Genesis 28:14

Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, ¹  and you will spread out ²  to the west, east, north, and south. All the families of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ³  using your name and that of your descendants. ⁴ 

Ge 12:3; Ge 13:14; Ge 13:16; Ge 18:18; Ge 22:18; Ge 26:4; Ge 32:12; Ge 35:11,12; Nu 23:10; De 12:20; Ps 72:17; Mt 8:11; Ac 3:25; Ga 3:8,16; Eph 1:3; Re 7:4,9

¹ tn This is the same Hebrew word translated “ground” in the preceding verse.

² tn The verb is singular in the Hebrew; Jacob is addressed as the representative of his descendants.

³ tn Theoretically the Niphal stem can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Jacob were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in other formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless (i.e., pronounce blessings upon) themselves/one another.” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 28:14 predicts that Jacob will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae (see Gen 12:2 and 18:18 as well, where Abram/Abraham receives this promise). For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.

⁴ tn Heb “and they will pronounce blessings by you, all the families of the earth, and by your offspring.”