Genesis 13:16

16 I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth which, if anyone were able to count the dust of the earth, your descendants would be [so] counted.

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 And Yahweh said to Abram after Lot had separated from him, "Now, lift up your eyes and look from the place where you [are] to the north, and to the south, and to the east and to the west,

15 for all the land which you see I will give to you, and to your descendants, forever.

16 I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth which, if anyone were able to count the dust of the earth, your descendants would be [so] counted.

17 Arise, go through the length of the land and through its breadth, for I will give it to you."

18 So Abram pitched his tent, and he came and settled at the oaks of Mamre, which [were] at Hebron. And there he built an altar to Yahweh.