POLL: Was the Genesis 48:19 promise Conditional or Unconditional?

Genesis 48:19  But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also becomes a people, and he also is great. And yet, his younger brother [Ephraim] is greater than he [Manasseh], and his seed is to become the fullness of the nations.”

The overwhelming response to the question was "unconditional" (88.2% of nearly 1,000 votes). Only 7.6% voted "conditional". Even so, thankfully the will and promise of is not determined by democratic means.

Question and possible answers were worded in this way:

"The 'fullness of the nations' promise made to Ephraim in Genesis 48:19 was..."

unconditional promise
872 votes      88.2%     

conditional promise
75 votes     7.6%     

I don't know
28 votes     2.8%     

I don't care
11 votes     1.1%     

joke
3 votes     0.3%   

lie
0 votes     0%     

Total Number of Voters      :  989
First Vote      :  Sunday, 24 February 2008 10:59
Last Vote      :  Friday, 21 January 2011 12:45

Scriptural evidence that the promise was Unconditional

If I were to redesign this poll, I may have added the choice "unconditional and conditional" in the list... for I believe the multitude promises were both unconditional and conditional, but largely based upon past "conditions" of righteousness (i.e., the right acts of Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, etc) before the promises.

For example, passages like:

Genesis 26:24  And appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the Elohim of your father Aḇraham. Do not fear, for I am with you, and shall bless you and increase your seed for My servant Abraham’s sake.”

Unconditional blessing upon the undeserving based upon past conditional righteousness of others is not without Scriptural precedent. The wicked and idolatrous have even been blessed for the sake of Abraham, Isaak, Jacob, and Joseph.

Genesis 30:27  And Laḇan said to him [Jacob], “If I have found favour in your eyes, please stay, for I have diligently watched that has blessed me for your sake.”

Genesis 39:5
(5)  And it came to be, from the time that he appointed him over his house and all that he had, that blessed the Mitsrite’s house for Yoseph’s sake. And the blessing of was on all that he had in the house and in the field.

Isaiah 45:4-5
(4)  ‘For the sake of Ya'aqob My servant, and of Yisra’el My chosen, I also call you [Cyrus] by your name, I give you a title, though you have not known Me.
(5)  ‘I am , and there is none else – there is no Elohim besides Me. I gird you, though you have not known Me,

Hosea 1:8-10 seems to confirm the unconditionality:

(8)  And she weaned Lo-Ruhamah, and conceived and bore a son,
(9)  then He said, “Call his name Lo-Ammi, for you are not My people, and I am not for you.
(10)  “Yet the number of the children of Yisra’el shall be as the sand of the sea, which is not measured nor counted. And it shall be in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they shall be called, ‘You are the sons of the living El.’

Even the Christian Apostle Paul also seemed to think Genesis 48:19 was unconditional. Look how he references the promise near the end of this passage:

Romans 11:25  For I do not wish you to be ignorant of this secret, brothers, lest you should be wise in your own estimation, that hardening in part has come over Yisra’ĕl, until the completeness of the gentiles has come in.

The Hebrew word 'goyim' found in Genesis 48:19, was sometimes translated in English as 'nations' and sometimes as 'gentiles'.

Thank you for reading... and if you did, thank you for voting.

Shalom,
Hanok ben-Isaak

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