Genesis 48:4

Authorized King James Version

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And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.

Original Language Analysis

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר And said H559
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר And said
Strong's: H559
Word #: 1 of 16
to say (used with great latitude)
אֵלַ֗י H413
אֵלַ֗י
Strong's: H413
Word #: 2 of 16
near, with or among; often in general, to
הִנְנִ֤י H2005
הִנְנִ֤י
Strong's: H2005
Word #: 3 of 16
lo!; also (as expressing surprise) if
מַפְרְךָ֙ unto me Behold I will make thee fruitful H6509
מַפְרְךָ֙ unto me Behold I will make thee fruitful
Strong's: H6509
Word #: 4 of 16
to bear fruit (literally or figuratively)
וְהִרְבִּיתִ֔ךָ and multiply H7235
וְהִרְבִּיתִ֔ךָ and multiply
Strong's: H7235
Word #: 5 of 16
to increase (in whatever respect)
וְנָ֨תַתִּ֜י and will give H5414
וְנָ֨תַתִּ֜י and will give
Strong's: H5414
Word #: 6 of 16
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
לִקְהַ֣ל of thee a multitude H6951
לִקְהַ֣ל of thee a multitude
Strong's: H6951
Word #: 7 of 16
assemblage (usually concretely)
עַמִּ֑ים of people H5971
עַמִּ֑ים of people
Strong's: H5971
Word #: 8 of 16
a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
וְנָ֨תַתִּ֜י and will give H5414
וְנָ֨תַתִּ֜י and will give
Strong's: H5414
Word #: 9 of 16
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
אֶת H853
אֶת
Strong's: H853
Word #: 10 of 16
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
הָאָ֧רֶץ this land H776
הָאָ֧רֶץ this land
Strong's: H776
Word #: 11 of 16
the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
הַזֹּ֛את H2063
הַזֹּ֛את
Strong's: H2063
Word #: 12 of 16
this (often used adverb)
לְזַרְעֲךָ֥ to thy seed H2233
לְזַרְעֲךָ֥ to thy seed
Strong's: H2233
Word #: 13 of 16
seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity
אַֽחֲרֶ֖יךָ after thee H310
אַֽחֲרֶ֖יךָ after thee
Strong's: H310
Word #: 14 of 16
properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)
אֲחֻזַּ֥ת possession H272
אֲחֻזַּ֥ת possession
Strong's: H272
Word #: 15 of 16
something seized, i.e., a possession (especially of land)
עוֹלָֽם׃ for an everlasting H5769
עוֹלָֽם׃ for an everlasting
Strong's: H5769
Word #: 16 of 16
properly, concealed, i.e., the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e., (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial

Cross References

Genesis 17:8And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.Genesis 35:11And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;Exodus 1:7And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.Genesis 47:27And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.Genesis 12:2And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:Genesis 17:13He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.Genesis 28:3And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;Genesis 22:17That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;Genesis 32:12And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.Genesis 26:4And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

Analysis & Commentary

And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a mu... This passage is part of the Joseph narrative, a masterfully crafted account demonstrating God's sovereign providence working through human choices and circumstances to accomplish His redemptive purposes. The Joseph cycle shows how God transforms evil intentions into instruments of salvation.

Central themes include divine providence orchestrating events toward redemptive ends, the testing and refinement of character through suffering and success, forgiveness overcoming betrayal and injustice, and the preservation of God's covenant people through famine. Joseph's rise from slavery to second-in-command of Egypt illustrates how God exalts the humble and uses seeming disasters for ultimate good.

Theologically, these chapters reveal:

  1. God's meticulous sovereignty over all events, even evil human actions
  2. suffering as preparation for future service rather than punishment
  3. forgiveness as reflecting divine character and enabling reconciliation
  4. God's covenant faithfulness across generations ensuring the survival and blessing of His people
  5. how present suffering gains meaning when viewed from the perspective of God's larger purposes.

Joseph's words "you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good" (50:20) epitomize biblical theodicy and providence.

Historical Context

The patriarchal narratives (Genesis 12-50) reflect the cultural, social, and legal customs of the ancient Near East during the Middle Bronze Age (2000-1500 BCE). Archaeological discoveries including the Mari tablets, Nuzi tablets, and Egyptian records confirm many details: nomadic pastoralism, covenant-making ceremonies, marriage customs, property laws, and international travel patterns described in Genesis.

The cultural practices reflected include: treaty/covenant forms (Genesis 15), bride-price customs (Genesis 24, 29), inheritance laws favoring firstborn sons (Genesis 25, 27), adoption practices (Genesis 15, 30), levirate-type arrangements (Genesis 38), and Egyptian administrative systems (Genesis 41, 47). These parallels confirm Genesis's historical reliability while showing how God worked within ancient cultural frameworks to accomplish His purposes.

For later Israelites, these narratives established their identity as Abraham's descendants, explained their claim to Canaan, justified their possession of Joseph's bones (Exodus 13:19), and provided models of faith despite imperfection. The patriarchs' failures and God's faithfulness encouraged Israel that covenant relationship depended on God's grace rather than human merit. The movement from Mesopotamia to Canaan to Egypt set the stage for the Exodus and conquest narratives.

Questions for Reflection

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