Genesis 48:4

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.

Cross-references

Genesis 13:15 promises the land to Abraham's seed forever, directly paralleling the land promise to Jacob's seed.

Genesis 13:16 promises descendants as numerous as dust, matching the multiplication promised to Jacob.

Genesis 17:8 is the original promise of the land as an everlasting possession to Abraham, which Jacob recites in Genesis 48:4.

In Genesis 22:17, God multiplies Abraham's offspring 'as the stars'—the same covenant promise echoed here to Jacob.

In Genesis 26:4, God promises Isaac multiplication and land—identical covenant language applied to Jacob's line here.

In Genesis 28:3, Isaac blesses Jacob with 'fruitful and multiply, a company of peoples'—the very words Jacob now quotes.

Genesis 28:13-15 records the original Bethel promise of land and countless offspring—the event Jacob recalls here.

In Genesis 32:12, Jacob prays back God's promise of offspring like the sand—a parallel petition echoing the same covenant.

Genesis 12:2 contains God's promise to Abraham to make him a great nation, paralleling the multiplication promised to Jacob.

Genesis 35:11 is the direct source: God says 'be fruitful and multiply; a nation and company of nations'—exactly what Jacob repeats here.

In Genesis 46:3, God reassures Jacob in Egypt, 'I will make you a great nation'—a parallel promise of multiplication.

Genesis 35:9 Historical context

Genesis 35:9 records God's appearance to Jacob where he blessed him, the same event Jacob recalls in Genesis 48:4.

Genesis 35:12 is the direct promise of land to Jacob, which he recites in Genesis 48:4.

Genesis 47:27 Prophetic fulfillment

Genesis 47:27 shows the initial fulfillment: Israelites 'were fruitful and multiplied greatly' in Egypt, part of the promise in 48:4.

Exodus 1:7 Prophetic fulfillment

Exodus 1:7 describes the explosive multiplication in Egypt—a direct fulfillment of the promise God made to Jacob in 48:4.

In Hebrews 6:14, the multiplication promise to Abraham is quoted, echoing the blessing Jacob recalls here.

In Hebrews 11:9, Jacob is named as a fellow heir with Isaac and Abraham of the promised land.

Psalm 127:3 Related theme

Psalm 127:3 declares children as a heritage from the Lord, resonating with the promise of fruitfulness and many descendants in Genesis 48:4.