Genesis 13:16

Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

And I have set thy seed as dust of the earth, so that, if one is able to number the dust of the earth, even thy seed is numbered;

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְשַׂמְתִּ֥י אֶֽת־זַרְעֲךָ֖ כַּעֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ אִם־יוּכַ֣ל אִ֗ישׁ לִמְנוֹת֙ אֶת־עֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֔רֶץ גַּֽם־זַרְעֲךָ֖ יִמָּנֶֽה׃

Transliteration

And wĕśamtî your zarʿăḵā as kaʿăp̄ar hāʾāreṣ, that if yûḵal ʾîš to limnôṯ ʿăp̄ar hāʾāreṣ, also your zarʿăḵā yimmānê.

Grammar Details

• *wĕśamtî*: waw consecutive + qal perfect, 1st common singular - and I will make
• *zarʿăḵā*: noun, masculine singular + 2nd masculine singular suffix - your seed/descendants
• *kaʿăp̄ar*: preposition + noun, masculine singular construct - as the dust of
• *hāʾāreṣ*: definite article + noun, feminine singular - the earth
• *yûḵal*: qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - he is able
• *ʾîš*: noun, masculine singular - a man
• *limnôṯ*: preposition + qal infinitive construct - to count
• *ʿăp̄ar*: noun, masculine singular construct - dust of
• *yimmānê*: niphal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - will be counted

Word Meanings

• *wĕśamtî*: I will make/I will set/I will place
• *zarʿăḵā*: your seed/your offspring/your descendants
• *kaʿăp̄ar*: as the dust/like the dust
• *yûḵal*: he is able/he can/he could
• *limnôṯ*: to count/to number/to reckon
• *ʿăp̄ar*: dust/soil/powder
• *yimmānê*: will be counted/will be numbered

Referenced Verses

• Gen 28:14 : 14 and thy seed hath been as the dust of the land, and thou hast broken forth westward, and eastward, and northward, and southward, and all families of the ground have been blessed in thee and in thy seed.
• Num 23:10 : 10 Who hath counted the dust of Jacob, And the number of the fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of upright ones, And let my last end be like his!'
• Gen 32:12 : 12 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.'
• Gen 15:5 : 5 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.'
• Gen 22:17 : 17 that blessing I bless thee, and multiplying I multiply thy seed as stars of the heavens, and as sand which `is' on the sea-shore; and thy seed doth possess the gate of his enemies;
• 1 Kgs 3:8 : 8 and Thy servant `is' in the midst of thy people, whom Thou hast chosen, a people numerous, that is not numbered nor counted for multitude,
• 1 Kgs 4:20 : 20 Judah and Israel `are' many, as the sand that `is' by the sea for multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing.
• 1 Chr 21:5 : 5 And Joab giveth the account of the numbering of the people unto David, and all Israel is a thousand thousand and a hundred thousand, each drawing sword, and Judah `is' four hundred and seventy thousand, each drawing sword.
• 1 Chr 27:23 : 23 And David hath not taken up their number from a son of twenty years and under, for Jehovah said to multiply Israel as the stars of the heavens.
• 2 Chr 17:14-18 : 14 And these `are' their numbers, for the house of their fathers: Of Judah, heads of thousands, Adnah the head, and with him mighty ones of valour, three hundred chiefs. 15 And at his hand `is' Jehohanan the head, and with him two hundred and eighty chiefs. 16 And at his hand `is' Amasiah son of Zichri, who is willingly offering himself to Jehovah, and with him two hundred chiefs, mighty of valour. 17 And of Benjamin: mighty of valour, Eliada, and with him, armed with bow and shield, two hundred chiefs. 18 And at his hand `is' Jehozabad, and with him a hundred and eighty chiefs, armed ones of the host.
• Isa 48:18-19 : 18 O that thou hadst attended to My commands, Then as a river is thy peace, And thy righteousness as billows of the sea, 19 And as sand is thy seed, And the offspring of thy bowels as its gravel, Not cut off nor destroyed his name before Me.
• Jer 33:22 : 22 As the host of the heavens is not numbered, Nor the sand of the sea measured, So I multiply the seed of David My servant, And the Levites My ministers.'
• Rom 4:16-18 : 16 Because of this `it is' of faith, that `it may be' according to grace, for the promise being sure to all the seed, not to that which `is' of the law only, but also to that which `is' of the faith of Abraham, 17 who is father of us all (according as it hath been written -- `A father of many nations I have set thee,') before Him whom he did believe -- God, who is quickening the dead, and is calling the things that be not as being. 18 Who, against hope in hope did believe, for his becoming father of many nations according to that spoken: `So shall thy seed be;'
• Heb 11:12 : 12 wherefore, also from one were begotten -- and that of one who had become dead -- as the stars of the heaven in multitude, and as sand that `is' by the sea-shore -- the innumerable.
• Rev 7:9 : 9 After these things I saw, and lo, a great multitude, which to number no one was able, out of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands,
• Gen 12:2-3 : 2 And I make thee become a great nation, and bless thee, and make thy name great; and be thou a blessing. 3 And I bless those blessing thee, and him who is disesteeming thee I curse, and blessed in thee have been all families of the ground.'
• Gen 25:1-9 : 1 And Abraham addeth and taketh a wife, and her name `is' Keturah; 2 and she beareth to him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 And Jokshan hath begotten Sheba and Dedan; and the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim; 4 and the sons of Midian `are' Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abidah, and Eldaah: all these `are' sons of Keturah. 5 And Abraham giveth all that he hath to Isaac; 6 and to the sons of the concubines whom Abraham hath, Abraham hath given gifts, and sendeth them away from Isaac his son (in his being yet alive) eastward, unto the east country. 7 And these `are' the days of the years of the life of Abraham, which he lived, a hundred and seventy and five years; 8 and Abraham expireth, and dieth in a good old age, aged and satisfied, and is gathered unto his people. 9 And Isaac and Ishmael his sons bury him at the cave of Machpelah, at the field of Ephron, son of Zoar the Hittite, which `is' before Mamre -- 10 the field which Abraham bought from the sons of Heth -- there hath Abraham been buried, and Sarah his wife. 11 And it cometh to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blesseth Isaac his son; and Isaac dwelleth by the Well of the Living One, my Beholder. 12 And these `are' births of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, hath borne to Abraham; 13 and these `are' the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their births: first-born of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, 14 and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, 15 Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah: 16 these are sons of Ishmael, and these their names, by their villages, and by their towers; twelve princes according to their peoples. 17 And these `are' the years of the life of Ishmael, a hundred and thirty and seven years; and he expireth, and dieth, and is gathered unto his people; 18 and they tabernacle from Havilah unto Shur, which `is' before Egypt, in `thy' going towards Asshur; in the presence of all his brethren hath he fallen. 19 And these `are' births of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham hath begotten Isaac; 20 and Isaac is a son of forty years in his taking Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramaean, from Padan-Aram, sister of Laban the Aramaean, to him for a wife. 21 And Isaac maketh entreaty to Jehovah before his wife, for she `is' barren: and Jehovah is entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceiveth, 22 and the children struggle together within her, and she saith, `If `it is' right -- why `am' I thus?' and she goeth to seek Jehovah. 23 And Jehovah saith to her, `Two nations `are' in thy womb, and two peoples from thy bowels are parted; and the `one' people than the `other' people is stronger; and the elder doth serve the younger.' 24 And her days to bear are fulfilled, and lo, twins `are' in her womb; 25 and the first cometh out all red as a hairy robe, and they call his name Esau; 26 and afterwards hath his brother come out, and his hand is taking hold on Esau's heel, and one calleth his name Jacob; and Isaac `is' a son of sixty years in her bearing them. 27 And the youths grew, and Esau is a man acquainted `with' hunting, a man of the field; and Jacob `is' a plain man, inhabiting tents; 28 and Isaac loveth Esau, for `his' hunting `is' in his mouth; and Rebekah is loving Jacob. 29 And Jacob boileth pottage, and Esau cometh in from the field, and he `is' weary; 30 and Esau saith unto Jacob, `Let me eat, I pray thee, some of this red red thing, for I `am' weary;' therefore hath `one' called his name Edom `Red'; 31 and Jacob saith, `Sell to-day thy birthright to me.' 32 And Esau saith, `Lo, I am going to die, and what is this to me -- birthright?' 33 and Jacob saith, `Swear to me to-day:' and he sweareth to him, and selleth his birthright to Jacob; 34 and Jacob hath given to Esau bread and pottage of lentiles, and he eateth, and drinketh, and riseth, and goeth; and Esau despiseth the birthright.
• Gen 26:4 : 4 and I have multiplied thy seed as stars of the heavens, and I have given to thy seed all these lands; and blessed themselves in thy seed have all nations of the earth;
• Gen 28:3 : 3 and God Almighty doth bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and thou hast become an assembly of peoples;
• Gen 17:6 : 6 and I have made thee exceeding fruitful, and made thee become nations, and kings go out from thee.
• Gen 17:16 : 16 and I have blessed her, and have also given to thee a son from her; and I have blessed her, and she hath become nations -- kings of peoples are from her.'
• Gen 17:20 : 20 As to Ishmael, I have heard thee; lo, I have blessed him, and made him fruitful, and multiplied him, very exceedingly; twelve princes doth he beget, and I have made him become a great nation;
• Gen 18:18 : 18 and Abraham certainly becometh a nation great and mighty, and blessed in him have been all nations of the earth?
• Gen 21:13 : 13 As to the son of the handmaid also, for a nation I set him, because he `is' thy seed.'
• Gen 35:11 : 11 And God saith to him, `I `am' God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply, a nation and an assembly of nations is from thee, and kings from thy loins go out;
• Gen 36:1-9 : 1 And these `are' births of Esau, who `is' Edom. 2 Esau hath taken his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah daughter of Anah, daughter of Zibeon the Hivite, 3 and Bashemath daughter of Ishmael, sister of Nebajoth. 4 And Adah beareth to Esau, Eliphaz; and Bashemath hath born Reuel; 5 and Aholibamah hath born Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah. These `are' sons of Esau, who were born to him in the land of Canaan. 6 And Esau taketh his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance which he hath acquired in the land of Canaan, and goeth into the country from the face of Jacob his brother; 7 for their substance was more abundant than to dwell together, and the land of their sojournings was not able to bear them because of their cattle; 8 and Esau dwelleth in mount Seir: Esau is Edom. 9 And these `are' births of Esau, father of Edom, in mount Seir. 10 These `are' the names of the sons of Esau: Eliphaz son of Adah, wife of Esau; Reuel son of Bashemath, wife of Esau. 11 And the sons of Eliphaz are Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz; 12 and Timnath hath been concubine to Eliphaz son of Esau, and she beareth to Eliphaz, Amalek; these `are' sons of Adah wife of Esau. 13 And these `are' sons of Reuel: Nahath and Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah; these were sons of Bashemath wife of Esau. 14 And these have been the sons of Aholibamah daughter of Anah, daughter of Zibeon, wife of Esau; and she beareth to Esau, Jeush and Jaalam and Korah. 15 These `are' chiefs of the sons of Esau: sons of Eliphaz, first-born of Esau: chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, 16 chief Korah, chief Gatam, chief Amalek; these `are' chiefs of Eliphaz, in the land of Edom; these `are' sons of Adah. 17 And these `are' sons of Reuel son of Esau: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah; these `are' chiefs of Reuel, in the land of Edom; these `are' sons of Bashemath wife of Esau. 18 And these `are' sons of Aholibamah wife of Esau: chief Jeush, chief Jaalam, chief Korah; these `are' chiefs of Aholibamah daughter of Anah, wife of Esau. 19 These `are' sons of Esau (who `is' Edom), and these their chiefs. 20 These `are' sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah, 21 and Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan; these `are' chiefs of the Horites, sons of Seir, in the land of Edom. 22 And the sons of Lotan are Hori and Heman; and a sister of Lotan `is' Timna. 23 And these `are' sons of Shobal: Alvan and Manahath, and Ebal, Shepho and Onam. 24 And these `are' sons of Zibeon, both Ajah and Anah: it `is' Anah that hath found the Imim in the wilderness, in his feeding the asses of Zibeon his father. 25 And these `are' sons of Anah: Dishon, and Aholibamah daughter of Anah. 26 And these `are' sons of Dishon: Hemdan, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran. 27 These `are' sons of Ezer: Bilhan, and Zaavan, and Akan. 28 These `are' sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. 29 These `are' chiefs of the Horite: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah, 30 chief Dishon, chief Ezer, chief Dishan: these `are' chiefs of the Horite in reference to their chiefs in the land of Seir. 31 And these `are' the kings who have reigned in the land of Edom before the reigning of a king over the sons of Israel. 32 And Bela son of Beor reigneth in Edom, and the name of his city `is' Dinhabah; 33 and Bela dieth, and reign in his stead doth Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah; 34 and Jobab dieth, and reign in his stead doth Husham from the land of the Temanite. 35 And Husham dieth, and reign in his stead doth Hadad son of Bedad (who smiteth Midian in the field of Moab), and the name of his city `is' Avith; 36 and Hadad dieth, and reign in his stead doth Samlah of Masrekah; 37 and Samlah dieth, and reign in his stead doth Saul from Rehoboth of the River; 38 and Saul dieth, and reign in his stead doth Baal-hanan son of Achbor; 39 and Baal-hanan son of Achbor dieth, and reign in his stead doth Hadar, and the name of his city `is' Pau; and his wife's name `is' Mehetabel daughter of Matred, daughter of Me-zahab. 40 And these `are' the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their families, according to their places, by their names: chief Timnah, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth, 41 chief Aholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, 42 chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, 43 chief Magdiel, chief Iram: these `are' chiefs of Edom, in reference to their dwellings, in the land of their possession; he `is' Esau father of Edom.
• Gen 46:3 : 3 And He saith, `I `am' God, God of thy father, be not afraid of going down to Egypt, for for a great nation I set thee there;
• Exod 1:7 : 7 and the sons of Israel have been fruitful, and they teem, and multiply, and are very very mighty, and the land is filled with them.
• Exod 32:13 : 13 `Be mindful of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, Thy servants, to whom Thou hast sworn by Thyself, and unto whom Thou speakest: I multiply your seed as stars of the heavens, and all this land, as I have said, I give to your seed, and they have inherited to the age;'
• Deut 1:10 : 10 Jehovah your God hath multiplied you, and lo, ye `are' to-day as the stars of the heavens for multitude;
• Judg 6:3 : 3 And it hath been, if Israel hath sowed, that Midian hath come up, and Amalek, and the sons of the east, yea, they have come up against him,
• Judg 6:5 : 5 for they and their cattle come up, with their tents; they come in as the fulness of the locust for multitude, and of them and of their cattle there is no number, and they come into the land to destroy it.