Ga 3:16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ.
Critics attack the apostle Paul by saying that Paul was a terrible exegete here in Galatians 3:16 by using a collective word "sperma" or seed to refer only to a single person, in this instance, the Lord Jesus Christ. They say that "sperma" is a collective word much like the words "dozen" and "family."
Reply:
First of all, it is not true that the word "sperma" is a collective word all the time in the way it is used in the Scriptures. There are instances in which the word is used to refer to a single person.
Ge 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."
Here the woman's seed (sperma in the LXX) refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. It does not refer to a collective group.
Ge 4:25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, "For God has appointed another seed (sperma in the LXX) for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed."
Here the word "seed" refers to Seth. It does not refer to a collective group.
Ge 21:12 But God said to Abraham, "Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed (sperma in the LXX) shall be called.
Ge 21:13 "Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed (sperma in the LXX)."
Question: "Which passage in Genesis was Paul alluding to in Galatians 3:16?
I believe Paul was alluding to Genesis 22:17-18:
Ge 22:17 that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your seed greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your seed will possess the gate of his enemies.
18 In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."
The word "seed" is cited three times here in these verses. The first use of the word "seed" obviously is collective. It refers to Abraham's descendants, the Israelites: "I will multiply your seed greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore."
But the second and third uses of the word "seed" is singular. It is Messianic in nature. Notice: "Your seed will possess the gate of HIS enemies. In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."
It ties in perfectly with another Messianic verse in Psalm 72:17:
Ps 72:17 His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun. And men shall be blessed in Him; All nations shall call Him blessed.
Paul in Galatians 3:16 was only alluding to Genesis 22:17-18. Hence, the words in the former does not perfectly match with that of the latter.
