Genesis 22:18

Gen 22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Ver. 18. Because thou hast obeyed.] This "because" is not so much causal, as rational. Significat non causam meritoriam, sed subalternam, et sine qua non .

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.

Gen_22:18

In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed

Blessing in Abrahams seed

1.

There was to be a seed, a natural seed, including a spiritual seed, and this again including an individual seed.

2. The seed of Abraham is to have a relation to all the families of the earth. As Abraham was not a head of all mankind, like Adam or Noah, it was necessary to emphasize the universality of the blessing.

3. The benefit conveyed by the seed is here characterized by the word blessed. Blessing is like mercy in this: that it sums up in one word the whole salvation of which the Bible is the gospel. It involves redemption and regeneration, both of which are necessary to salvation. (Prof. J. G. Murphy)

A great promise

1. This promise

(1) narrows down previous Messianic anticipations, inasmuch as it points to the family instead of the race, as the source whence the Great Benefactor should arise;

(2) vastly widens them, inasmuch as it indicates that the beneficent work of that Benefactor will be universal.

2. We conclude that this is an anticipation of Christ, because

(1) it has proved to be an accurate description of Him;

(2) it is only true of Him;

(3) New Testament distinctly applies the Scripture to Him. This warranted, we look for the advent of Christ as for--

I. THE ADVENT OF A BENEFACTOR FROM AMONG THE JEWS. This suggests-

1. The proper interest we should take in the Jewish people.

2. The solemn warning that contact with what is most sacred does not ensure blessing.

II. THE ADVENT OF A BENEFACTOR FOR THE WORLD. We may adoringly notice--

1. The way in which Christ has already been a universal blessing.

2. The future that there yet must be for Christianity. (Homilist.)

All nations blessed in Abrahams seed

I. SOME OF THE REASONS FOR GIVING THIS DESCRIPTION OF THE MESSIAH: The seed of Abraham.

1. Christ is called the seed of Abraham because He was to assume human nature; to be truly man; a man like ourselves.

2. Christ was called the seed of Abraham, that additional evidence of His claims as Messiah might be given when He came into the world.

3. There is a third reason why He is called, why, in fact, He was made, the seed of Abraham. There is, after all, a peculiar relation between Christ and the Jews, as His brethren after the flesh.

II. Let us now consider THE IMPORT OF THE DECLARATION, In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.

1. In the first place, there is its Divinely revealed truth.

2. The religion of Christ is calculated to produce human happiness, because it exhibits the Divinely-prescribed method by which the guilty may obtain pardon; in other words, that great doctrine of human hope and joy, that of justification by faith in the atonement and intercession of the Saviour.

3. In further examining this Divine system, to discover its adaptation to human happiness, we find the great, the singular, promise of the Holy Spirit.

4. Another adaptation to human happiness in Christianity is found in its explicit enforcement of those relative duties on which the welfare of society so much depends.

5. The last of these adaptations is, the kind and merciful spirit of the Gospel. (R. Watson.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

22:18–25:11 Abraham passed the test of faith; from this point, his task was to pass the covenant blessings to Isaac. He purchased a burial plot (ch 23), acquired a wife for Isaac (ch 24), and distributed his property (25:1-11).

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

Verse 18. And in thy seed, c.] We have the authority of St. Paul, Ga 3:8 Ga 3:16; Ga 3:18, to restrain this to our blessed Lord, who was THE SEED through whom alone all God's blessings of providence, mercy, grace, and glory, should be conveyed to the nations of the earth.

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

18. in thy seed] See note on Gen_12:3. The words might be also rendered “by thy seed.”

be blessed] Better, as R.V. marg., bless themselves. See notes on Gen_12:3, Gen_18:18, Gen_26:4.

because thou hast obeyed] Lit. “because thou hast heard,” or “listened to.” God’s word may be a sound which is not heard; or it may be a sound which is heard, but not listened to; or it may be a sound which is heard, listened to, and obeyed.

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.

So Abraham returned to his young men,.... He had left at a certain place with the ass, while he and Isaac went to the mount to worship; and who stayed there till he came to them, according to his order, Gen 22:5; no mention is made of Isaac, but there is no doubt that he returned with Abraham, since we hear of him afterwards in his house; for as to what the Targum of Jonathan says, it cannot be depended on, that the angels took Isaac and brought him to the school of Shem the great, and there he was three years:

and they rose up, and went together to Beersheba; that is, when Abraham and Isaac came to the place where the young men were, they got up and proceeded on in their journey along with them to Beersheba, from whence Abraham came, and where he had for some time lived:

and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba; there he continued for some time afterwards, and but for a time, for in the next chapter we hear of him at Hebron, Gen 23:2.

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

General Information:

The angel of Yahweh continues speaking to Abraham.

all the nations of the earth will be blessed

This can be stated in active form. AT: "I, the Lord, will bless all the people living everywhere" (See: Active or Passive)

nations of the earth

Here "nations" stands for the people of the nations. (See: Metonymy)

you have obeyed my voice

Here "voice" stands for what God said. AT: "you have obeyed what I said" or "you have obeyed me" (See: Metonymy)

Abraham returned

Only Abraham was named because he was the father, but it was implied that his son went with him. The full meaning of this statement can be made explicit. AT: "Abraham and his son went back" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

young men

"servants"

they departed

"they left that place"

he lived at Beersheba

Only Abraham was mentioned because he was the leader of his family and servants, but it was implied that they were with him. The full meaning of this statement can be made explicit. AT: "Abraham and his people stayed in Beersheba" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

offspring

nation

bless

obey

voice

Abraham

Beersheba

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

והתברכו, the meaning of this word is not identical with the wordונברכו in 12,3 which we explained at the time as meaning that wherever you would reside the people around you would benefit from you or your children’s proximity. In this verse the meaning of the word והתברכו is that the gentile nations, thanks to their prayers, will accumulate merits and therefore blessings for themselves. They will make the kind of blessings Avraham has experienced the focus of their own prayers. They will acknowledge Avraham’s G’d as the source of all blessings.

עקב, as a reward. It is an apt simile, seeing that he heel, עקב is the lower end of the body, so the reward is what one acquires at the conclusion of performing G’d’s commandments.

אשר שמעת בקולי, both in this instance as well as in all the other instructions I have issued to you

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.