Washington: Genesis 12:3, a Bible verse often cited by American Evangelicals, is more than mere scripture; it is seen by many as a foreign policy mandate. This verse, "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse," is frequently used to justify unwavering U.S. support for Israel, despite the constitutional separation of church and state. Any deviation from this staunch support is often branded as spiritual betrayal.
According to TRTworld.com, the association of Genesis 12:3 with support for Israel can be traced back to the Scofield Reference Bible, published in 1909. This Bible, through its footnotes rather than its text, suggested that the verse referred to Israel—an interpretation that biblical scholars argue was a stretch at the time and remains a misreading today.
Jonathan Kuttab, co-founder of the Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq, points out that the Scofield Reference Bible was written before the establishment of the State of Israel, indicating that it could not have been referring to a modern state. Kuttab explains that the verse actually refers to the "seed of Abraham," which is about Jesus Christ, not modern Israel or even the biological descendants of Abraham.
Reverend Dr. Donald Wagner, a Presbyterian clergyman and veteran Middle East analyst, supports this view, stating that Genesis 12:3 is about a covenant with Abraham rather than a political state created in 1948. Wagner emphasizes that biblical covenants come with conditions, which, if violated, could result in the loss of land—a concept reiterated throughout the Bible.
Gary Burge, a New Testament Scholar, notes that only select Evangelicals in the U.S. believe the verse refers to Israel, and he argues that this interpretation is flawed. He explains that the promise was meant for Abraham's immediate context with Egypt and was intended to lead to a temple-centered religious nation, none of which describes modern Israel.
The interpretation of Genesis 12:3 has also sparked debates about identity. The Torah differentiates between the blessings of Ishmael, the father of Arabs, and his brother Isaac, through whom the blessings of Abraham are said to run. Burge warns against the ethnic interpretation of these blessings, which some apply narrowly to Jewish ethnicity, a view rejected by both Old and New Testament prophets.
Cyrus Scofield, the man behind the reference Bible that popularized these interpretations, was a controversial figure. Despite a troubled past, including allegations of bribery and forgery, his reference Bible influenced the American Evangelical view of Israel. Critics argue that the inclusion of Scofield's notes has elevated them to a near-sacred status, contrary to traditional biblical teachings.
Reverend Wagner and Burge both criticize the fundamentalist theology called premillennial dispensationalism endorsed in Scofield's reference Bible. This theology suggests that God favors the Jewish people and a modern Israel as the site of final prophetic events, an interpretation inconsistent with the teachings of Hebrew prophets and Jesus.
Kuttab argues that the motivation behind this misinterpretation is political rather than theological, aiming to exclude Arabs and Christians from being considered "children of Abraham." This exclusion, he asserts, serves political purposes unrelated to genuine theological or religious beliefs.