Genesis 22:17-18
“That 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;”
King James Version · the opening — all 2 verses are below
More of Genesis 22 on this siteGenesis 22:18
The climactic Abrahamic promise — in Abraham's Seed all nations blessed — which Paul reads as singular, fulfilled in the one Seed, Christ.
Read the whole passage — all 2 verses (KJV)
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;
22:18And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Fulfillment References
Galatians 3:16 Acts 3:25-26 Genesis 12:3 Matthew 1:1
How Traditions Read This Prophecy
Apostolic (Oneness) PentecostalThe one 'Seed' in whom all nations are blessed is Jesus (Gal. 3:16); the one God's promise to Abraham fulfilled in the one Lord.
JewishThe covenant promise that through Abraham's offspring the nations would be blessed — read of the collective seed of Israel.
CatholicFulfilled in Christ, the Seed through whom all nations are blessed (Acts 3:25-26).
ProtestantPaul famously reads 'seed' as singular — 'not seeds... but seed, which is Christ' (Gal. 3:16) — the blessing of the nations fulfilled in Him.
OrthodoxChrist the promised Seed, the blessing of the nations.
DispensationalThe Abrahamic seed-promise, fulfilled in Christ and extended to all nations.
AcademicPaul's singular reading of the collective noun 'seed' (zera) is a celebrated and debated interpretive move in Galatians 3:16.
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Audio narration (listen to this prophecy read aloud), cross-references, Hebrew/Greek, Dead Sea Scrolls notes, a prophetic timeline, network maps, study tools and multi-tradition analysis in the interactive explorer.
Bible Prophecy Explorer · based on J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy catalogue · an openly Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal study resource — all traditions presented fairly. Pastor: C. Myles Young, D.Min. · Bishop: Nathaniel J. Wilson, Ed.D.