Genesis 13:16

16 faciamque semen tuum sicut pulverem terrae si quis potest hominum numerare pulverem semen quoque tuum numerare poterit

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 ) .

Genesis 13:16 In-Context

14 dixitque Dominus ad Abram postquam divisus est Loth ab eo leva oculos tuos et vide a loco in quo nunc es ad aquilonem et ad meridiem ad orientem et ad occidentem

15 omnem terram quam conspicis tibi dabo et semini tuo usque in sempiternum

16 faciamque semen tuum sicut pulverem terrae si quis potest hominum numerare pulverem semen quoque tuum numerare poterit

17 surge et perambula terram in longitudine et in latitudine sua quia tibi daturus sum eam

18 movens igitur Abram tabernaculum suum venit et habitavit iuxta convallem Mambre quod est in Hebron aedificavitque ibi altare Domino