Hebrews 11:12

12 Therefore this one man, who was virtually dead, fathered descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and as countless as the grains of the sand on the seashore.

Hebrews 11:12 Meaning and Commentary

Ver. 12 Therefore sprang there even of one
That is, Abraham: the Arabic version has here a strange interpolation;

``this faith Isaac and Rebecca conceived in mind, and so there were born of one, Esau and Jacob.''

And him as good as dead;
being an hundred years of age; (See Gill on Romans 4:19). The Ethiopic version reads, "the bodies of both were like a dead carcass"; both of Abraham and Sarah:

so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which
is by the sea shore innumerable;
as was promised to Abraham, ( Genesis 15:5 ) ( 22:17 ) which has been fulfilled, ( Isaiah 10:22 ) and will still have a further fulfilment, ( Hosea 1:10 ) .

Hebrews 11:12 In-Context

10 For he was looking forward to the city with permanent foundations, of which the architect and builder is God.

11 By trusting, he received potency to father a child, even when he was past the age for it, as was Sarah herself; because he regarded the One who had made the promise as trustworthy.

12 Therefore this one man, who was virtually dead, fathered descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and as countless as the grains of the sand on the seashore.

13 All these people kept on trusting until they died, without receiving what had been promised. They had only seen it and welcomed it from a distance, while acknowledging that they were aliens and temporary residents on the earth.

14 For people who speak this way make it clear that they are looking for a fatherland.