Hebrews 11:12

12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

Hebrews 11:12 in Other Translations

12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

12 And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.

12 That's how it happened that from one man's dead and shriveled loins there are now people numbering into the millions.

12 wherefore also there sprang of one, and him as good as dead, [so many] as the stars of heaven in multitude, and as the sand, which is by the sea-shore, innumerable.

12 Abraham was as good as dead. Yet, from this man came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the grains of sand on the seashore.

12 And therefore from one man-in fact, from one as good as dead-came offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as innumerable as the grains of sand by the seashore.

12 Abraham was past the time when he could have children. But many children came from that one man. They were as many as the stars in the sky. They were as many as the sand on the seashore. No one could count them.

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 foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.

12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.

14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.

Cross References

• 1. Romans 4:19
• 2. Genesis 22:17