with this mighty hunter before the Lord, was filled by the calling of Abraham

and the promises made to him concerning the great nation Israel.

In Genesis 48:19 we read, `his seed shall become a multitude of

nations'.  It so happens that the word `multitude' occurs earlier in this

same chapter, namely in verse 4, where we read:

`Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make

of thee a multitude of people' (Gen. 48:4).

Two words are found in the Hebrew original which are here translated

`multitude' and these must be distinguished.

The word translated `multitude' in verse 4 is the Hebrew word qahal `to

call' or `to assemble', but the word translated `multitude' in verse 19 is

entirely different, it is the Hebrew word melo `fulness'.*

Let us bring together all three passages which make the promise that

Israel shall be a multitude or company of (qahal) people or nations.

`And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply

thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of (qahal) people' (Gen. 28:3).

`And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a

nation and a company of (qahal) nations shall be of thee' (Gen. 35:11).

`Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make

of thee a multitude of (qahal) people' (Gen. 48:4).

In these passages `multitude' or `company' translate the Hebrew word

qahal.  When Jacob blessed Joseph's younger son Ephraim, putting his right

hand upon his head, instead of upon the head of Manasseh his elder brother,

Joseph said:

`Not so, my father ...' Jacob answered, `I know it, my son, I know it:

he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly

his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become

a multitude of (melo) nations' (Gen. 48:19).

Here, as we have already observed, the Hebrew word translated

`multitude' is melo, `fulness'.

*

Readers who use The Companion Bible (early editions) should observe

that the note against `multitude' in verse 19 should be transferred to the

margin of verse 4 in the same chapter.

We must, therefore, become acquainted with the usage and meaning of

these two words which are translated `multitude' before we can proceed with

our study.  Qahal, means `to call together', `to assemble', and the noun form

is translated `congregation', `assembly' and `company'.  In seventy passages,

the Septuagint renders the Hebrew qahal by ekklesia, and Stephen speaks of

`the church in the wilderness' (Acts 7:38).  In the three passages quoted

from Genesis, `multitude' and `company' are represented by `synagogue' in the

Septuagint.  In Genesis 48:19 melo which is translated `multitude' is

rendered in the Septuagint plethos, which in the New Testament is rendered by