Genesis 22:17

Gen 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which [is] upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

Ver. 17. Shall possess the gate,] i.e., Both their strength and government.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

22:17 Joshua and Old Testament Israel partially fulfilled the promise that Abraham’s descendants would conquer the cities (literally take possession of the gates) of God’s enemies; this will be fulfilled fully by the church (cp. Matt 16:18 and study note there).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, holds.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 17. Shall possess the gate of his enemies] Instead of gate the Septuagint have πολεις, cities; but as there is a very near resemblance between πολεισ, cities, and πυλασ, gates, the latter might have been the original reading in the Septuagint, though none of the MSS. now acknowledge it. By the gates may be meant all the strength, whether troops, counsels, or fortified cities of their enemies. So Mt 16:18: On this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it-the counsels, stratagems, and powers of darkness shall not be able to prevail against or overthrow the true Church of Christ; and possibly our Lord had this promise to Abraham and his spiritual posterity in view, when he spoke these words.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

17. Thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. He means that the offspring of Abraham should be victorious over their enemies; for in the gates were their bulwarks, and in them they administered judgment. Now, although God often suffered the enemies of the Jews tyrannically to rule over them; yet he so moderated their revenge, that this promise always prevailed in the end. Moreover, we must remember what has before been stated from Paul, concerning the unity of the seed; for we hence infer, that the victory is promised, not to the sons of Abraham promiscuously, but to Christ, and to his members, so far as they adhere together under one Head. For unless we retain some mark which may distinguish between the legitimate and the degenerate sons of Abraham, this promise will indiscriminately comprehend, as well the Ishmaelites and Idumeans, as the people of Israel: but the unity of a people depends on its head. Therefore the prophets, whenever they wish to confirm this promise of God, assume the principle, that they who have hitherto been divided, shall be united, under David, in one body. What further pertains to this subject may be found in the twelfth chapter Genesis 12:1

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

17. that in blessing, &c.] The language of this benediction combines the substance of previous blessings pronounced upon the patriarch, under three heads: (1) multiplication of seed; (2) victory over enemies; (3) universal happiness.

bless] Cf. Gen_12:2.

as the stars of the heaven] Cf. Gen_15:5.

as the sand] Cf. Gen_13:16.

the gate of his enemies] See note on Gen_24:60. The phrase denotes conquest. LXX reads πόλεις, both here and in Gen_24:60.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And in thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed,.... That is, in his one and principal seed, the Messiah, that should spring from him, Gal 3:16, in whom all the elect of God, of all nations under the heavens, are blessed with all spiritual blessings, with peace, pardon, righteousness, and eternal life, with grace here and glory hereafter; See Gill on Gen 12:3; or, "shall bless themselves" (o) in him; or, "account themselves blessed"; apply to him for blessings, claim their interest in them, and glory in them, and make their boast of them:

because thou hast obeyed my voice; in taking his son and offering him up unto him, as much as he was permitted to do; and thus honouring God by his obedience to him, he of his grace and goodness honours him with the promise of being the father of multitudes, both in a literal and spiritual sense, and with being the ancestor of the Messiah, in whom all the blessings of grace and goodness meet.

(o) "benedicent se", Munster; to the same purpose Vatablus, Tigurine version, Piscator.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Stars and dust, comprising the just and sinners. --- Gates, shall judge and rule. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

i.e. The city, by a usual synecdoche, as Deu 12:15; 18:6, all the cities, and consequently the country adjacent; gate for gates. The sense is, they shall subdue their enemies. For the gates of cities were the places both of jurisdiction or judicature, Deu 21:19; 22:15; Amo 5:12,15; Zec 8:16; and of fortification and chief strength in war, Jdg 5:8; Psa 147:13; Isa 22:7; Eze 21:22. And this promise was fulfilled both literally in Israel’s conquest of Canaan, in David, Solomon, &c., and spiritually in Christ, Psa 110:1-3.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

17. Bless… multiply — Compare the promises that had gone before. Gen_12:2; Gen_12:8; Gen_13:14-17; Gen_15:5; Gen_15:7; Gen_15:18; Gen_17:1-8; and Gen_18:18.

Thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies — Fulfilled primarily in the conquest of Canaan, (comp. Gen_15:18-21,) but pointing even now to Christ’s ultimate triumph over the gates of hell. Mat_16:18. In the rapturous hour of this revelation and promise, Abraham, doubtless, saw Messiah’s day, and was glad. Joh_8:5-6.

With this account of the attempted offering of Isaac it has been common to compare the Grecian legends of Phrixus, Idomeneus, and Iphigenia; and also the Phoenician tradition of Chronos, who in a time of war and impending perils took his only son Jehoud, clothed him in royal apparel, and offered him in sacrifice upon an altar which he had built. But these tales have no more connexion with Abraham and Isaac than have the narratives of Jephthah’s vow (Judges 11) or the sacrifice of the king of Moab’s son. 2Ki_3:27.

The bearing of this act of Abraham on human sacrifices is worthy of notice. We need not go to the extent of Kurtz, who imagines that Abraham might have descried, on all the heights around him, altars smoking with human sacrifices; but we may believe that the idea of human sacrifice sprung from deep religious promptings; the consciousness of guilt, and the felt necessity of offering up the dearest and most precious gift as an atonement. Abraham’s act, adapted to be monumental in the history of the chosen race, recognised at once the necessity of sacrifice, and that our life is not our own; but it also revealed the authority from heaven to substitute animal life instead. In this revelation human sacrifices stand condemned, and animal sacrifices sanctioned and established as meeting the divine requirement.

The typical significance of the offering of Isaac has been recognised by nearly all Christian divines, but the pressing of all analogies and correspondencies as types may well be condemned. We have noted above (on Gen_22:12) how Isaac is no proper type of Christ; but as the apostle speaks of Abraham’s receiving his son from the dead “in a figure,” (Heb_11:19,) we may, by a legitimate accommodation, speak of the points in the narrative which in any way prefigure or suggest great Gospel facts. Thus 1) Abraham’s not withholding his only son suggests that greater act of Him “who spared not his own Son, but freely gave him up for us all.” Rom_8:32. 2) Isaac bearing the wood for the sacrifice suggests Christ bearing his own cross. 3) The ram caught in the thicket of thorns reminds us of Jesus with the thorn-wreath on his brow. 4) Isaac and the ram together have been taken as a double type, Isaac representing the divinity of our Lord, and the ram the humanity which Christ assumed (“a body hast thou prepared me,” Heb_10:5,) that he might taste death for Man_1:5) The three days from the command to sacrifice his son to the time of the deliverance of Isaac, his son was as one already dead to Abraham; and so, “in a figure,” his release was a resurrection from the dead. Heb_11:19. All these analogies may be truthfully presented as parabolic, (εν παραβολη,) but not as proper types.

Other lessons of this chapter are abundant. 1) Here is the notable instance in which to see how faith wrought with works and was thus made perfect. Jas_2:22. 2) The moral sublimity of ready obedience and submission when God demands our beloved. 3) The moral value of temptation and stern discipline. 4) The word of God the highest law. 5) Two immutable things, the oath and promise of God, a permanent source of consolation to the Christian believer. Heb_6:17-18. NAHOR’S CHILDREN, 20-24.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Multiplying I will multiply thee - Those that part with any thing for God, shall have it made up to them with unspeakable advantage. Abraham has but one son, and is willing to part with that one in obedience to God; well, saith God, thou shalt be recompensed with thousands and millions. Here is a promise,

1. Of the Spirit, In blessing I will bless thee - The Gift of the Holy Ghost; the promise of the Spirit was that blessing of Abraham which was to come upon the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, Gal. iii, 14.

2. Of the increase of the church; that believers, his spiritual seed, should be many as the stars of heaven.

3. Of spiritual victories; Thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies - Believers by their faith overcome the world, and triumph over all the powers of darkness. Probably Zacharias refers to this part of the oath, Luke i, 74. That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear. But the crown of all is the last promise,

4. Of the incarnation of Christ; In thy seed (one particular person that shall descend from thee, for he speaks not of many but of one, as the apostle observes, Gal. iii, 16.) shall all the nations of the earth be blessed - Christ is the great blessing of the world. Abraham was ready to give up his son for a sacrifice to the honour of God, and on that occasion God promised to give his son a sacrifice for the salvation of man.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

ברך אברכך I WILL SURELY BLESS THEE — The double use of the term “bless” is intended to signify a blessing for the father and a blessing for the son (Genesis Rabbah 56:11).

והרבה ארבה AND I WILL GREATLY MULTIPLY— once for the father, and once for the son (Genesis Rabbah 56:11).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

וירש זרעך את שער אויביו, the meaning of the words שער אויביו is ארץ אויביו, the land of its enemies. A land surrounded by oceans and mountains is difficult to conquer. Eretz Yisrael is such a country. When one has breached the coastal defences, or conquered the mountain ranges, it is as if one had broken through the gates of the fortified walls around a city. This is why the Torah here describes such a victory as “inheriting the gates of one’s enemies.” We find a similar expression used in Nachum 3,13 פתח נפתחו שערי ארצך, “the gates of your country will be completely open.” The prophet refers to the country lying at the mercy of an invader. G’d added further:

ככוכבי השמים וכחול, by this simile, and especially the repeated reference to two different hyperboles, He wanted to reinforce the meaning of this promise. Up until now, the only simile for the multiplying of Avraham’s seed had been the expression כעפר הארץ, “as the dust of the earth.” (13,15) On another occasion (15,5) the comparison had been to the stars. Now, two comparisons are mentioned, showing that the blessing had been reinforced. והתברכו בזרעך, this too is an additional dimension of the promise made to Avraham concerning his offspring.

וירש, one of the letters י that we would have expected as part of this word is missing. It is the י which is part of the root of the verb ירש. The י which does appear is the one describing the future tense indirect speech masculine. [this is common for roots beginning with the letter י. Ed.]

כי ברך, we already explained the meaning of the repetition of such formulations.

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.