Kejadian 28:14

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 

Kejadian 30:27

30:27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, please stay here, ⁵  for I have learned by divination ⁶  that the Lord has blessed me on account of you.”

Kejadian 39:5

39:5 From the time ⁷  Potiphar ⁸  appointed him over his household and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed ⁹  the Egyptian’s household for Joseph’s sake. The blessing of the Lord was on everything that he had, both ¹⁰  in his house and in his fields. ¹¹ 

[28:14]  ¹ tn This is the same Hebrew word translated “ground” in the preceding verse.

[28:14]  ² tn The verb is singular in the Hebrew; Jacob is addressed as the representative of his descendants.

[28:14]  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.

[28:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “and they will pronounce blessings by you, all the families of the earth, and by your offspring.”

[30:27]  ⁵ tn The words “please stay here” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[30:27]  ⁶ tn Or perhaps “I have grown rich and the Lord has blessed me” (cf. NEB). See J. Finkelstein, “An Old Babylonian Herding Contract and Genesis 31:38f.,” JAOS 88 (1968): 34, n. 19.

[39:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “and it was from then.”

[39:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:5]  ⁹ sn The Hebrew word translated blessed carries the idea of enrichment, prosperity, success. It is the way believers describe success at the hand of God. The text illustrates the promise made to Abraham that whoever blesses his descendants will be blessed (Gen 12:1-3).

[39:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “in the house and in the field.” The word “both” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[39:5]  ¹¹ sn The passage gives us a good picture of Joseph as a young man who was responsible and faithful, both to his master and to his God. This happened within a very short time of his being sold into Egypt. It undermines the view that Joseph was a liar, a tattletale, and an arrogant adolescent.