The Meaning of Genesis 26:3 Explained

Genesis 26:3

KJV: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;

YLT: sojourn in this land, and I am with thee, and bless thee, for to thee and to thy seed I give all these lands, and I have established the oath which I have sworn to Abraham thy father;

Darby: Sojourn in this land; and I will be with thee and bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries; and I will perform the oath which I swore unto Abraham thy father.

ASV: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee. For unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Sojourn  in this land,  and I will be with thee, and will bless  thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed,  I will give  all these  countries,  and I will perform  the oath  which I sware  unto Abraham  thy father; 

What does Genesis 26:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 26:1-17 - Isaac Is Blessed And Grows Rich
There was no harm in Isaac's going to Gerar, as he had a distinct command to that effect, Genesis 26:2-3. But he does not seem to have been strong enough to stand the test of residence there. He might have received into his soul that sufficient grace which is always within the reach of tempted men; but, like so many of us, he looked down and not up. What could have been more reassuring than the promises of the divine presence and blessing! But he was guilty of incredible meanness to the woman who had come so far to be his wife, and of deceit to Abimelech. Notice how the sins of the fathers repeat themselves in the children! It was a disappointing lapse from the glorious height on which he had stood when he yielded himself to God's call on Mount Moriah! But we have experienced the same contrasts within ourselves. Now on the mount of transfiguration, asking to live there, and then in the valley, quarreling for pre-eminence. But, notwithstanding all, God's loving-kindness does not fail. See Genesis 26:12. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 26

1  Isaac, because of famine, sojourns in Gerar, and the Lord blesses him
7  He is reproved by Abimelech for denying his wife
12  He grows rich, and the Philistines envy his prosperity
18  He digs wells
23  God appears to him at Beersheba, and blesses him;
26  and Abimelech makes a covenant with him
34  Esau's wives

What do the individual words in Genesis 26:3 mean?

Dwell in land this and I will be with you and bless you For to you and your descendants I give - all lands these and I will confirm the oath that I swore to Abraham your father
גּ֚וּר בָּאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את וְאֶֽהְיֶ֥ה עִמְּךָ֖ וַאֲבָרְכֶ֑ךָּ כִּֽי־ לְךָ֣ וּֽלְזַרְעֲךָ֗ אֶתֵּן֙ אֶת־ כָּל־ הָֽאֲרָצֹ֣ת הָאֵ֔ל וַהֲקִֽמֹתִי֙ הַשְּׁבֻעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖עְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם אָבִֽיךָ

גּ֚וּר  Dwell 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: גּוּר 
Sense: to sojourn, abide, dwell in, dwell with, remain, inhabit, be a stranger, be continuing, surely.
בָּאָ֣רֶץ  in  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
הַזֹּ֔את  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
וְאֶֽהְיֶ֥ה  and  I  will  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
עִמְּךָ֖  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
וַאֲבָרְכֶ֑ךָּ  and  bless  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common singular, second person masculine singular
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
לְךָ֣  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
וּֽלְזַרְעֲךָ֗  and  your  descendants 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
אֶתֵּן֙  I  give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 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.
הָֽאֲרָצֹ֣ת  lands 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
הָאֵ֔ל  these 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵל  
Sense: these, those.
וַהֲקִֽמֹתִי֙  and  I  will  confirm 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
הַשְּׁבֻעָ֔ה  the  oath 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: oath, curse.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
נִשְׁבַּ֖עְתִּי  I  swore 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: to swear, adjure.
לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם  to  Abraham 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָהָם  
Sense: friend of God and founder of Hebrew nation via God’s elective covenant.
אָבִֽיךָ  your  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.