Genesis 12 · Verse 3

Genesis 12:3

And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Genesis 12:3, King James Version

Genesis 12:3 in other translations

BSBI will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”
WEBI will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who treats you with contempt. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”
ASVand I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
YLTAnd I bless those blessing thee, and him who is disesteeming thee I curse, and blessed in thee have been all families of the ground.'
DARBYAnd I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
BBETo them who are good to you will I give blessing, and on him who does you wrong will I put my curse: and you will become a name of blessing to all the families of the earth.
WebsterAnd I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

What does Genesis 12:3 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 In thee - In thy posterity, in the Messiah, who shall spring from thee, shall all families of the earth be blessed; for as he shall take on him human nature from the posterity of Abraham, he shall taste death for every man, his Gospel shall be preached throughout the world, and innumerable blessings be derived on all mankind through his death and intercession.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 12:1-3

God made choice of Abram, and singled him out from among his fellow-idolaters, that he might reserve a people for himself, among whom his true worship might be maintained till the coming of Christ. From henceforward Abram and his seed are almost the only subject of the history in the Bible. Abram was tried whether he loved God better than all, and whether he could willingly leave all to go with God. His kindred and…

Read the full comment on Genesis 12:1-3 →

Genesis 12:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַאֲבָֽרֲכָה֙va.'a.va.ra.Khahso let me blessH1288
מְבָ֣רְכֶ֔יךָme.Va.re.Khei.kha[those who] bless youH1288
וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ֖u.me.ka.lel.Chaand [one who] disdains youH7043
אָאֹ֑ר'a.'OrI will curseH779
וְנִבְרְכ֣וּve.niv.re.Khuand they will be blessedH1288
בְךָ֔ve.Khaby <the> you
כֹּ֖לkolallH3605
מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥תmish.pe.Chot[the] clans ofH4940
הָאֲדָמָֽה\׃ha.'a.da.Mahthe earthH127

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 12:3

  • Galatians 3:8

    And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

  • Genesis 22:18

    And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

  • Genesis 27:29

    Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

  • Acts 3:25-26

    Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

  • Numbers 24:9

    He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.

  • Genesis 26:4

    And 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;

  • Genesis 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.

  • Genesis 18:18

    Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

  • Galatians 3:16

    Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

  • Exodus 23:22

    But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.

  • Romans 4:11

    And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

  • Galatians 3:28

    There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
And I.
27:29; Ex 23:22; Nu 24:9; Mt 25:40,45
in thee.
18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; 30:27,30; 39:5; Ps 72:17; Ac 3:25,26
Ro 4:11; 1Co 1:30; Ga 3:8,16,28; Eph 1:3; Col 3:11; Re 7:9

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 12:2

    And 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 12:3

    And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

  • Genesis 12:4

    So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

Read all of Genesis 12

Genesis 12:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y bendeciré á los que te bendijeren, y á los que te maldijeren maldeciré: y serán benditas en ti todas las familias de la tierra.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
et je bénirai ceux qui te béniront, et je maudirai ceux qui te maudiront; et en toi seront bénies toutes les familles de la terre.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und ich will segnen, die dich segnen, und wer dir flucht, den werde ich verfluchen; und in dir sollen gesegnet werden alle Geschlechter der Erde!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Benedicam benedicentibus tibi, et maledicam maledicentibus tibi, atque in te benedicentur universæ cognationes terræ.