Genesis 28:14

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

Complete Jewish Bible:

Your descendants will be as numerous as the grains of dust on the earth. You will expand to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. By you and your descendants all the families of the earth will be blessed.

Berean Standard Bible:

Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east and north and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.

American Standard Version:

and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And thy seed^{H2233} shall be as the dust^{H6083} of the earth^{H776}, and thou shalt spread abroad^{H6555} to the west^{H3220}, and to the east^{H6924}, and to the north^{H6828}, and to the south^{H5045}: and in thee and in thy seed^{H2233} shall all the families^{H4940} of the earth^{H127} be blessed^{H1288}.

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Commentary for Genesis 28:14

Genesis 28:14 is part of a larger narrative in the Book of Genesis, where the patriarch Jacob, grandson of Abraham, is on a journey to find a wife from his mother's family. The verse is embedded in a divine promise made to Jacob in a dream at Bethel, often referred to as Jacob's Ladder. This promise is an extension of the covenant God made with Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3, 13:16, 15:5) and later with Isaac (Genesis 26:4), ensuring the growth and spread of their descendants.

**Themes:**

1. **Promise of Progeny:** The theme of numerous descendants likened to "the dust of the earth" emphasizes the promise of a multitude of offspring, suggesting both prosperity and permanence.
2. **Spread and Influence:** The promise that Jacob's descendants will spread abroad to all four cardinal directions signifies the future widespread influence and territorial expansion of the Israelites.
3. **Divine Blessing:** The verse underscores God's intention to bless not only Jacob and his descendants but through them, all the families of the earth. This theme of universal blessing is central to the Abrahamic covenant, indicating that God's plan of redemption and salvation includes all nations.
4. **Fulfillment of Covenant:** This promise reinforces the ongoing covenantal relationship between God and the patriarchs, which is foundational to the Israelite identity and their understanding of being chosen by God.

**Historical Context:**

The Book of Genesis was likely written during or after the Babylonian Exile (6th century BCE), although it includes much older oral and written traditions. This verse reflects the theological concerns of the Israelite community during and after the Exile, such as the loss of the Promised Land, the scattering of the people, and the need for reassurance of their enduring relationship with God.

The promise to Jacob serves to:

1. **Legitimize the Patriarchal Lineage:** It reinforces the lineage of Jacob (later named Israel) as the progenitor of the twelve tribes of Israel, establishing the genealogical foundation for the nation.
2. **Address National Identity and Hope:** In the face of displacement and uncertainty, the verse provides a sense of destiny and hope for restoration and continuity of the Israelite people.
3. **Universalize the Message:** It also looks forward to a time when the blessings of God's covenant with Israel would extend to all peoples, foreshadowing the inclusive nature of the salvation message that would later be central to Christianity.

In summary, Genesis 28:14 is a linchpin in the narrative of God's covenant with the patriarchs, highlighting themes of divine promise, fertility, territorial expansion, and universal blessing, while also addressing the historical concerns of the Israelite community regarding their identity and destiny as a people chosen by God.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H2233
   There are 205 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: זֶרַע
   Transliteration: zeraʻ
   Pronunciation: zeh'-rah
   Description: from זָרַע; seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity; [idiom] carnally, child, fruitful, seed(-time), sowing-time.
   
2. Strong's Number: H6083
   There are 103 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: עָפָר
   Transliteration: ʻâphâr
   Pronunciation: aw-fawr'
   Description: from עָפַר; dust (as powdered or gray); hence, clay, earth, mud; ashes, dust, earth, ground, morter, powder, rubbish.
   
3. Strong's Number: H776
   There are 2739 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֶרֶץ
   Transliteration: ʼerets
   Pronunciation: eh'-rets
   Description: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land); [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.
   
4. Strong's Number: H6555
   There are 48 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: פָּרַץ
   Transliteration: pârats
   Pronunciation: paw-rats'
   Description: lemma פּרַץ missing vowel, corrected to פָּרַץ; a primitive root; to break out (in many applications, direct and indirect, literal and figurative); [idiom] abroad, (make a) breach, break (away, down, -er, forth, in, up), burst out, come (spread) abroad, compel, disperse, grow, increase, open, press, scatter, urge.
   
5. Strong's Number: H3220
   There are 339 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יָם
   Transliteration: yâm
   Pronunciation: yawm
   Description: from an unused root meaning to roar; a sea (as breaking in noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the article), the Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river, or an artifical basin; locally, the west, or (rarely) the south; sea ([idiom] -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern, side, -ward).
   
6. Strong's Number: H6924
   There are 83 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: קֶדֶם
   Transliteration: qedem
   Pronunciation: keh'-dem
   Description: or קֵדְמָה; from קָדַם; the front, of place (absolutely, the fore part, relatively the East) or time (antiquity); often used adverbially (before, anciently, eastward); aforetime, ancient (time), before, east (end, part, side, -ward), eternal, [idiom] ever(-lasting), forward, old, past. Compare קִדְמָה.
   
7. Strong's Number: H6828
   There are 141 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: צָפוֹן
   Transliteration: tsâphôwn
   Pronunciation: tsaw-fone'
   Description: or צָפֹן; from צָפַן; properly, hidden, i.e. dark; used only of the north as aquarter (gloomy and unknown); north(-ern, side, -ward, wind).
   
8. Strong's Number: H5045
   There are 98 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נֶגֶב
   Transliteration: negeb
   Pronunciation: neh'-gheb
   Description: from an unused root meaning to be parched; the south (from its drought); specifically, the Negeb or southern district of Judah, occasionally, Egypt (as south to Palestine); south (country, side, -ward).
   
9. Strong's Number: H4940
   There are 224 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מִשְׁפָּחָה
   Transliteration: mishpâchâh
   Pronunciation: mish-paw-khaw'
   Description: from שָׁפָה (compare שִׁפְחָה); a family, i.e. circle of relatives; figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or sort (of things); by extension a tribe or people; family, kind(-red).
   
10. Strong's Number: H127
    There are 372 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אֲדָמָה
    Transliteration: ʼădâmâh
    Pronunciation: ad-aw-maw'
    Description: from אָדַם; soil (from its general redness); country, earth, ground, husband(-man) (-ry), land.
    
11. Strong's Number: H1288
    There are 289 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: בָרַךְ
    Transliteration: bârak
    Pronunciation: baw-rak'
    Description: a primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason); [idiom] abundantly, [idiom] altogether, [idiom] at all, blaspheme, bless, congratulate, curse, [idiom] greatly, [idiom] indeed, kneel (down), praise, salute, [idiom] still, thank.