The Seed Promise

and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

זֶרַע (zeraʿ, H2233) is a collective singular — offspring, or one offspring. The pronoun is singular: הוּא, 'HE shall bruise thy head.' The Greek OT breaks its own grammar to keep it — αὐτός (masculine) against the neuter σπέρμα.

And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For, said she, God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel; for Cain slew him.

Eve names Seth with the promise-word on her lips: 'God hath appointed me another SEED instead of Abel.'

And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant. God enlarge Japheth, And let him dwell in the tents of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant.

The first narrowing — blessing is spoken over the tents of Shem. Each toledoth of Genesis will narrow the field again.

and I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

The promise goes global through one man: 'in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.'

And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.

Seed as the stars; Abram 'believed in the LORD.' Paul builds Romans 4 and Galatians 3 on these two verses.

and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

After the offering of Isaac: 'in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed' — the phrasing Galatians 3:16 presses.

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh come; And unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be.

The seed line takes a tribe: 'the sceptre shall not depart from Judah… until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.'

When thy days are fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, that shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

'I will set up thy seed after thee… and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever' — the promise takes a throne.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

The seed of the WOMAN was always an anomaly — seed is reckoned through the man everywhere else. Isaiah develops it: the sign is given to the house of David.

The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

'The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham' — Matthew opens with the toledoth formula; Luke runs it back to Adam.

Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

Paul's argument stands on the collective singular of Genesis: 'He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one… which is Christ.'

And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

'The God of peace shall bruise Satan under YOUR feet shortly' — the crushing of Genesis 3:15, and the church is standing in it. שׁוּף (shuph, to bruise) appears only four times in the OT.