Genesis 28:3

3 May God Almighty[a] bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples.

Genesis 28:3 in Other Translations

KJV
3 And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;
ESV
3 God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples.
NLT
3 May God Almighty bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants multiply and become many nations!
MSG
3 "And may The Strong God bless you and give you many, many children, a congregation of peoples;
CSB
3 May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you so that you become an assembly of peoples.

Genesis 28:3 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 28:3

And God Almighty bless thee
This is not a new blessing, distinct from that in ( Genesis 28:1 ) , but the same; there it is expressed in general, here the particulars of it are given; and by which it appears, that Isaac's blessing Jacob was a prayer, wishing a blessing from God upon him, and was the prayer of faith, delivered out under the spirit of prophecy; and they are blessed indeed that are blessed of God, and they must needs be blessed who are blessed by the Almighty; for what is it he cannot do or give? The Targum of Jonathan adds,

``with much riches;''
but no doubt all kind of blessings are included, both temporal and spiritual: and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee;
with a numerous offspring: that thou mayest be a multitude of people;
or an "assembly" or "congregation" F7 of them; which may all unite in one body and make one nation, as the twelve tribes descending from Jacob did.
FOOTNOTES:

F7 (lhql) "in Coetum", Pagninus, Montanus

Genesis 28:3 In-Context

1 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him: “Do not marry a Canaanite woman.
2 Go at once to Paddan Aram, to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.
3 May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples.
4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now reside as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.”
5 Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.

Cross References 4

  • 1. S Genesis 17:1
  • 2. Genesis 48:16; Numbers 6:24; Ruth 2:4; Psalms 129:8; Psalms 134:3; Jeremiah 31:23
  • 3. S Genesis 17:6
  • 4. S Genesis 12:2

Footnotes 1

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