Genesis 28:3 kjv

And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;

Genesis 28:3 nkjv

"May God Almighty bless you, And make you fruitful and multiply you, That you may be an assembly of peoples;

Genesis 28:3 niv

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

Genesis 28:3 esv

God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples.

Genesis 28:3 nlt

May God Almighty bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants multiply and become many nations!

Genesis 28 verses

Genesis 28 3 Meaning

Genesis 28:3 conveys a patriarchal blessing from Isaac to his son Jacob, serving as a solemn prayer and declaration. Isaac invokes God Almighty, also known as El Shaddai, to bestow profound blessings upon Jacob. Specifically, the blessing promises that Jacob will be made exceedingly fruitful, resulting in an immense multiplication of his descendants. The ultimate purpose and outcome of this increase are that Jacob's lineage will form a great "community of peoples" or "company of nations," underscoring the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant's promise of a vast and populous progeny. This divine blessing anticipates the birth of the twelve tribes of Israel and the subsequent development of the nation.

Genesis 28 3 Context

Genesis 28:3 occurs at a pivotal moment in Jacob's life. He has just deceived his father, Isaac, and defrauded his brother, Esau, of the patriarchal blessing and birthright. Due to Esau's murderous intent, Jacob is commanded by his parents to flee to Paddan-Aram to find a wife from his mother's relatives, thereby avoiding marriage to local Canaanite women. Before Jacob departs, Isaac, now fully aware of the prior deception but apparently reconciled to God's purpose for Jacob as the chosen heir, summons Jacob and intentionally bestows this significant blessing upon him. This blessing is not the earlier, stolen one of general prosperity but a direct invocation of the Abrahamic covenant's promises—especially those related to a numerous seed and the formation of a great people. This demonstrates Isaac's affirmation of God's sovereign choice of Jacob to carry forward the covenant lineage and promises, even amidst familial tension and Jacob's moral failings.

Genesis 28 3 Word analysis

• God Almighty (אֵל שַׁדַּי, El Shaddai):

  • El (אֵל): Generic Hebrew term for "God" or "mighty one." Denotes divine power.
  • Shaddai (שַׁדַּי): "Almighty" or "All-sufficient." This name for God first appears when He established the covenant of circumcision with Abraham in Gen 17:1. It emphasizes God's omnipotent ability to fulfill His promises, especially those concerning fruitfulness and the creation of something from nothing or the seemingly impossible. It conveys God as the powerful provider, protector, and sustainer who can overcome all obstacles to bring about His purposes, making it highly appropriate for a blessing concerning vast offspring. It is intrinsically linked to the patriarchal covenants.

• bless (יְבָרֵךְ, yevarekh):

  • From the root barak (בָּרַךְ). To invoke or confer divine favor, prosperity, and protection. Here, it is an optative verbal form, a prayer or a wish that God may do so, yet spoken with the authority of the patriarch transmitting God's covenant. It signifies the bestowal of supernatural goodness and welfare, empowering one for success and abundance as purposed by God.

• you (אֹתְךָ, oteka):

  • Singular masculine pronoun, specifically addressing Jacob. The blessing is personal yet carries implications for all his descendants.

• make you fruitful (וְיַפְרְךָ, veyafrkha):

  • From the root para (פָּרָה), meaning "to bear fruit, be fruitful, increase." This word connects directly to God's first command to humanity in creation (Gen 1:28) and to Noah (Gen 9:1). It highlights divine enablement for procreation and abundance, essential for fulfilling the covenant of a numerous seed. It denotes organic, natural growth in numbers.

• and increase your numbers (וְיַרְבְּךָ, veyarbka):

  • From the root raba (רָבָה), meaning "to become great, numerous, multiply." Often paired with para, it emphasizes exponential numerical growth and becoming exceedingly many. While para implies becoming productive, raba emphasizes the resulting multitude.

• until you become (וְהָיִיתָ, vehayita):

  • Conjunction ve (and) plus a form of hayah (to be, become). Indicates the result or outcome of the preceding blessings of fruitfulness and multiplication. It shows that God's blessing leads to a definite state or transformation.

• a community of peoples (לִקְהַל עַמִּים, liq’hal ‘ammim):

  • li- (לִ-): Preposition "to, for, into." Indicates direction or result.
  • qahal (קָהַל): "Assembly," "congregation," "multitude." This term is significant because it is often used in the Hebrew Bible for the structured, formal "assembly of Israel," the gathered nation of God's chosen people. It implies more than just a large collection of individuals but an organized, communal body.
  • ‘ammim (עַמִּים): Plural of am (עַם), "people, nation." Can refer to different peoples or to the constituent parts of a single great nation (i.e., tribes). Here, it specifically indicates that Jacob's descendants will form not just a family, but a distinct national entity. In broader Abrahamic covenant fulfillment (Gen 17:4-6), "multitude of nations" can also prophetically point to the inclusion of Gentile nations into God's spiritual family through faith in the Messiah who comes from Jacob's lineage.

Genesis 28 3 Bonus section

The specific use of "El Shaddai" in Isaac's blessing holds profound theological weight. While later generations would primarily know God by His covenant name, Yahweh (LORD), the patriarchs experienced Him through the revelation of El Shaddai (Exod 6:3). This name is repeatedly associated with God's ability to overcome natural limitations to grant offspring (Sarah's barrenness, Rebekah's barrenness, and Jacob's eventual numerous progeny through four women) and to sustain His people in the wilderness, emphasizing His absolute sufficiency and power. The promise that Jacob's descendants would become a qahal ‘ammim foreshadows the reality of Israel not merely as a loose collection of tribes but as a divinely constituted assembly. This word, qahal, is later used for the "congregation of Israel" (e.g., in Deuteronomy) or "assembly of the LORD," highlighting the collective identity and divine purpose for the nation emerging from Jacob. Ultimately, this promise, along with others given to the patriarchs, culminates not only in the nation of Israel but also points towards the spiritual offspring of Abraham—the vast, innumerable church drawn from "every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages" (Rev 7:9), fulfilling the even broader global scope of Abraham's blessing.

Genesis 28 3 Commentary

Genesis 28:3 is a crucial patriarchal blessing from Isaac to Jacob, ensuring the continuation of God's covenant with Abraham. Isaac, acting as the divinely appointed conduit, invokes "God Almighty" (El Shaddai), a name particularly associated with God's power to fulfill promises, especially those pertaining to an immense lineage and miraculous provision. The twin promises to "make you fruitful and increase your numbers" are foundational. They echo the creation mandate for humanity (Gen 1:28) and its reaffirmation to Noah (Gen 9:1), but here they are specifically tied to the Abrahamic covenant's central theme of numerous descendants (Gen 12:2; 17:6). The phrase "until you become a community of peoples" translates the Hebrew qahal ‘ammim. Qahal specifically implies an organized assembly, anticipating the formation of Israel as a structured nation or congregation, comprising distinct "peoples" (the twelve tribes). This blessing therefore validates Jacob's standing as the inheritor of the covenant, assuring him of the immense population growth necessary for the eventual nation of Israel. It sets the stage for the physical growth of the people who would later receive the Law and enter the promised land, bearing testament to God's unchanging faithfulness to His sworn promises. It teaches that God's plans unfold according to His divine sovereignty, even through imperfect human vessels and amidst difficult circumstances.