New King James Version
Genesis 15:5
5Then 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.”
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.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)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."
- 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
3Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” 4And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” 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.” 6And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. 7Then He said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.”
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 here you are today, as the stars of heaven in multitude.
- Psalms 147:4He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.
- Jeremiah 33:22As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the sand of the sea measured, so will I multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.’ ”
- Romans 9:7nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.”
- Genesis 12:2I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
- Genesis 13:16And 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.
- Genesis 16:10Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.”
- Genesis 22:17blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
- Genesis 28:14Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families 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 descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ”
- Deuteronomy 10:22Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as the stars of heaven in multitude.
- 1 Chronicles 27:23But David did not take the number of those twenty years old and under, because the Lord had said He would multiply Israel like the stars of the heavens.
- Romans 4:18who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”
- Hebrews 11:12Therefore 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.
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries