Genesis 15:5

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

He took him outside and said, "Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them." Then He added, "So will your descendants be."

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיּוֹצֵ֨א אֹת֜וֹ הַח֗וּצָה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַבֶּט־נָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה וּסְפֹר֙ הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים אִם־תּוּכַ֖ל לִסְפֹּ֣ר אֹתָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ כֹּ֥ה יִהְיֶ֖ה זַרְעֶֽךָ׃

Transliteration

And-yôṣēʾ him the-ḥûṣāh and-yōʾmer habbeṭ-nāʾ the-šāmaymāh and-səp̄ōr the-kôḵāḇîm if-tûḵal to-lispōr them and-yōʾmer to-him thus yihyeh zarʿeḵā.

Grammar Details

• *yôṣēʾ*: Hiphil imperfect 3rd masculine singular with waw consecutive - and he brought out
• *ḥûṣāh*: noun with directional suffix - outside/outward
• *yōʾmer*: Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular with waw consecutive - and he said
• *habbeṭ*: Hiphil imperative masculine singular - look/gaze
• *nāʾ*: particle of entreaty - please/now
• *šāmaymāh*: masculine dual noun with directional suffix - toward the heavens
• *səp̄ōr*: Qal imperative masculine singular - count
• *kôḵāḇîm*: masculine plural noun - stars
• *tûḵal*: Qal imperfect 2nd masculine singular - you are able
• *lispōr*: Qal infinitive construct with prefix - to count
• *yihyeh*: Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - will be
• *zarʿeḵā*: masculine singular noun with 2nd masculine singular suffix - your seed/offspring

Word Meanings

• *yôṣēʾ*: brought out/led out/caused to go out
• *ḥûṣāh*: outside/outdoors/abroad
• *habbeṭ*: look/gaze/observe/pay attention
• *šāmaymāh*: heavens/sky/celestial realm
• *səp̄ōr*: count/number/recount
• *kôḵāḇîm*: stars/celestial bodies
• *zarʿeḵā*: seed/offspring/descendants/posterity

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  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.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And 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 offspring be.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  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.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And he brought him forth{H3318} abroad,{H2351} and said,{H559} Look{H5027} now toward heaven,{H8064} and number{H5608} the stars,{H3556} if thou be able{H3201} to number{H5608} them: and he said{H559} unto him, So{H3541} shall thy seed{H2233} be.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And he brought him forth{H3318}{(H8686)} abroad{H2351}, and said{H559}{(H8799)}, Look{H5027}{(H8685)} now toward heaven{H8064}, and tell{H5608}{(H8798)} the stars{H3556}, if thou be able{H3201}{(H8799)} to number{H5608}{(H8800)} them: and he said{H559}{(H8799)} unto him, So{H3541} shall thy seed{H2233} be.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  And he brought him out at the doores ad sayde. Loke vpp vnto heaven and tell the starres yf thou be able to nobre them. And sayde vnto him Even so shall thy seed be.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And he bad him go forth, and sayde: Loke vp vnto heauen, and tell ye starres: Canst thou nombre them? And he sayde vnto him: Euen so shal thy sede be.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Moreouer he brought him forth and said, Looke vp nowe vnto heauen, and tell ye starres, if thou be able to number them: and he said vnto him, So shall thy seede be.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And he brought hym out, and sayde: loke vp vnto heauen, and tell the starres, if thou be able to number them. And he sayde vnto hym: euen so shall thy seede be.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  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.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Yahweh brought him outside, and said, "Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." He said to Abram, "So shall your seed be."

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  and He bringeth him out without, and saith, `Look attentively, I pray thee, towards the heavens, and count the stars, if thou art able to count them;' and He saith to him, `Thus is thy seed.'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And he took him out into the open air, and said to him, Let your eyes be lifted to heaven, and see if the stars may be numbered; even so will your seed be.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Yahweh brought him outside, and said, "Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." He said to Abram, "So shall your seed be."

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  The 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.”

Referenced Verses

• Deut 1:10 : 10 The LORD your God has multiplied you, and now you are as numerous as the stars in the sky.
• Rom 4:18 : 18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.'
• Heb 11:12 : 12 And so from 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.
• Exod 32:13 : 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants to whom you swore by yourself: 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and I will give your descendants all this land that I have promised, and they shall inherit it forever.'
• Gen 22:17 : 17 I will surely bless you and will greatly multiply your offspring like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore, and your offspring will possess the gates of their enemies.
• Ps 147:4 : 4 He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them.
• Jer 33:22 : 22 Just as the stars in the sky cannot be counted and the sand on the seashore cannot be measured, so will I multiply the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me.
• Deut 10:22 : 22 Your ancestors went down to Egypt with seventy people, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of the heavens.
• 1 Chr 27:23 : 23 David did not take a count of those twenty years old and younger, because the Lord had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky.
• Gen 12:2 : 2 And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
• Gen 13:16 : 16 I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust of the earth, your descendants could also be counted.
• Gen 16:10 : 10 The angel of the LORD also said, "I will greatly multiply your offspring so that they cannot be counted because of their great numbers."
• Gen 26:4 : 4 I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and give them all these lands, and through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
• Gen 28:14 : 14 Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west, to the east, to the north, and to the south. Through you and your descendants, all the families of the earth will be blessed.
• Rom 9:7-8 : 7 Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, 'Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.' 8 This means it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.