unfoldingWord_en_tn/gen/22/17.md

# surely bless

"certainly bless"

# I will greatly multiply your descendants

"I will cause your descendants to increase again and again" or "I will cause your descendants to be very many"

# as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore

God compared Abraham's descendants to the stars and the sand. Just as people cannot count the huge number of stars or the grains of sand, so there would be so many of Abraham's descendants that people would not be able to count them. Alternate translation: "beyond what you can count" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-simile]])

# as the stars of the heavens

Here the word "heavens" refers to everything we see above the earth, including the sun, moon, and stars.

# will possess the gate of their enemies

Here "gate" represents the whole city. To "possess the gate of their enemies" means destroying their enemies. Alternate translation: "will completely triumph over their enemies" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])