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Genesis 13:16

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16 "I will make your descendants 1as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered.
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Genesis 13:16 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 13:16

And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth
An hyperbolical expression denoting the great multitude of Abram's posterity, as they were in the days of Solomon, and as they will be in the latter day; and especially as this may respect all the spiritual seed of Abram, Jews and Gentiles, and as they will be in the spiritual reign of Christ, see ( Hosea 1:10 Hosea 1:11 ) ; so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, [then] shall thy
seed be numbered;
but as it is impossible to do the one, so the other is not practicable, see ( Numbers 23:10 ) .

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Genesis 13:16 In-Context

14 The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;
15 for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever .
16 "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.
17 "Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you."
18 Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD .

Cross References 1

  • 1. Genesis 16:10; Genesis 28:14; Numbers 23:10

Footnotes 2

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.