Genesis 32:12

KJV1611 – Modern English

And you said, I will surely do you good, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

הַצִּילֵ֥נִי נָ֛א מִיַּ֥ד אָחִ֖י מִיַּ֣ד עֵשָׂ֑ו כִּֽי־יָרֵ֤א אָנֹכִי֙ אֹת֔וֹ פֶּן־יָב֣וֹא וְהִכַּ֔נִי אֵ֖ם עַל־בָּנִֽים׃

Transliteration

haṣṣîlēnî nāʾ from-hand-of brother-my from-hand-of ʿēśāw for-yārēʾ I ʾōtô pen-yābôʾ wə-hikkanî ʾēm on-children.

Grammar Details

• *haṣṣîlēnî*: Hiphil imperative, masculine singular + 1st common singular suffix - deliver me
• *nāʾ*: particle of entreaty - please
• *yārēʾ*: Qal participle, masculine singular - fearing
• *ʾōtô*: direct object marker + 3rd masculine singular suffix - him
• *pen-yābôʾ*: conjunction + Qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - lest he come
• *wə-hikkanî*: waw consecutive + Hiphil perfect, 3rd masculine singular + 1st common singular suffix - and strike me
• *ʾēm*: feminine singular noun - mother

Word Meanings

• *haṣṣîlēnî*: deliver me, rescue me, save me
• *nāʾ*: please, now, I pray
• *yārēʾ*: fearing, afraid of
• *pen-yābôʾ*: lest he come, in case he arrives
• *wə-hikkanî*: and strike me, and attack me, and kill me
• *ʾēm*: mother, with children (idiom for complete destruction)

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from Esau, for I am afraid of him. He might come and strike me, the mothers, and the children.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  Thou saydest that thou woldest surely do me good and woldest make mi seed as the sonde of the see which can not be nombred for multitude.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Thou saydest: I wyll do the good, and wyll make thy sede as the sonde of ye see, which can not be nombred for multitude.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  For thou saydest; I will surely doe thee good, and make thy seede as the sande of the sea, which can not be nombred for multitude.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Thou saydest, I wyll surely do thee good, and make thy seede as the sande of the sea, whiche can not be numbred for multitude.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  You said, 'I will surely do you good, and make your seed as the sand of the sea, which can't be numbered because there are so many.'"

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  and Thou -- Thou hast said, I certainly do good with thee, and have set thy seed as the sand of the sea, which is not numbered because of the multitude.'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And you said, Truly, I will be good to you, and make your seed like the sand of the sea which may not be numbered.

• World English Bible (2000)

  You said, 'I will surely do you good, and make your seed as the sand of the sea, which can't be numbered because there are so many.'"

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  But you said,‘I will certainly make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’”

Referenced Verses

• Gen 28:13-15 : 13 And behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac: the land where you lie, I will give to you and to your descendants; 14 And your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 And behold, I am with you, and will keep you in all places wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land; for I will not leave you, until I have done what I have spoken to you of.
• Gen 32:6 : 6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men with him.
• Gen 46:3-4 : 3 And He said, I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down into Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. 4 I will go down with you into Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph shall put his hand upon your eyes.
• Exod 32:13 : 13 Remember 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 will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'"
• Num 23:19 : 19 God is not a man, that he should lie; nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
• 1 Sam 15:29 : 29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for He is not a man, that He should repent.
• Matt 24:35 : 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
• 2 Tim 2:13 : 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
• Titus 1:2 : 2 In hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began;
• Heb 6:17 : 17 In this way, God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable nature of His purpose, confirmed it with an oath:
• Gen 22:17 : 17 That in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies;