The Meaning of Genesis 48:4 Explained

Genesis 48:4

KJV: And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.

YLT: and saith unto me, Lo, I am making thee fruitful, and have multiplied thee, and given thee for an assembly of peoples, and given this land to thy seed after thee, a possession age-during.

Darby: and he said to me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a company of peoples; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.

ASV: and said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a company of peoples, and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And said  unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful,  and multiply  thee, and I will make  of thee a multitude  of people;  and will give  this land  to thy seed  after thee  [for] an everlasting  possession. 

What does Genesis 48:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 48:1-7 - Joseph Visits His Dying Father
How inexorable is the must of death! For many years Jacob had exceeded the ordinary span of human life, and now, like the last apple on the tree, he must be gathered. For seventeen years he had been familiar with Egypt's splendid temples, obelisks and pyramids; he had been surrounded with all the comforts that filial love could devise; but nothing could make him forget that distant cave in the land of Canaan. In his judgment Egypt's most splendid pyramid was not to be compared with that humble sepulcher where the mortal remains of Abraham and Sarah, of Isaac and Rebekah, and of the faithful Leah awaited his. On Joseph's second visit he was weaker, and with an effort nerved himself for the interview. The angel-ladder and Rachel's death stood prominently out before the dying eyes. When he returned from this pathetic reverie he turned to the two boys who stood awestruck beside him and adopted them, for their beloved father's sake. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 48

1  Joseph with his sons visits his sick father
2  Jacob strengthens himself to bless them
3  He repeats God's promise
5  He takes Ephraim and Manasseh as his own sons
7  He tells Joseph of his mother's grave
8  He blesses Ephraim and Manasseh
17  He prefers the younger before the elder
21  He prophesies their return to Canaan

What do the individual words in Genesis 48:4 mean?

and said to me behold I will make you fruitful and multiply you and I will make of you a multitude of people and give - land this to your descendants after you [as] a possession everlasting
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י הִנְנִ֤י מַפְרְךָ֙ וְהִרְבִּיתִ֔ךָ וּנְתַתִּ֖יךָ לִקְהַ֣ל עַמִּ֑ים וְנָ֨תַתִּ֜י אֶת־ הָאָ֧רֶץ הַזֹּ֛את לְזַרְעֲךָ֥ אַחֲרֶ֖יךָ אֲחֻזַּ֥ת עוֹלָֽם

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלַ֗י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הִנְנִ֤י  behold 
Parse: Interjection, first person common singular
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
מַפְרְךָ֙  I  will  make  you  fruitful 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: פָּרָה 
Sense: to bear fruit, be fruitful, branch off.
וְהִרְבִּיתִ֔ךָ  and  multiply  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular, second person masculine singular
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
וּנְתַתִּ֖יךָ  and  I  will  make  of  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לִקְהַ֣ל  a  multitude 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קָהָל  
Sense: assembly, company, congregation, convocation.
עַמִּ֑ים  of  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וְנָ֨תַתִּ֜י  and  give 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָאָ֧רֶץ  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
הַזֹּ֛את  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
לְזַרְעֲךָ֥  to  your  descendants 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
אַחֲרֶ֖יךָ  after  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
אֲחֻזַּ֥ת  [as]  a  possession 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֲחֻזָּה  
Sense: possession, property.
עוֹלָֽם  everlasting 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.