Genesis 28:3

3 and God Almighty doth bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and thou hast become an assembly of peoples;

Genesis 28:3 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 28:3

And God Almighty bless thee
This is not a new blessing, distinct from that in ( Genesis 28:1 ) , but the same; there it is expressed in general, here the particulars of it are given; and by which it appears, that Isaac's blessing Jacob was a prayer, wishing a blessing from God upon him, and was the prayer of faith, delivered out under the spirit of prophecy; and they are blessed indeed that are blessed of God, and they must needs be blessed who are blessed by the Almighty; for what is it he cannot do or give? The Targum of Jonathan adds,

``with much riches;''

but no doubt all kind of blessings are included, both temporal and spiritual: and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee;
with a numerous offspring: that thou mayest be a multitude of people;
or an "assembly" or "congregation" ^F7 of them; which may all unite in one body and make one nation, as the twelve tribes descending from Jacob did.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F7 (lhql) "in Coetum", Pagninus, Montanus

Genesis 28:3 In-Context

1 And Isaac calleth unto Jacob, and blesseth him, and commandeth him, and saith to him, `Thou dost not take a wife of the daughters of Caanan;

2 rise, go to Padan-Aram, to the house of Bethuel, thy mother's father, and take for thyself from thence a wife, of the daughters of Laban, thy mother's brother;

3 and God Almighty doth bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and thou hast become an assembly of peoples;

4 and He doth give to thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee and to thy seed with thee, to cause thee to possess the land of thy sojournings, which God gave to Abraham.'

5 And Isaac sendeth away Jacob, and he goeth to Padan-Aram, unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramaean, brother of Rebekah, mother of Jacob and Esau.