King James Version

Genesis 15:5

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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וַיּוֹצֵ֨אvayotseand bring forthיָצָאconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and bring forth”, the next action in the storyH3318to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.[idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail…אֹת֜וֹotvoobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).הַח֗וּצָהhachutsahthe abroadחוּץdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute, directional ending — “the abroad”, the ordinary formH2351properly, separate by awall, i.e. outside, outdoorsabroad, field, forth, highway, more, out(-side, -ward), street, without.וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙vayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…הַבֶּטhabetlookנָבַטverb, hiphil, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “look”, a commandH5027to scan, i.e. look intently at; by implication, to regard with pleasure, favor or care(cause to) behold, consider, look (down), regard, have respect, see.נָ֣אnaI beseech theeנָאparticle, exhortation — “I beseech thee”H4994'I pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the Imperative or Future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunctionI beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh.הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָהhashamaymahthe heavenשָׁמַיִםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute, directional ending — “the heaven”, the ordinary formH8064the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve)air, [idiom] astrologer, heaven(-s).וּסְפֹר֙useforand communeסָפַרconjunction, verb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and commune”, a commandH5608properly, to score with a mark as a tally or record, i.e. (by implication) to inscribe, and also to enumerate; intensively, to recount, i.e. celebratecommune, (ac-) count; declare, number, [phrase] penknife, reckon, scribe, shew forth, speak, talk, tell (out), writer.הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔יםhakokhavimthe starכּוֹכָבdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the star”, the ordinary formH3556a star (as round or as shining); figuratively, a princestar(-gazer).אִםimoh thatאִםconjunction — “oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…תּוּכַ֖לtukhalbe ableיָכֹלverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “be able”, an unfinished actionH3201to be able, literally (can, could) or morally (may, might)be able, any at all (ways), attain, can (away with, (-not)), could, endure, might, overcome, have power, prevail, still, suffer.לִסְפֹּ֣רlisporto communeסָפַרpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to commune”, the to-form of the verbH5608properly, to score with a mark as a tally or record, i.e. (by implication) to inscribe, and also to enumerate; intensively, to recount, i.e. celebratecommune, (ac-) count; declare, number, [phrase] penknife, reckon, scribe, shew forth, speak, talk, tell (out), writer.אֹתָ֑םotamobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…ל֔וֹlvotoל֔וֹpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to”toכֹּ֥הkoalsoכֹּהadverb — “also”H3541properly, like this, i.e. by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) nowalso, here, + hitherto, like, on the other side, so (and much), such, on that manner, (on) this (manner, side, way, way and that way), + mean while, yonder.יִהְיֶ֖הyihyehbeהָיָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be”, an unfinished actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.זַרְעֶֽךָzarekhaseedזֶרַעnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “seed”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2233seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity[idiom] carnally, child, fruitful, seed(-time), sowing-time.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

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.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Young’s Literal Translation

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.'

World English Bible

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

Darby Translation

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!

Douay-Rheims

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.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

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.'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

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.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

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.

Quoted in

Romans 4:18 Romans 4:18 · King James VersionWho against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.Romans 4:18 · King James VersionOpen the Source
As it is written
Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

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The King James Version (1769) is in the public domain in the United States.