God’s Word Translation
Genesis 16:10
10The Messenger of the Lord also said to her, “I will give you many descendants. No one will be able to count them because there will be so many.”
Genesis 16:10 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
- New International Version (NIV)The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)The angel of the Lord also said to her, "I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.”
Context of Genesis 16:10
8He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s slave, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She answered, “I’m running away from my owner Sarai.” 9The Messenger of the Lord said to her, “Go back to your owner, and place yourself under her authority.” The Messenger of the Lord also said to her, “I will give you many descendants. No one will be able to count them because there will be so many.” 11Then the Messenger of the Lord said to her, “You are pregnant, and you will give birth to a son. You will name him Ishmael [God Hears], because the Lord has heard your cry of distress. 12He will be as free and wild as an untamed donkey. He will fight with everyone, and everyone will fight with him. He will have conflicts with all his relatives.”
Read all of Genesis 16Genesis 16:10 word by word
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהּ֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה הַרְבָּ֥ה אַרְבֶּ֖ה אֶת־זַרְעֵ֑ךְ וְלֹ֥א יִסָּפֵ֖ר מֵרֹֽב׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the angelמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messenger: angelH4397
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto her, I will multiplyרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
- thy seedזֶ֫רַעzera‛ · seed: childrenH2233
- that it shall not be numberedסָפַרsâphar · to recountH5608
- for multitudeרֹבrôb · abundanceH7230
Cross-references for Genesis 16:10
- Genesis 22:15Then the Messenger of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time
- Genesis 31:11In the dream the Messenger of God called to me, ‘Jacob!’ And I answered, ‘Yes, here I am.’
- Genesis 32:24So Jacob was left alone. Then a man wrestled with him until dawn.
- Genesis 48:15Then Jacob blessed Joseph, “May God, in whose presence my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac walked, may God, who has been my shepherd all my life to this very day,
- Exodus 3:2The Messenger of the Lord appeared to him there as flames of fire coming out of a bush. Moses looked, and although the bush was on fire, it was not burning up.
- Judges 2:1The Messenger of the Lord went from Gilgal to Bochim. He said, “I brought you out of Egypt into the land that I swore to give to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my promise to you.
- Judges 6:11The Messenger of the Lord came and sat under the oak tree in Ophrah that belonged to Joash from Abiezer’s family. Joash’s son Gideon was beating out wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.
- Judges 6:16The Lord replied, “I will be with you. You will defeat Midian as if it were ⌞only⌟ one man.”
- Judges 13:16But the Messenger of the Lord responded, “If I stay here, I will not eat any of your food. But if you make a burnt offering, sacrifice it to the Lord.” (Manoah did not realize that it was the Messenger of the Lord.)
- Isaiah 63:9In all their troubles he was troubled, and he was the Messenger who saved them. In his love and compassion he reclaimed them. He always held them and carried them in the past.
- Hosea 12:3Their ancestor Jacob held on to his brother’s heel while the two of them were in their mother’s womb. When Jacob became a man, he struggled with God.
- Zechariah 2:8This is what the Lord of Armies says: Afterwards, the Glory sent me to the nations who looted you. Whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye.
- Malachi 3:1“I’m going to send my messenger, and he will clear the way ahead of me. Then the Lord you are looking for will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the promise will come. He is the one you want,” says the Lord of Armies.
- John 1:18No one has ever seen God. God’s only Son, the one who is closest to the Father’s heart, has made him known.
- Acts 7:30“Forty years later, a Messenger appeared to him in the flames of a burning bush in the desert of Mount Sinai.
- 1 Timothy 6:16He is the only one who cannot die. He lives in light that no one can come near. No one has seen him, nor can they see him. Honor and power belong to him forever! Amen.
Commentaries on Genesis 16:10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10I will multiply thy seed exceedingly - Who says this? The person who is called the Angel of the Lord; and he certainly speaks with all the authority which is proper to God.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-16Verses 1-16 - The Birth of Ishmael 1. הנר hāgār Hagar, “flight.” Hejrah, the flight of Muhammed. 7. מלאך mal'ak “messenger, angel.” A deputy commissioned to discharge a certain duty for the principal whom he represents. As the most usual task is that of bearing messages, commands, or tidings, he is commonly called a “messenger” ̓́ angelos ). The word is therefore a term of office, and does not further distinguish the office-bearer than as an intelligent…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-16Verses 7-16 Hagar was out of her place, and out of the way of her duty, and going further astray, when the Angel found her. It is a great mercy to be stopped in a sinful way, either by conscience or by providence. Whence comest thou? Consider that thou art running from duty, and the privileges thou wast blest with in Abram's tent. It is good to live in a religious family, which those ought to consider who have this advantage. Whither wilt thou go? Thou…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10-12Hagar’s son would become the father of a large nation. This nation would be strong but often hostile, living in the Arabian Desert and frequently in conflict with Israel (compare 25:18). God blessed Ishmael as Abram's descendant. But God did not choose Ishmael to continue the covenant. God kept that blessing for Abram's heir based on God's promise.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-161. Now, Sarai ... had a handmaid--a female slave--one of those obtained in Egypt.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 16:10
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 16
- 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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