New English Translation
Genesis 13:16
16And I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone is able to count the dust of the earth, then your descendants also can be counted.
Genesis 13:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
- New International Version (NIV)I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.
- English Standard Version (ESV)I 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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered.
Context of Genesis 13:16
14After Lot had departed, the Lord said to Abram, “Look from the place where you stand to the north, south, east, and west. 15I will give all the land that you see to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone is able to count the dust of the earth, then your descendants also can be counted. 17Get up and walk throughout the land, for I will give it to you.” 18So Abram moved his tents and went to live by the oaks of Mamre in Hebron, and he built an altar to the Lord there.
Read all of Genesis 13Genesis 13:16 word by word
וְשַׂמְתִּ֥י אֶֽת־זַרְעֲךָ֖ כַּעֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר׀ אִם־יוּכַ֣ל אִ֗ישׁ לִמְנוֹת֙ אֶת־עֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֔רֶץ גַּֽם־זַרְעֲךָ֖ יִמָּנֶֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Genesis 13:16
- Genesis 12:2Then I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, so that you will exemplify divine blessing.
- Genesis 15:5The Lord took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”
- Genesis 17:6I will make you extremely fruitful. I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you.
- Genesis 18:18After all, Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using his name.
- Genesis 21:13But I will also make the son of the slave wife into a great nation, for he is your descendant too.”
- Genesis 22:17I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the strongholds of their enemies.
- Genesis 25:1Abraham had taken another wife, named Keturah.
- Genesis 26:4I will multiply your descendants so they will be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands. All the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants.
- Genesis 28:3May the sovereign God bless you! May he make you fruitful and give you a multitude of descendants! Then you will become a large nation.
- Genesis 32:12But you said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’”
- Genesis 35:11Then God said to him, “I am the sovereign God. Be fruitful and multiply! A nation – even a company of nations – will descend from you; kings will be among your descendants!
- Genesis 36:1What follows is the account of Esau (also known as Edom).
- Genesis 46:3He said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.
- Exodus 1:7The Israelites, however, were fruitful, increased greatly, multiplied, and became extremely strong, so that the land was filled with them.
- Exodus 32:13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel your servants, to whom you swore by yourself and told them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken about I will give to your descendants, and they will inherit it forever.’”
- Numbers 23:10Who can count the dust of Jacob, Or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let the end of my life be like theirs.”
Commentaries on Genesis 13:16
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-18Verses 1-18 - Abram and Lot Separate 7. פרזי perı̂zı̂y Perizzi, “descendant of Paraz.” פרז pārāz “leader,” or inhabitant of the plain or open country. 10. ככר kı̂kar “circle, border, vale, cake, talent;” related: “bow, bend, go round, dance.” ירדן yardēn Jardan, “descending.” Usually with the article in prose. צער tso‛ar Tsoar, “smallness.” 18. ממרא mamrē' Mamre, “fat, strong, ruler.” חברון chebrôn Chebron, “conjunction, confederacy.” Lot has been…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-18Verses 14-18 Those are best prepared for the visits of Divine grace, whose spirits are calm, and not ruffled with passion. God will abundantly make up in spiritual peace, what we lose for preserving neighbourly peace. When our relations are separated from us, yet God is not. Observe also the promises with which God now comforted and enriched Abram. Of two things he assures him; a good land, and a numerous issue to enjoy it. The prospects seen by faith are…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-17Abram could give Lot the choice land because he believed in God’s promise. Abram waited for God to give him the land. Lot just took what he wanted.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-181. went up ... south--Palestine being a highland country, the entrance from Egypt by its southern boundary is a continual ascent.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 13:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 13
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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