a land as resident aliens without rights of citizenship.

[15:13]  ⁸ tn Heb “in a land not theirs.”

[15:13]  ⁹ tn Heb “and they will serve them and they will oppress them.” The verb עִנּוּ, (’innu, a Piel form from עָנָה, ’anah, “to afflict, to oppress, to treat harshly”), is used in Exod 1:11 to describe the oppression of the Israelites in Egypt.

[17:7]  ⁷ 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).

[17:7]  ⁸ tn Or “as an eternal.”

[17:7]  ⁹ tn Heb “to be to you for God and to your descendants after you.”

[17:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “This is my covenant that you must keep between me and you and your descendants after you.”

[17:10]  ⁹ sn For a discussion of male circumcision as the sign of the covenant in this passage see M. V. Fox, “The Sign of the Covenant: Circumcision in the Light of the Priestly ‘ot Etiologies,” RB 81 (1974): 557-96.

[24:60]  ⁹ tn Heb “and said to her.”

[24:60]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “become thousands of ten thousands.”

[24:60]  ¹¹ tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”). A similar phrase occurs in Gen 22:17.

[26:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “your descendants.”

[26:4]  ¹¹ tn Traditionally the verb is taken as passive (“will be blessed”) here, as if Abraham’s descendants were going to be a channel or source of blessing to the nations. But the Hitpael is better understood here as reflexive/reciprocal, “will bless [i.e., pronounce blessings on] themselves/one another” (see also Gen 22:18). Elsewhere the Hitpael of the verb “to bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11. Earlier formulations of this promise (see Gen 12:2; 18:18) use the Niphal stem. (See also Gen 28:14.)

[28:14]  ¹¹ tn This is the same Hebrew word translated “ground” in the preceding verse.

[28:14]  ¹² tn The verb is singular in the Hebrew; Jacob is addressed as the representative of his descendants.

[28:14]  ¹³ tn Theoretically the Niphal stem can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Jacob were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in other formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless (i.e., pronounce blessings upon) themselves/one another.” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 28:14 predicts that Jacob will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae (see Gen 12:2 and 18:18 as well, where Abram/Abraham receives this promise). For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.

[28:14]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and they will pronounce blessings by you, all the families of the earth, and by your offspring.”

[32:12]  ¹² tn Heb “But you, you said.” One of the occurrences of the pronoun “you” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.

[32:12]  ¹³ tn Or “will certainly deal well with you.” The infinitive absolute appears before the imperfect, underscoring God’s promise to bless. The statement is more emphatic than in v. 9.

[32:12]  ¹⁴ tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, carrying the nuance of the preceding verb forward.

[32:12]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “which cannot be counted because of abundance.” The imperfect verbal form indicates potential here.

[48:11]  ¹³ tn On the meaning of the Hebrew verb פָּלַל (palal) here, see E. A. Speiser, “The Stem pll in Hebrew,” JBL 82 (1963): 301-6. Speiser argues that this verb means “to estimate” as in Exod 21:22.

[48:11]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “your face.”

[48:11]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “offspring.”