How do you know if the Hebrew word for seed means Christ or the nation of Israel?
The Hebrew word for seed can be singular or plural with the same form; context determines meaning. If the text speaks of Messiah, it is singular; if it speaks of Abraham's earthly descendants, the children of Israel, it is plural, as in Genesis 13 where seed is compared to dust of the earth.
Les explains that the Hebrew word for seed has a quirk: the same identical word can be singular or plural, so you must discern from the context whether it speaks of Christ or of the whole nation of Israel. He compares it to English “sheep,” where one sheep and twelve sheep are still called sheep. So the reader has to use their wherewithal to determine from the text whether it is speaking singular, the Messiah, or plural, the children of Israel. In Genesis 13, God says, “I will make thy seed, or your offspring, as the dust of the earth.” Les points out that this is plural, because dust is earthly, and it refers to Abraham’s earthly progeny, the nation of Israel, compared in number to the sand of the sea and the ancient nations.