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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• 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.

Context of Hebrews 11:12

10For he was looking forward to the city with firm foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11By faith, even though Sarah herself was barren and he was too old, he received the ability to procreate, because he regarded the one who had given the promise to be trustworthy. So in fact children were fathered by one man – and this one as good as dead – like the number of stars in the sky and like the innumerable grains of sand on the seashore. 13These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth. 14For those who speak in such a way 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 4:19Without being weak in faith, he considered his own body as dead (because he was about one hundred years old) and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
• 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 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 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.
• 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.’”
• Deuteronomy 1:10The Lord your God has increased your population to the point that you are now as numerous as the very stars of the sky.
• Deuteronomy 28:62There will be very few of you left, though at one time you were as numerous as the stars in the sky, because you will have disobeyed the Lord your God.
• 1 Chronicles 27:23David did not count the males twenty years old and under, for the Lord had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky.
• Nehemiah 9:23You multiplied their descendants like the stars of the sky. You brought them to the land you had told their ancestors to enter in order to possess.
• Romans 4:17(as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”). He is our father in the presence of God whom he believed – the God who makes the dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do.
• 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.’”
• Joshua 11:4These kings came out with their armies; they were as numerous as the sand on the seashore and had a large number of horses and chariots.
• Judges 7:12Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east covered the valley like a swarm of locusts. Their camels could not be counted; they were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore.
• 1 Samuel 12:5He said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and his chosen king is witness this day, that you have not found any reason to accuse me.” They said, “He is witness!”
• 2 Samuel 17:11My advice therefore is this: Let all Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba – in number like the sand by the sea! – be mustered to you, and you lead them personally into battle.
• 1 Kings 4:20The people of Judah and Israel were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore; they had plenty to eat and drink 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