Genesis 15:5
in Genesis 15And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
KJV
And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
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This verse in Genesis 15
Commentary
13 notes on this verseWhat is the meaning then of the expression "he brought him outside"? The prophet is as it were led out, so that he goes outside of the body and sees the limitations imposed by the flesh that is his garment and the infusion of the Holy Spirit who makes a kind of visible descent. We too must exit from the confinement of this our temporary dwelling.
This site's exposition
one who comes from your own body
on Genesis 15:4-5
God sets the servant aside and names an heir who comes from Abram's own body. Adoption is ruled out, and Abram has nothing left to arrange. Then the LORD takes him outside and tells him to count the stars, if he is able. The promise of offspring beyond counting is spoken over a childless man.
This site's exposition
count the stars, if you are able
John Wesley sets the stars of the heavens beside 13:16, where the LORD had counted Abram's offspring like the dust of the earth. Wesley reads the dust as his children by descent and the stars as his children by faith. Romans 4:18 quotes the promise.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
Clement of RomeClement's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 10 · Written before 99.
proposed
Abraham, styled "the friend," [Isaiah 41:8] was found faithful, inasmuch as he rendered obedience to the words of God. He, in the exercise of obedience, went out from his own country, and from his kindred, and from his father's house, in order that, by forsaking a small territory, and a weak family, and an insignificant house, he might inherit the promises of God. For God said to him, "Get you out from your country, and from your kindred, and from your father's house, into the land which I shall show you. And I will make you a great nation, and will bless you, and make your name great, and you shall be blessed. And I will bless them that bless you, and curse them that curse you; and in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed." [Genesis 12:1-3] And again, on his departing from Lot, God said to him, "Lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you now are, northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see, to you will I give it, and to your seed forever. And I will make your seed as the dust of the earth, [so that] if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall your seed also be numbered." [Genesis 13:14-16] And again [the Scripture] says, "God brought forth Abram, and spoke unto him, Look up now to heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them; so shall your seed be. And Abram believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness." [Genesis 15:5-6] On account of his faith and hospitality, a son was given him in his old age; and in the exercise of obedience, he offered him as a sacrifice to God on one of the mountains which He showed him.
The Medieval Church4 voices
A commentator
BonaventureCollations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 11 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
We have spoken of the second vision, that is, of understanding lifted up by faith, as expressed through the words "heaven," or "firmament," meaning lofty, firm, and beautiful.
A commentator
BonaventureCollations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 2 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
In the order of hope, concerning what we should expect, there is anagogy, and this in two ways: one in the skies, as in this passage: "Abram, look at the heavens and, if you can, count the stars." And that means the heavenly intelligences.
He brought him outside and said to him, "Look toward heaven and number the stars, if you can," and he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."
A commentator
BonaventureCollations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 10 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
Heaven is called caelum, because engraved (caelatum), that is, sculptured with stars. Genesis explains how splendid is this faith: "Look at the heavens and, if you can, count the stars. So shall your posterity be."
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Abram feared he should have no child at all, but God tells him his descendents should be so many as not to be numbered. So illustrious, as the stars of heaven for splendour; for to them pertained the glory, Rom. ix, 4. Abram's seed according to the flesh were like the dust of the earth, Chap. xiii, 16, but his spiritual seed are like the stars of heaven.
(2.) God is often better to us than our own fears, and gives the mercy we had long despaired of. To affect him the more with this promise, he took him out, and showed him the stars (this vision being early in the morning, before day), and then tells him, So shall thy seed be,
And he brought him forth abroad,....
Abram's seed, according to his flesh, were like the dust of the earth ( ch. xiii. 16 ), but his spiritual seed are like the stars of heaven, not only numerous, but glorious, and very precious.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Look now toward heaven - It appears that this whole transaction took place in the evening; see on Gen 13:14 (note). Abram had either two visions, that recorded in Gen 15:1, and that in Gen 15:12, etc.; or what is mentioned in the beginning of this chapter is a part of the occurrences which took place after the sacrifice mentioned Gen 15:9, etc.: but it is more likely that there was a vision of that kind already described, and afterwards a second, in which he received the revelation mentioned Gen 15:13-
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיּוֹצֵ֨א | vaiyotze' | and he brought out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| אֹת֜וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַח֗וּצָה | hachutzah | the outside towards | H2351 → | 164 times |
| וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הַבֶּט־ | habet- | look | H5027 → | 69 times |
| נָ֣א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה | hashamaymah | the heavens towards | H8064 → | 421 times |
| וּסְפֹר֙ | usefor | and count | H5608 → | 159 times |
| הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים | hakokhavim | the stars | H3556 → | 37 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| תּוּכַ֖ל | tukhal | you are able | H3201 → | 194 times |
| לִסְפֹּ֣ר | lispor | to count | H5608 → | 159 times |
| אֹתָ֑ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| ל֔וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| כֹּ֥ה | koh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| יִהְיֶ֖ה | yihyeh | it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| זַרְעֶֽךָ׃ | zarekha | offspring your | H2233 → | 229 times |
וַיּוֹצֵ֨אand he brought out
vaiyotze'H3318 →1067 times
אֹת֜וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
הַח֗וּצָהthe outside towards
hachutzahH2351 →164 times
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הַבֶּט־look
habet-H5027 →69 times
נָ֣אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָהthe heavens towards
hashamaymahH8064 →421 times
וּסְפֹר֙and count
useforH5608 →159 times
הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔יםthe stars
hakokhavimH3556 →37 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
תּוּכַ֖לyou are able
tukhalH3201 →194 times
לִסְפֹּ֣רto count
lisporH5608 →159 times
אֹתָ֑ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
ל֔וֹto <the> him
lo
כֹּ֥הthus
kohH3541 →577 times
יִהְיֶ֖הit will be
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
זַרְעֶֽךָ׃offspring your
zarekhaH2233 →229 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 11:12And so from 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.
it leads to
- Genesis 22:17
I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 32:12
But You have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper, and I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea, too numerous to count.’”
- Genesis 22:17
Through
Genesis 22:17I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 33:22
As the hosts of heaven cannot be counted and as the sand on the seashore cannot be measured, so too will I multiply the descendants of My servant David and the Levites who minister…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 26:4
I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 24:60
And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands upon thousands. May your offspring possess the gates of their enemies.”
- Genesis 13:16
I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted.
- Numbers 24:17–19
I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come forth from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel. He will crush the skulls of Moab and…
- Jeremiah 33:22
Through
Romans 4:18Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
it leads to
- Romans 8:24
For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he can already see?
- Romans 8:24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies13
About Genesis
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, On Abraham; Bede, Commentary on Genesis (Hexaemeron); Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 11; Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 2; Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 10; Clement of Rome, Clement's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 10; John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.