and told me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you; I will make you a multitude of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.' and told meThis phrase refers to God speaking to Jacob, also known as Israel. The context is Jacob recounting God's promise to him, which is a continuation of the covenant made with Abraham and Isaac. This divine communication underscores the personal relationship between God and the patriarchs, emphasizing the importance of divine revelation in the biblical narrative. ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you;
This promise echoes the original blessing given to Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:28 and is reiterated to Noah in Genesis 9:1. It signifies not only physical progeny but also spiritual prosperity and influence. The phrase "fruitful and multiply" is a recurring theme in Genesis, highlighting God's intention for His people to grow and fill the earth. I will make you a multitude of peoples,
This part of the promise points to the future nation of Israel, which will consist of twelve tribes descending from Jacob's sons. It also foreshadows the inclusion of Gentiles into God's family, as seen in the New Testament (Galatians 3:28-29), where believers in Christ are considered Abraham's seed. and will give this land to your descendants after you
The land promise is central to the Abrahamic Covenant, first given in Genesis 12:7. It refers to the land of Canaan, which becomes the Promised Land for the Israelites. This promise is foundational for understanding the historical and theological significance of the land in the Bible, as it represents God's faithfulness and the fulfillment of His promises. as an everlasting possession.’
The term "everlasting possession" indicates the perpetual nature of God's covenant with Israel. While the physical possession of the land has varied throughout history, the promise remains a testament to God's unchanging commitment. This phrase also points to the eschatological hope of a future restoration and fulfillment in the Messianic kingdom, where Christ reigns as the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises to Israel. Persons / Places / Events 1. Jacob (Israel)The patriarch who receives God's promise. He is recounting God's covenant to his son Joseph. 2. JosephJacob's son, who is present as Jacob blesses his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh. 3. GodThe divine being who made the covenant with Jacob, promising him fruitfulness and land. 4. CanaanThe land promised by God to Jacob's descendants as an everlasting possession. 5. Ephraim and ManassehJoseph's sons, who are being blessed by Jacob in this chapter. Teaching Points God's FaithfulnessGod's promises are steadfast and reliable. Just as He was faithful to Jacob, He remains faithful to His promises to us today. Generational BlessingThe blessings and promises of God often extend beyond the individual to their descendants. Our faithfulness can impact future generations. Fruitfulness and MultiplicationGod's desire is for His people to be fruitful and multiply, not just physically but spiritually, expanding His kingdom on earth. Everlasting PossessionThe land promised to Jacob's descendants symbolizes the eternal inheritance believers have in Christ, pointing to the ultimate fulfillment in the new heavens and new earth. Covenant RelationshipUnderstanding our relationship with God as a covenant relationship helps us grasp the depth of His commitment to us and our response to Him. Bible Study Questions 1. How does God's promise to Jacob in Genesis 48:4 reflect His covenant with Abraham, and what does this teach us about God's consistency? 2. In what ways can we see the fulfillment of God's promise of fruitfulness and multiplication in the history of Israel and the church today? 3. How can we apply the concept of generational blessing in our own families and communities? 4. What does the promise of an "everlasting possession" mean for us as believers in the context of our eternal inheritance in Christ? 5. How can understanding our relationship with God as a covenant relationship influence our daily walk with Him? Connections to Other Scriptures Genesis 17:6-8God's covenant with Abraham, promising to make him exceedingly fruitful and to give his descendants the land of Canaan. Genesis 35:11-12God's reaffirmation of the covenant to Jacob, promising him a nation and a company of nations. Exodus 6:7-8God's promise to bring the Israelites to the land He swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Hebrews 11:9-10The faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the promises of God, looking forward to a city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. People Amorites, Ephrath, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Manasseh, Rachel, Reuben, SimeonPlaces Bethlehem, Canaan, Ephrath, Luz, Paddan, RamesesTopics Age-during, Assembly, Behold, Community, Company, Descendants, Everlasting, Family, Fertile, Fruitful, Heritage, Increase, Making, Multiplied, Multiply, Multitude, Nations, Numbers, Numerous, Peoples, Possession, Seed, TrulyDictionary of Bible Themes Genesis 48:4 1140 God, the eternal
7206 community Genesis 48:1-20 1651 numbers, 1-2
7266 tribes of Israel Genesis 48:3-4 4207 land, divine gift Library Two Retrospects of one Life
'And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, Few and evil have the days of the years of my life been.'--GENESIS xlvii. 9. 'The God which fed me all my life long unto this day; the Angel which redeemed me from all evil.' --GENESIS xlviii. 15,16. These are two strangely different estimates of the same life to be taken by the same man. In the latter Jacob categorically contradicts everything that he had said in the former. 'Few and evil,' he said before Pharaoh. 'All my life long,' 'the Angel which redeemed me from …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureA Calm Evening, Promising a Bright Morning
'And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father. And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Wonderful.
Isaiah ix:6. HIS name shall be called "Wonderful" (Isaiah ix:6). And long before Isaiah had uttered this divine prediction the angel of the Lord had announced his name to be Wonderful. As such He appeared to Manoah. And Manoah said unto the angel of Jehovah, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honor. And the angel of Jehovah said unto Him "why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is Wonderful" (margin, Judges xiii:17-18). This angel of Jehovah, the Person who …
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory Blessing Children. Concerning Childlikeness.
(in Peræa.) ^A Matt. XIX. 13-15; ^B Mark X. 13-16; ^C Luke XVIII. 15-17. ^a 13 Then were there brought ^b 13 And they were bringing ^a unto him little children, { ^c also their babes,} that he should touch them: ^a that he should lay his hands on them, and pray [According to Buxtorf, children were often brought to the presidents of the synagogue in order that they might pray over them. The prayers of a good man in our behalf have always been regarded as a blessing; no wonder, then, that the …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the thousands of Judah
"And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall come forth unto Me (one) [Pg 480] to be Ruler in Israel; and His goings forth are the times of old, the days of eternity." The close connection of this verse with what immediately precedes (Caspari is wrong in considering iv. 9-14 as an episode) is evident, not only from the [Hebrew: v] copulative, and from the analogy of the near relation of the announcement of salvation to the prophecy of disaster …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Gen. xxxi. 11
Of no less importance and significance is the passage Gen. xxxi. 11 seq. According to ver. 11, the Angel of God, [Hebrew: mlaK halhiM] appears toJacob in a dream. In ver. 13, the same person calls himself the God of Bethel, with reference to the event recorded in chap. xxviii. 11-22. It cannot be supposed that in chap xxviii. the mediation of a common angel took place, who, however, had not been expressly mentioned; for Jehovah is there contrasted with the angels. In ver. 12, we read: "And behold …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Jesus Sets Out from Judæa for Galilee.
Subdivision B. At Jacob's Well, and at Sychar. ^D John IV. 5-42. ^d 5 So he cometh to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 and Jacob's well was there. [Commentators long made the mistake of supposing that Shechem, now called Nablous, was the town here called Sychar. Sheckem lies a mile and a half west of Jacob's well, while the real Sychar, now called 'Askar, lies scarcely half a mile north of the well. It was a small town, loosely called …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Genesis
The Old Testament opens very impressively. In measured and dignified language it introduces the story of Israel's origin and settlement upon the land of Canaan (Gen.--Josh.) by the story of creation, i.-ii. 4a, and thus suggests, at the very beginning, the far-reaching purpose and the world-wide significance of the people and religion of Israel. The narrative has not travelled far till it becomes apparent that its dominant interests are to be religious and moral; for, after a pictorial sketch of …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Genesis 48:4 NIVGenesis 48:4 NLTGenesis 48:4 ESVGenesis 48:4 NASBGenesis 48:4 KJV
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