Jeremiah 31:37

31:37 The Lord says, “I will not reject all the descendants of Israel

because of all that they have done. ¹ 

That could only happen if the heavens above could be measured

or the foundations of the earth below could all be explored,” ² 

says the Lord. ³ 

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. ⁴ 

Genesis 15:5

15:5 The Lord ⁵  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, ⁶  and I will greatly multiply ⁷  your descendants ⁸  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 ⁹  of the strongholds ¹⁰  of their enemies.

Genesis 28:14

28:14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, ¹¹  and you will spread out ¹²  to the west, east, north, and south. All the families of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ¹³  using your name and that of your descendants. ¹⁴ 

Hosea 1:10

The Restoration of Israel

1:10 (2:1) ¹⁵  However, ¹⁶  in the future the number of the people ¹⁷  of Israel will be like the sand of the sea which can be neither measured nor numbered. Although ¹⁸  it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it will be said to them, “You are ¹⁹  children ²⁰  of the living God!”

Hebrews 11:12

11:12 So in fact children ²¹  were fathered by one man – and this one as good as dead – like the number of stars in the sky and like the innumerable grains of sand ²²  on the seashore. ²³ 

Revelation 7:9-10

7:9 After these things I looked, and here was ²⁴  an enormous crowd that no one could count, made up of persons from every nation, tribe, ²⁵  people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb dressed in long white robes, and with palm branches in their hands. 7:10 They were shouting out in a loud voice,

“Salvation belongs to our God, ²⁶ 

to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

[31:37]  ¹ sn This answers Jeremiah’s question in 14:19.

[31:37]  ² tn Heb “If the heavens above could be measured or the foundations of the earth below be explored, then also I could reject all the seed of Israel for all they have done.”

[31:37]  ³ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[13:16]  ⁴ tn The translation “can be counted” (potential imperfect) is suggested by the use of יוּכַל (yukhal, “is able”) in the preceding clause.

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

[22:17]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn Here too the infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the following finite verb (either an imperfect or cohortative).

[22:17]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ tn Or “inherit.”

[22:17]  ¹⁰ 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”).

[28:14]  ¹¹ tn This is the same Hebrew word translated “ground” in the preceding verse.

[28:14]  ¹² tn The verb is singular in the Hebrew; Jacob is addressed as the representative of his descendants.

[28:14]  ¹³ tn Theoretically the Niphal stem can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Jacob were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in other formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless (i.e., pronounce blessings upon) themselves/one another.” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 28:14 predicts that Jacob will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae (see Gen 12:2 and 18:18 as well, where Abram/Abraham receives this promise). For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.

[28:14]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and they will pronounce blessings by you, all the families of the earth, and by your offspring.”

[1:10]  ¹⁵ sn Beginning with 1:10, the verse numbers through 2:23 in the English Bible differ by two from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 1:10 ET = 2:1 HT, 1:11 ET = 2:2 HT, 2:1 ET = 2:3 HT, etc., through 2:23 ET = 2:25 HT. Beginning with 3:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.

[1:10]  ¹⁶ tn The vav prefixed to וְהָיָה (véhaya) functions in an adversative sense: “however” (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 71, §432).

[1:10]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “sons” (so NASB); KJV, ASV “the children”; NAB, NIV “the Israelites.”

[1:10]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “in the place” (בִּמְקוֹם, bimqom). BDB 880 s.v. מָקוֹם 7.b suggests that בִּמְקוֹם (preposition בְּ, bet, + noun מָקוֹם, maqom) is an idiom carrying a concessive sense: “instead of” (e.g., Isa 33:21; Hos 2:1). However, HALOT suggests that it functions in a locative sense: “in the same place” (HALOT 626 s.v. מָקוֹם 2b; e.g., 1 Kgs 21:19; Isa 33:21; Hos 2:1).

[1:10]  ¹⁹ tn The predicate nominative, “You are…,” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:10]  ²⁰ tn Heb “sons” (so KJV, NASB, NIV).

[11:12]  ²¹ tn Grk “these”; in the translation the referent (children) has been specified for clarity.

[11:12]  ²² tn Grk a collective “the sand.”

[11:12]  ²³ sn An allusion to Gen 22:17 (which itself goes back to Gen 15:5).

[7:9]  ²⁴ tn The phrase “and here was” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).

[7:9]  ²⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated before each of the following categories, since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[7:10]  ²⁶ tn The dative here has been translated as a dative of possession.