I will indeed bless you: indeed bless represents two forms of the Hebrew verb “bless” that occur here, “blessing I will bless you”—which emphasizes the action of blessing. The sense is “I will certainly bless you” or “I will give you great blessings.” For discussion of bless see 1.22 and 12.2-3.

Good News Translation has moved this first clause of verse 17 to the introduction to what the LORD promises in verse 16: “… that I will richly bless you.” This may be attractive to translators in other languages also; and in this case it may be advisable to number the two verses together (which Good News Translation has not done in this case).

I will multiply your descendants: God’s blessing is here stated in terms of fertility, and we may translate “I will give you many descendants.” Numerous descendants are compared to stars and sand. The first comparison as the stars of heaven is to the stars, which were vast in number in the desert night sky of Abraham’s world. The second comparison is as the sand which is on the seashore. In translation it may be necessary to make clear that these comparisons are used for the vast numbers they represent. Accordingly it may be necessary to translate something like “I will cause you to have so many descendants they will be as numerous as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand by the seashore.” One translation that emphasizes this by repetition says “Your descendants will be very many. They will be as many as the stars in the sky. They will be as many as the sand along the seashore.” Part of this figure of speech will occur again in 26.4 and 32.12. Similar blessings were promised earlier, referring to the dust of the earth (13.16) and the stars (15.5).

And your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies: the image changes from vastness in number to power and might in conflict. Possess the gate is a figurative expression that refers to conquering, defeating, and taking possession of the enemy’s city. This expression must often be avoided in favor of a more general term; for example, “will defeat and conquer their enemies.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .