Genesis 13:16
New International Version
I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.

New Living Translation
And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted!

English Standard Version
I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.

Berean Standard Bible
I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted.

King James Bible
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

New King James Version
And 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.

New American Standard Bible
I will make your descendants as plentiful as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can count the dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be counted.

NASB 1995
“I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered.

NASB 1977
“And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered.

Legacy Standard Bible
And I will make your seed as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your seed can also be numbered.

Amplified Bible
I will make your descendants [as numerous] as the dust of the earth, so that if a man could count the [grains of] dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be counted.

Christian Standard Bible
I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted.

American Standard Version
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then may thy seed also be numbered.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And I shall make him, your seed, as the dust of the Earth so that if you can count the dust of the Earth, your seed also will be counted.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I will make thy seed like the dust of the earth; if any one is able to number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed be numbered.

Contemporary English Version
I will give you more descendants than there are specks of dust on the earth, and someday it will be easier to count those specks of dust than to count your descendants.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: if any man be able to number the dust of the earth, he shall be able to number thy seed also.

English Revised Version
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I will also give you as many descendants as the dust of the earth. If anyone could count the dust of the earth, then he could also count your descendants.

Good News Translation
I am going to give you so many descendants that no one will be able to count them all; it would be as easy to count all the specks of dust on earth!

International Standard Version
I'll make your descendants as plentiful as the specks of dust of the earth, so that if one could count the specks of dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be counted.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth; so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

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

Majority Standard Bible
I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted.

New American Bible
I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth; if anyone could count the dust of the earth, your descendants too might be counted.

NET Bible
And I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone is able to count the dust of the earth, then your descendants also can be counted.

New Revised Standard Version
I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth; so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.

New Heart English Bible
I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring also could be counted.

Webster's Bible Translation
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

World English Bible
I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring may also be counted.

Young's Literal Translation
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;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God Renews the Promise to Abram
15for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever. 16I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted. 17Get up and walk around the land, through its length and breadth, for I will give it to you.”…

Cross References
Genesis 16:10
Then the angel added, "I will greatly multiply your offspring so that they will be too numerous to count."

Genesis 17:2
I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly."

Genesis 28:14
Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east and north and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.

Numbers 23:10
Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous; let my end be like theirs!"

2 Kings 13:23
But the LORD was gracious to Israel and had compassion on them, and He turned toward them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And to this day, the LORD has been unwilling to destroy them or cast them from His presence.

2 Chronicles 1:9
Now, O LORD God, let Your promise to my father David be fulfilled. For You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.


Treasury of Scripture

And I will make your seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall your seed also be numbered.

Genesis 12:2,3
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: …

Genesis 15:5
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.

Genesis 17:6,16,20
And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee…

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Able Children Count Counted Descendants Dust Earth Numbered Offspring Seed
Genesis 13
1. Abram and Lot return with great riches out of Egypt.
6. Strife arises between Abram's herdsmen and those of Lot.
8. Abram allows Lot to choose his part of the country,
10. and Lot goes toward Sodom.
14. God renews his promise to Abram.
18. He moves to Hebron, and there builds an altar.














Verse 16. - And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth. "As the land shall be great for thy people, thy posterity, so thy people shall be great or innumerable for the land" (Lunge). Afterwards the seed of Abram is likened to the stars of heaven for multitude (Genesis 15:5). So that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I will make
וְשַׂמְתִּ֥י (wə·śam·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

your offspring
זַרְעֲךָ֖ (zar·‘ă·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 2233: Seed, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity

like the dust
כַּעֲפַ֣ר (ka·‘ă·p̄ar)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6083: Dust, clay, earth, mud

of the earth,
הָאָ֑רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

so that
אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

if
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

one
אִ֗ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 582: Man, mankind

could
יוּכַ֣ל (yū·ḵal)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3201: To be able, have power

count
לִמְנוֹת֙ (lim·nō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 4487: To weigh out, to allot, constitute officially, to enumerate, enroll

the dust
עֲפַ֣ר (‘ă·p̄ar)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6083: Dust, clay, earth, mud

of the earth,
הָאָ֔רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

then
גַּֽם־ (gam-)
Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

your offspring
זַרְעֲךָ֖ (zar·‘ă·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 2233: Seed, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity

could be counted.
יִמָּנֶֽה׃ (yim·mā·neh)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4487: To weigh out, to allot, constitute officially, to enumerate, enroll


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OT Law: Genesis 13:16 I will make your offspring as (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 13:15
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