Genesis 15 5

Genesis 15:5 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.

Genesis 15:5 nkjv

Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be."

Genesis 15:5 niv

He took him outside and said, "Look up at the sky and count the stars?if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

Genesis 15:5 esv

And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

Genesis 15:5 nlt

Then the LORD took Abram outside and said to him, "Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That's how many descendants you will have!"

Genesis 15 verses

Genesis 15 5 Meaning

The Lord brought Abram forth to an expansive view of the night sky, instructing him to attempt the impossible task of counting the stars. Immediately thereafter, God declared that Abram’s descendants would be as immeasurable and numerous as those celestial bodies, reaffirming His covenant promise of an heir and a vast lineage. This powerful visual metaphor served to build Abram's faith in the face of his childlessness.

Genesis 15 5 Context

Genesis 15:5 is a pivotal moment following Abram's candid expression of concern regarding his childlessness (Gen 15:2-3). Despite previous promises of a great nation (Gen 12:2, 13:16), Abram’s human reality of old age and having only a servant, Eliezer, as a prospective heir weighed heavily. The Lord responds directly to this apprehension. God brings Abram out from his tent, likely under the vast night sky, to physically demonstrate the magnitude of His plan. This action sets the stage for God to confirm His promise with an awe-inspiring, concrete illustration. The immediate response of faith from Abram (Gen 15:6) underlines the profound impact of this divine revelation. This passage establishes a crucial link between divine promise, a human act of belief, and God’s declaration of righteousness, laying the groundwork for the covenant cutting ceremony that follows.

Genesis 15 5 Word analysis

• He brought him outside: Hebrew yatsa (יָצָא). This denotes an active, purposeful leading by God, taking Abram from the confinement of his tent – possibly symbolic of his limited perspective – into the expansive open air. This personal engagement emphasizes the divine initiative in reassuring Abram.
• and said: Hebrew vayomer (וַיֹּאמֶר). A common introductory phrase for direct divine speech, emphasizing the authoritative and binding nature of God’s words.
• 'Look toward the heaven': Hebrew nabbeṭ el-hashamayim (נַבֶּט אֶל־הַשָּׁמַיִם). Nabbeṭ is an imperative calling for an intense, fixed gaze, not merely a glance. "Heaven" (שָׁמַיִם - shamayim) refers to the sky or cosmos, representing infinite vastness and God's domain. The command directs Abram's focus away from his immediate, limiting circumstances.
• 'and count the stars,': Hebrew u'spor hakochavim (וּסְפֹר הַכּוֹכָבִים). Lispor means "to count." Hakochavim are "the stars." The instruction is a rhetorical challenge, highlighting the immeasurability of the celestial bodies. In the ancient Near East, stars were often worshipped or viewed as omens; here, they are presented as God’s creations and merely a measure of His boundless promises, implicitly countering astral cults.
• 'if you are able to count them.': Hebrew im tukhal lispor otam (אִם־תּוּכַל לִסְפֹּר אֹתָם). This rhetorical question implies a clear "no," powerfully conveying the innumerable nature of the promised descendants. It establishes an impossible task for human ability, underscoring God's capacity for the limitless.
• 'Then He said to him,': Hebrew vayyomer lo (וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ). This repeated introductory phrase signals a transition from the visual illustration to the direct pronouncement of the promise. It creates a pause for Abram to absorb the impossibility of the task, thereby making the ensuing promise more impactful.
• 'So shall your offspring be.': Hebrew koh yihyeh zarekha (כֹּה יִהְיֶה זַרְעֶךָ).
  • Koh (כֹּה): "So" or "thus." This word forms a direct comparative link between the immeasurable stars and the promised multitude of descendants.
  • Yihyeh (יִהְיֶה): "Shall be." This strong future tense confirms the divine certainty and inevitability of the promise, sealed by God's own will.
  • Zarekha (זַרְעֶךָ): "Your offspring" or "your seed." This term holds both physical (numerous biological descendants, the nation of Israel) and profound spiritual meanings throughout Scripture, ultimately pointing to Christ (Gal 3:16) and those who have faith in Him as spiritual descendants of Abraham (Gal 3:29).

Genesis 15 5 Bonus section

• The promise to Abraham for his descendants is uniquely expressed with three metaphors of immensity: "dust of the earth" (Gen 13:16), "stars of heaven" (Gen 15:5), and "sand on the seashore" (Gen 22:17). Each denotes countlessness but might also carry subtle nuances, like the earthly presence, heavenly connection, or multitude along boundaries.
• This specific instruction to "look toward the heaven" functions as a crucial "faith exercise," inviting Abram to trust beyond what is physically visible in his own immediate circumstances and instead grasp God's limitless potential and faithfulness.
• The rhetorical "if you are able to count them" directly involves Abram, making him realize the impossibility of the task and thus underscoring the miraculous and God-sized nature of the promise.
• This moment underscores a core biblical principle: God's promises often challenge human logic and require faith (belief in what is not seen or immediately possible) to be grasped.
• The imagery of descendants like stars in the heaven also suggests a blessing that extends beyond the earthly, implying a special, unique quality for Abraham's lineage that reaches beyond mere quantity.

Genesis 15 5 Commentary

Genesis 15:5 is a monumental affirmation of God's unwavering promise to Abraham. Following Abram's expressions of doubt regarding his childless state, the Lord does not merely provide a verbal assurance but engages Abram in an experiential revelation. By leading him outside to behold the uncountable stars, God offers a majestic, tangible illustration of His seemingly impossible promise of countless descendants. This act profoundly shifts Abram’s perspective from his human limitations to the infinite power and faithfulness of God, establishing the foundation for his belief mentioned in the subsequent verse. The vastness of the heavens and the impossibility of numbering its stars served as a visual testament that God's plan transcended human understanding or capability. It conveyed not just quantity but also divine scope and blessing. This promise includes both Abraham’s physical lineage through Isaac, which grew into the nation of Israel, and a far grander spiritual seed encompassing all believers in Christ, drawn from every nation, who become children of Abraham by faith.