Hebrews 11:12

Hebrews 11:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
• New International Version (NIV)And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.
• New Living Translation (NLT)And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.

Context of Hebrews 11:12

10For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. 11By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore 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. 13These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.

Hebrews 11:12 word by word

διὸ καὶ ἀφ᾽ ἑνὸς ἐγεννήθησαν, καὶ ταῦτα νενεκρωμένου, καθὼς τὰ ἄστρα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τῷ πλήθει καὶ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος ἡ παρὰ τὸ χεῖλος τῆς θαλάσσης ἡ ἀναρίθμητος.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thereforeδιόdio · thereforeG1352
• sprang thereγεννάωgennaō · to begetG1080
• evenκαίkai · andG2532
• ofἀπόapo · away fromG575
• oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
• himοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• as good as deadνεκρόωnekroō · to put to deathG3499
• asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• the starsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the starsἄστρονastron · starG798
• of the skyοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
• in multitudeπλῆθοςplēthos · multitudeG4128
• asὡσείhōsei · like/as/aboutG5616
• the sandἄμμοςammos · sandG285
• byπαράpara · from/with/besideG3844
• theχεῖλοςcheilos · lipG5491
• seaθάλασσαthalassa · seaG2281
• innumerableἀναρίθμητοςanarithmētos · countlessG382

Cross-references for Hebrews 11:12

• Romans 4:19He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.
• Genesis 15:5And 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 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 26:4I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall 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 1:10The Lord your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as numerous as the stars of heaven.
• Deuteronomy 28:62Whereas you were as numerous as the stars of heaven, you shall be left few in number, because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God.
• 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.
• Nehemiah 9:23You multiplied their children as the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you had told their fathers to enter and possess.
• Romans 4:17as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations"—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
• Genesis 32:12But you said, 'I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.'"
• Joshua 11:4And they came out with all their troops, a great horde, in number like the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots.
• Judges 7:12And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance.
• 1 Samuel 12:5And he said to them, "The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand." And they said, "He is witness."
• 2 Samuel 17:11But my counsel is that all Israel be gathered to you, from Dan to Beersheba, as the sand by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person.
• 1 Kings 4:20Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy.

Commentaries on Hebrews 11:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Him as good as dead - According to nature, long past the time of the procreation of children. The birth of Isaac, the circumstances of the father and mother considered, was entirely supernatural; and the people who proceeded from this birth were a supernatural people; and were and are most strikingly singular through every period of their history to the present day.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Therefore sprang there even of one - From a single individual. What is observed here by the apostle as worthy of remark, is, that the whole Jewish people sprang from one man, and that, as the reward of his strong faith he was made the father and founder of a nation. And him as good as dead - So far as the subject under discussion is concerned, To human appearance there was no more probability, that he would have a son at that period of life, than that the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-19Verses 8-19 We are often called to leave worldly connexions, interests, and comforts. If heirs of Abraham's faith, we shall obey and go forth, though not knowing what may befall us; and we shall be found in the way of duty, looking for the performance of God's promises. The trial of Abraham's faith was, that he simply and fully obeyed the call of God. Sarah received the promise as the promise of God; being convinced of that, she truly judged that he both…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12and he as good as dead: Abraham, who was very old, became the ancestor of an entire nation. Faith means believing that God can fulfill his promises, even when it seems impossible. as the stars … and the sand: See Genesis 22:17. God kept his promise (Exodus 1:7).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. as good as dead--literally, "deadened"; no longer having, as in youth, energetic vital powers. stars ... sand--(Ge 22:17).Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 11:12

• Faith
• Obedience

In the dictionaries

• the sea, the Great Sea, the western sea
• Builder
• Conceive
• Confess
• Cruel
• Faith
• Impossible
• Proper
• Rewarder
• Trial

Commentaries on Hebrews 11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings