Genesis 22:17

17 I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants [a] like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.

Genesis 22:17 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 22:17

That in blessing I will bless thee
With temporal and spiritual blessings; with the Spirit and all his graces; with Christ and redemption, justification, and salvation by him; and with eternal life, as the gift of God, through him: and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the
heaven, and as the sand which [is] upon the sea shore:
both his natural seed, descending from him in the line of Isaac, and his spiritual seed, both among Jews and Gentiles, that tread in his steps; see ( Genesis 13:15 Genesis 13:16 ) ( 15:5 ) : and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies:
"gate" for "gates", where courts of judicature were held, and which are the security of cities and put for them, and which also include the whole country round about: so that this phrase is expressive of an entire jurisdiction and dominion over them; and was literally fulfilled in the times of Joshua, David, and Solomon; and spiritually in Christ, Abraham's principal seed, when he destroyed Satan and his principalities and powers; overcame the world; made an end of sin and abolished death; and delivered his people out the hands of all their enemies; and in all Abraham's spiritual seed, who are made more than conquerors over them, through Christ that has loved them.

Genesis 22:17 In-Context

15 And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time,
16 saying, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your only son,
17 I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.
18 And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
19 Abraham went back to his servants, and they got up and set out together for Beersheba. And Abraham settled in Beersheba.

Footnotes 1

The Berean Bible and Majority Bible texts are officially placed into the public domain