GEN 15:5 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Then Yahweh took Abram outside and said, “Look up at the sky and see if you can count the stars.” Then he said to him, “Your descendants will be like that.”

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Ἐξήγαγε δὲ αὐτὸν ἔξω, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, ἀνάβλεψον δὴ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ ἀρίθμησον τοὺς ἀστέρας, εἰ δυνήσῃ ἐξαριθμῆσαι αὐτούς· καὶ εἶπεν, οὕτως ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα σου.
(Exaʸgage de auton exō, kai eipen autōi, anablepson daʸ eis ton ouranon, kai arithmaʸson tous asteras, ei dunaʸsaʸ exarithmaʸsai autous; kai eipen, houtōs estai to sperma sou. )

BrTr And he brought him out and said to him, Look up now to heaven, and count the stars, if thou shalt be able to number them fully, and he said, Thus shall thy seed be.

ULT Then he brought him outside and said, “Please look at the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So will your offspring be.”

UST Then Yahweh took Abram outside his tent and said to him, “Look up at the night sky and count how many stars there are, if in fact you are able to count them all.” While Abram was looking at the stars, Yahweh said to him, “That is how many descendants you will have.”

BSB And 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.”[fn]

OEB Then God brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them! So will your descendants be.’

WEBBE The LORD brought him outside, and said, “Look now towards the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He said to Abram, “So your offspring will be.”

WMBB (Same as above)

NET The Lord took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”

LSV and He brings him out outside and says, “Now look attentively toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them”; and He says to him, “Thus is your seed.”

FBV The Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up at the sky. See if you can count the stars! That's how many descendants you will have!”

T4T Then Yahweh took Abram outside of his tent and said, “Look up at the sky! Can you count the stars? No, you cannot count them because there are so many of them, and your descendants will be as numerous as the stars.”

LEB And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward the heavens and count the stars if you are able to count them.” And he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

BBE And he took him out into the open air, and said to him, Let your eyes be lifted to heaven, and see if the stars may be numbered; even so will your seed be.

Moff No Moff GEN book available

JPS And He brought him forth abroad, and said: 'Look now toward heaven, and count the stars, if thou be able to count them'; and He said unto him: 'So shall thy seed be.'

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.

DRA And he brought him forth abroad, and said to him: Look up to heaven and number the stars, if thou canst. And he said to him: So shall thy seed be.

YLT and He bringeth him out without, and saith, 'Look attentively, I pray thee, towards the heavens, and count the stars, if thou art able to count them;' and He saith to him, 'Thus is thy seed.'

Drby And he led him out, and said, Look now toward the heavens, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them. And he said to him, So shall thy seed be!

RV And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to tell them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

Wbstr And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now towards heaven, and tell the stars, if thou art able to number them: and he said to him, So shall thy seed be.

KJB-1769 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.
(And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou/you be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy/your seed be. )

KJB-1611 [fn]And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Looke now towards heauen, and tell the starres, if thou be able to number them. And hee said vnto him, So shall thy seed be.
(And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Looke now towards heaven, and tell the stars, if thou/you be able to number them. And he said unto him, So shall thy/your seed be.)

15:5 Rom.4. 18.

Bshps And he brought hym out, and sayde: loke vp vnto heauen, and tell the starres, if thou be able to number them. And he sayde vnto hym: euen so shall thy seede be.
(And he brought him out, and said: look up unto heaven, and tell the stars, if thou/you be able to number them. And he said unto him: even so shall thy/your seed be.)

Gnva Moreouer he brought him forth and said, Looke vp nowe vnto heauen, and tell ye starres, if thou be able to number them: and he said vnto him, So shall thy seede be.
(Moreover/What's_more he brought him forth and said, Looke up now unto heaven, and tell ye/you_all stars, if thou/you be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy/your seed be. )

Cvdl And he bad him go forth, and sayde: Loke vp vnto heauen, and tell ye starres: Canst thou nombre them? And he sayde vnto him: Euen so shal thy sede be.
(And he bad him go forth, and said: Look up unto heaven, and tell ye/you_all stars: Canst thou/you number them? And he said unto him: Even so shall thy/your seed be.)

Wycl And the Lord ledde out Abram, and seide to hym, Biholde thou heuene, and noumbre thou sterris, if thou maist. And the Lord seide to Abram, So thi seed schal be.
(And the Lord led out Abram, and said to him, Behold thou/you heaven, and number thou/you sterris, if thou/you maist. And the Lord said to Abram, So thy/your seed shall be.)

Luth Und er hieß ihn hinausgehen und sprach: Siehe gen Himmel und zähle die Sterne, kannst du sie zählen? Und sprach zu ihm: Also soll dein Same werden.
(And he was_called him/it hinausgehen and spoke: Siehe to/toward heaven and zähle the Sterne, kannst you they/she/them zählen? And spoke to him: So should your Same become.)

ClVg Eduxitque eum foras, et ait illi: Suspice cælum, et numera stellas, si potes. Et dixit ei: Sic erit semen tuum.[fn]
(Eduxitque him foras, and he_said illi: Suspice the_sky, and numera stellas, when/but_if potes. And he_said ei: So will_be seed tuum. )

15.5 Suspice cœlum, etc. Superius dixit: Erit semen tuum sicut arena maris, quia in illa plebe quidam erant carnales et terreni, qui arenæ comparantur, quia aridi, et a bonis operibus infecundi; alii quasi stellæ fulgentes. RAB. Duplex significatio promissi seminis datur. Ostensis stellis dicitur ei: Sic faciam semen tuum, id est, gentem Christianam, cujus tu pater futurus es, in fide, scilicet resurrectionis lumine coruscare. Ostensa vero arena dicitur: Sic erit semen tuum, etc., id est, copiosa erit gens Judæorum, sed arida et infecunda.

15.5 Suspice cœlum, etc. Superius dixit: Erit seed your like arena maris, because in that plebe quidam they_were carnales and terreni, who arenæ comparantur, because aridi, and from bonis operibus infecundi; alii as_if stellæ fulgentes. RAB. Duplex significatio promissi seminis datur. Ostensis stellis it_is_said ei: So I_will_do seed tuum, id it_is, gentem of_Christanam, cuyus you father futurus es, in fide, scilicet resurrectionis lumine coruscare. Ostensa vero arena it_is_said: So will_be seed tuum, etc., id it_is, copiosa will_be gens Yudæorum, but arida and infecunda.

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

God’s Covenant with Abraham

The Lord had already established a relationship with Abraham (Gen 12:1-9) before he made a formal covenant with him (ch Gen 15). God took all the initiative: He approached Abraham and spoke to him in a vision. God presented the impossible promise that the old man would have a son through whom his descendants would eventually be as numerous as the stars of heaven. Abraham believed God (15:6), and his faith proved to be an act of righteousness (see Hab 2:4; Rom 1:17; 4:3, 17; Gal 3:6, 11; Heb 10:37-38).

In the ancient Near East, kings sometimes granted land or other gifts to loyal subjects. The covenant of Genesis 15 includes a royal grant (15:18-21) in which God, the king, gave land to Abraham, his subject, as a possession and an inheritance. At the end of that day, Abraham knew that his future—and that of his descendants—was firmly in the hands of the covenant God. Later, the grant would be transferred to his descendants.

God later ratified his covenant with Abraham (17:1-22), giving him circumcision as its sign (17:10) and condition (17:9). The almighty God once again took the initiative (17:1-2) in granting Abraham an extraordinary privilege. The covenant was not a relationship between equals, yet both partners in the covenant assumed responsibilities. God committed himself voluntarily to Abraham and his descendants, while requiring faithfulness from Abraham (17:1, 9-14). The blessing Abraham received as God’s covenant partner was embodied in the new name that God gave him (17:5-6).

God’s covenant with Abraham also applied to his descendants (13:15-16; 15:3-5; 17:6-10). It pointed to blessing in the relatively near future when his descendants would possess the land (15:12-16). Much later, Abraham’s faith became a blessing to all through his descendant, Jesus Christ, through whom all the families of the earth can share in God’s blessing on Abraham (12:3; see Rom 4:11-25; Gal 3:8-9, 16).

Passages for Further Study

Gen 12:1-3; 15:1-21; 17:1-14; 21:1-2; 22:15-18; Exod 2:24; Deut 1:8; Neh 9:7-8; Ps 105:7-45; Luke 3:7-9; Acts 3:24-26; 7:2-8; Rom 4:11-25; 9:7-8; 11:16-17; Gal 3:6-9, 29; Heb 6:13-15

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns

וַ⁠יּוֹצֵ֨א אֹת֜⁠וֹ

and,took DOM=him/it

Consider what is the best way in your language to refer to Yahweh and Abram at this point in the paragraph. Alternate translation: “Then Yahweh led Abram”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

הַ⁠ח֗וּצָ⁠ה

the,outside,to

Abram was probably inside a tent, not inside a house. But if possible, it is best to leave this implied in a translation (as the Hebrew text does).

הַבֶּט נָ֣א

look now

See how you translated “please” in Gen 13:14. Make sure your translation does not sound like God is begging. Alternate translation: “Now look up”

הַ⁠שָּׁמַ֗יְמָ⁠ה

the,heavens,toward

Alternate translation: “into the heavens” or “into the night sky”

Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-condition-contrary

וּ⁠סְפֹר֙ הַ⁠כּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים אִם תּוּכַ֖ל לִ⁠סְפֹּ֣ר אֹתָ֑⁠ם

and,count the=stars if able to,count DOM=them

God’s point here is that there are so many stars that no one could ever count that high. He is not questioning Abram’s ability to count. Consider what is the best way to translate this contrary-to-fact statement in your language. Alternate translation: “and try to count how many stars there are, if in fact, anyone could possibly count all of them.” or “There are so many stars that no one could ever count them all.”

Note 4 topic: writing-pronouns

וַ⁠יֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔⁠וֹ

and=he/it_said to=him/it

Throughout this chapter make sure it is clear in your translation who is speaking to whom. Always use pronouns and nouns in a way that is clear and natural in your language. Alternate translation: “While Abram was looking at the stars, Yahweh said to Abram,” or “So Abram looked up at the stars, and Yahweh continued speaking to him,”

כֹּ֥ה יִהְיֶ֖ה זַרְעֶֽ⁠ךָ

so will_belong offspring,your

Alternate translation: “That is how many your offspring will be.” or “That is how many offspring you will have.”

Parallel GEN 15:5