will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Gen. 12:1–3) Fundamentally, God’s promise was “I will bless you.” This was spelled out later: I will establish my covenant … between me and you … to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. (Gen. 17:7) It came to be recognized as the essence of God’s covenant with Israel, repeated again
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