1 Kings 3:8

3:8 Your servant stands ¹  among your chosen people; ²  they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number.

Genesis 13:16

13:16 And I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone is able to count the dust of the earth, then your descendants also can be counted. ³ 

Genesis 15:5

15:5 The Lord ⁴  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.”

Genesis 22:17

22:17 I will indeed bless you, ⁵  and I will greatly multiply ⁶  your descendants ⁷  so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession ⁸  of the strongholds ⁹  of their enemies.

Proverbs 14:28

14:28 A king’s glory is ¹⁰  the abundance of people,

but the lack of subjects ¹¹  is the ruin ¹²  of a ruler.

[3:8]  ¹ tn There is no verb expressed in the Hebrew text; “stands” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[3:8]  ² tn Heb “your people whom you have chosen.”

[13:16]  ³ tn The translation “can be counted” (potential imperfect) is suggested by the use of יוּכַל (yukhal, “is able”) in the preceding clause.

[15:5]  ⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:17]  ⁵ tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form (either an imperfect or cohortative) emphasizes the certainty of the blessing.

[22:17]  ⁶ tn Here too the infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the following finite verb (either an imperfect or cohortative).

[22:17]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.

[22:17]  ⁸ tn Or “inherit.”

[22:17]  ⁹ tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. To break through the gate complex would be to conquer the city, for the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”).

[14:28]  ¹⁰ tn The preposition serves as the beth essentiae – the glory is the abundant population, not in it.

[14:28]  ¹¹ tn Heb “people.” Cf. NLT “a dwindling nation.”

[14:28]  ¹² sn The word means “ruin; destruction,” but in this context it could be a metonymy of effect, the cause being an attack by more numerous people that will bring ruin to the ruler. The proverb is purely a practical and secular saying, unlike some of the faith teachings in salvation history passages.