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.
14. as the dust of the earth ] Cf. Gen 13:16.
spread abroad ] Heb. break forth. Cf. Gen 30:30, “increased,” 43, Exo 1:12.
to the west ] Cf. Gen 13:14.
in thee be blessed ] See note on Gen 12:3.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 14. Thy seed shall be as the dust] The people that shall descend from thee shall be extremely numerous, and in thee and thy seed-the Lord JESUS descending from thee, according to the flesh, shall all the families of the earth – not only all of thy race, but all the other families or tribes of mankind which have not proceeded from any branch of the Abrahamic family, be blessed; for Jesus Christ by the grace of God tasted death FOR EVERY MAN, Heb 2:9.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
i.e. The nations of the earth, as that word is used.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth,…. Innumerable, see Ge 13:16;
and thou shalt spread abroad to the west; or “the sea”, the Mediterranean sea, which was west of the land of Canaan:
and to the east, and to the north, and to the south; not of the whole world, but of the land of Canaan: the meaning is, that his posterity should be numerous, and break out and spread themselves like a flood of water, and reach to the utmost bounds of the land on all sides:
and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed; that is, in that eminent and principal seed that should spring from him, the Messiah, in whom some of all nations should, as they have been, be blessed with all spiritual blessings, as redemption, peace, pardon, justification, adoption, and eternal life; the same promise had been made to Abraham, was renewed to Isaac, and now confirmed to Jacob, see Ge 22:18.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
14. And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth. The sum of the whole is this, Whatever the Lord had promised to Abraham, Jacob transmitted to his sons. Meanwhile it behoved the holy man, in reliance on this divine testimony, to hope against hope; for though the promise was vast and magnificent, yet, wherever Jacob turned himself, no ray of good hope shone upon him. He saw himself a solitary man; no condition better than that of exile presented itself; his return was uncertain and full of danger; but it was profitable for him to be thus left destitute of all means of help, that he might learn to depend on the word of God alone. Thus, at the present time, if God freely promises to give us all things, and yet seems to approach us empty-handed, it is still proper that we should pay such honor and reverence to his word, that we may be enriched and filled with faith. At length, indeed, after the death of Jacob, the event declared how efficacious had been this promise: by which example we are taught that the Lord by no means disappoints his people, even when he defers the granting of those good things which he has promised, till after their death.
And in thee, and in thy seed, shall all the families of the earth be blessed (58) This clause has the greater weight, because in Jacob and in his seed the blessing is to be restored from which the whole human race had been cut off in their first parent. But what this expression means, I have explained above; namely, that Jacob will not only be an exemplar, or formula of blessing, but its fountain, cause, or foundation; for though a certain exquisite degree of happiness is often signified by an expression of this kind; yet, in many passages of Scripture, it means the same as to desire from any one his blessing, and to acknowledge it as his gift. Thus men are said to bless themselves in God, when they acknowledge him as the author of all good. So here God promises that in Jacob and his seed all nations shall bless themselves, because no happiness will ever be found except what proceeds from this source. That, however, which is peculiar to Christ, is without impropriety transferred to Jacob, in whose loins Christ then was. Therefore, inasmuch as Jacob, at that time, represented the person of Christ, it is said that all nations are to be blessed in him; but, seeing that the manifestation of a benefit so great depended on another, the expression in thy seed is immediately added in the way of explanation. That the word seed is a collective noun, forms no objection to this interpretation, (as I have elsewhere said,) for since all unbelievers deprive themselves of honor and of grace, and are thus accounted strangers; it is necessary to refer to the Head, in order that the unity of the seed may appear. Whoever will reverently ponder this, will easily see that, in this interpretation, which is that of Paul, there is nothing tortuous or constrained.
(58) Et benedicent se in to omnes fines terrae. “And all the ends of the earth shall bless themselves in thee.” The reader will perceive that Calvin’s remarks turn chiefly on the expression “bless themselves,” which does not appear in our version. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
14. Thy seed shall be as the dust Comp . Gen 12:2-3; Gen 13:16; Gen 18:18; Gen 22:17-18.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Observe how at every renewed visit of the Lord to his people, that first, and best of covenant mercies, is again confirmed: Gen 17:7 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 28:14 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.
Ver. 14, 15. And thy seed shall be as the dust. ] Against his fourfold cross, here is a fourfold comfort, as Pererius well observeth, a plaster as broad as the sore, and sovereign for it. (1.) Against the loss of his friends, “I will be with thee”: (2.) Of his country; “I will give thee this land”: (3.) Against his poverty; “Thou shalt spread abroad, to the east, west,” &c. (4.) His solitariness and aloneness; angels shall attend thee, and “thy seed shall be as the dust,” &c. And “who can count the dust of Jacob?” Num 23:10 saith Balaam, that spellman of the devil, as one calls him. Whereunto we may add that which surpasseth and comprehendeth all the rest; “In thee, and thy seed, shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Now whatsoever God spake here with Jacob, he spake with us, as well as with him, saith Hosea. Hos 12:4
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
dust . . . &c. Figure of speech Paroemia. App-6. See on Gen 15:5.
in thee. Mark the personal gift, and see note on Gen 17:7 and Gen 50:24.
all. This can be fulfilled only in Christ.
I will not leave thee. This promise first made, here, to Jacob for covenant grace; to the People, for journey (Deu 31:6); to Joshua, for conflict (Jos 1:5, Jos 1:8); to Solomon, for work (1Ch 28:20); to us, for daily provision (Heb 13:5, Heb 13:6).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
thy seed: Gen 13:16, Gen 32:12, Gen 35:11, Gen 35:12, Num 23:10, Act 3:25, Rev 7:4, Rev 7:9
spread abroad: Heb. break forth
to the west: Gen 13:14, Deu 12:20, Mat 8:11
and in thee: Gen 12:3, Gen 18:18, Gen 22:18, Gen 26:4, Psa 72:17, Act 3:25, Gal 3:8, Gal 3:16, Eph 1:3
Reciprocal: Gen 12:2 – General Gen 15:5 – So Gen 15:18 – Unto thy Gen 22:17 – in blessing Gen 32:29 – blessed Gen 34:30 – and I shall Gen 46:3 – I will Gen 47:27 – grew Exo 1:7 – fruitful Exo 32:13 – I will multiply Lev 26:9 – make you Num 1:46 – General Deu 1:8 – which Deu 1:10 – your God Deu 6:3 – that ye may Deu 13:17 – as he hath Deu 19:8 – General Jos 21:43 – General 1Ch 16:13 – ye seed 1Ch 16:16 – which he made 1Ch 16:18 – Unto thee Jer 33:22 – the host Eze 28:25 – to my Mic 7:20 – General Hab 3:9 – according Zec 14:17 – all Mal 1:2 – yet I Mat 1:1 – the son of Abraham Luk 1:55 – General Luk 1:72 – perform Luk 13:29 – General Joh 5:46 – for Rom 4:13 – For the Rom 11:28 – are beloved Heb 11:9 – the heirs
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 28:14. In thy seed shall the families of the earth be blessed All that are blessed, whatever family they are of, are blessed in Christ, and none of any family are excluded from blessedness in him, but those that exclude themselves.