Genesis 12:3

3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”^[a]

Genesis 12:3 in Other Translations

3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. ”

3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

3 I'll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I'll curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you."

3 and I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you, I will curse. Through you every family on earth will be blessed."

3 I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

3 I will bless those who bless you. I will put a curse on anyone who calls down a curse on you. All nations on earth will be blessed because of you."

Genesis 12:3 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 12:3

And I will bless them that bless thee
Not the priests only that should bless his children, the children of Israel, as the Targum of Jonathan, but all men of all nations, and of every age, that speak well of him, commend him for his faith and holiness, and tread in his steps, these are blessed with faithful Abraham, ( Galatians 3:7 Galatians 3:9 ) .

And curse him that curseth thee;
here is a change of numbers, before the plural, here the singular, denoting, it may be, that many would bless him, and but few curse him, and that every individual person that did curse him should be cursed himself: the Targum of Jonathan wrongly restrains this to Balaam's cursing Abraham's children, and was cursed by God; Maimonides ^F25 thinks, there is no doubt to be made of it, that the Zabaeans, the idolatrous people Abram was brought up with, when he contradicted them, loaded him with curses and reproaches; and, because he bore them all patiently for the glory of God, as became him, therefore these words are said; but they, without question, respect future as well as present times, and regard all such, in every age and of every nation, that disapproves of, or rejects and reproaches Abram's God, his faith, his religion, and his people.

And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed;
that is, in his seed, as in ( Genesis 22:18 ) and which is interpreted of Christ, ( Acts 3:25 ) ( Galatians 3:8 Galatians 3:16 ) meaning not every individual of all the families or nations of the earth; but that as many as believe in Christ, of all nations, are blessed in him; and that whoever of them are blessed, they are blessed and only blessed in him, and that they are blessed for his sake with all spiritual blessings; see ( Ephesians 1:3 ) such as redemption, justification, remission of sins, sanctification, adoption, and eternal life.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 More Nevochim, ut supra. (par. 3. c. 29. p. 421.)

Genesis 12:3 In-Context

1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.

5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

Cross References

• 1. Genesis 27:29; Exodus 23:22; Numbers 24:9; Deuteronomy 30:7
• 2. Genesis 15:5; Genesis 18:18; Genesis 22:18; Genesis 26:4; Genesis 28:4,14; Deuteronomy 9:5; Psalms 72:17; Isaiah 19:25; Acts 3:25; Galatians 3:8*

Footnotes

• [a] Or "earth" / "will use your name in blessings" (see 48:20)