English Standard Version
Genesis 15:5
5And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."
Genesis 15:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
- New International Version (NIV)He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”
Context of Genesis 15:5
3And Abram said, "Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir." 4And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: "This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir." And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 6And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. 7And he said to him, "I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess."
Read all of Genesis 15Genesis 15:5 word by word
וַיּוֹצֵ֨א אֹת֜וֹ הַח֗וּצָה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַבֶּט־נָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה וּסְפֹר֙ הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים אִם־תּוּכַ֖ל לִסְפֹּ֣ר אֹתָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ כֹּ֥ה יִהְיֶ֖ה זַרְעֶֽךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he brought him forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: sendH3318
- abroadחוּץchûts chûts · outsideH2351
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Lookנָבַטnâbaţ · to lookH5027
- now toward heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- and tellסָפַרsâphar · to recountH5608
- the starsכּוֹכָבkôkâb · starH3556
- if thou be ableיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
- unto him, Soכֹּהkôh · thusH3541
- shall thy seedזֶ֫רַעzera‛ · seed: childrenH2233
Cross-references for Genesis 15:5
- Deuteronomy 1:10The Lord your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as numerous as the stars of heaven.
- Psalms 147:4He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.
- Jeremiah 33:22As the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the offspring of David my servant, and the Levitical priests who minister to me."
- Romans 9:7and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named."
- Genesis 12:2And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
- Genesis 13:16I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.
- Genesis 16:10The angel of the Lord also said to her, "I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude."
- Genesis 22:17I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,
- Genesis 28:14Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
- Exodus 32:13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.'"
- Deuteronomy 10:22Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.
- 1 Chronicles 27:23David did not count those below twenty years of age, for the Lord had promised to make Israel as many as the stars of heaven.
- Romans 4:18In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, "So shall your offspring be."
- Hebrews 11:12Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
Commentaries on Genesis 15:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Look now toward heaven - It appears that this whole transaction took place in the evening; see on Genesis 13:14; (note). Abram had either two visions, that recorded in Genesis 15:1, and that in Genesis 15:12, etc.; or what is mentioned in the beginning of this chapter is a part of the occurrences which took place after the sacrifice mentioned Genesis 15:9, etc.: but it is more likely that there was a vision of that kind already described, and afterwards a…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-21Verses 1-21 - The Faith of Abram 1. דבר dābār “a word, a thing;” the word being the sign of the thing. 2. אדני 'ǎdonāy “Adonai, the Lord;” related: “bring down, lay down.” This is the name usually read in place of Yahweh; but when, as in the present case, יהוה yehovâh and אדני 'ǎdonāy are in apposition, אלהים 'ĕlohı̂ym is read instead of the former. The Jews from a feeling of reverence avoided the utterance of this sacred name except on the most…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 2-6Verses 2-6 Though we must never complain of God, yet we have leave to complain to him; and to state all our grievances. It is ease to a burdened spirit, to open its case to a faithful and compassionate friend. Abram's complaint is, that he had no child; that he was never likely to have any; that the want of a son was so great a trouble to him, that it took away all his comfort. If we suppose that Abram looked no further than outward comfort, this…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-6God confirmed that the promise to Abram was for his own children. Then God showed Abram the stars as a sign of the many descendants he would have (22:17; 26:4). The apostle Paul quotes this promise in Romans 4:18 to emphasize Abram’s strong faith.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-211. After these things--the conquest of the invading kings. the word of the Lord--a phrase used, when connected with a vision, to denote a prophetic message. Fear not, Abram--When the excitement of the enterprise was over, he had become a prey to despondency and terror at the probable revenge that might be meditated against him. To dispel his fear, he was favored with this gracious announcement. Having such a promise, how well did it become him (and all…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 15:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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