Genesis 16:10 kjv
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
Genesis 16:10 nkjv
Then the Angel of the LORD said to her, "I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude."
Genesis 16:10 niv
The angel added, "I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count."
Genesis 16:10 esv
The angel of the LORD also said to her, "I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude."
Genesis 16:10 nlt
Then he added, "I will give you more descendants than you can count."
Genesis 16 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:2 | "And I will make of you a great nation..." | God's initial promise of numerous descendants to Abraham. |
| Gen 13:16 | "I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count..." | Abraham's descendants promised to be countless. |
| Gen 15:5 | "Look toward heaven, and count the stars, if you are able to count them...So shall your offspring be." | Reiteration of innumerability to Abram's direct line. |
| Gen 17:20 | "As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful..." | God blesses Ishmael directly with fruitfulness. |
| Gen 21:13 | "And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring." | God confirms Ishmael's destiny to become a nation. |
| Gen 21:18 | "Arise, lift up the boy...for I will make him into a great nation." | God's repeated reassurance to Hagar regarding Ishmael's future. |
| Gen 25:12-16 | "...These are the names of the sons of Ishmael..." (listing 12 sons) | The historical fulfillment of Ishmael's numerous lineage. |
| Gen 26:4 | "I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven..." | God's promise of multiplication reaffirmed to Isaac. |
| Gen 35:11 | "God also said to him, "I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply..."" | Reaffirmation of multiplying offspring to Jacob. |
| Exod 32:13 | "I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven..." | God remembering His promise to Abraham's descendants. |
| Num 23:19 | "God is not a man, that he should lie..." | God's promises are steadfast and unfailing. |
| Psa 113:7-8 | "He raises the poor from the dust...to make them sit with princes..." | God's compassion and elevation of the humble (like Hagar). |
| Prov 16:9 | "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." | God's sovereign control over circumstances. |
| Isa 43:1-2 | "But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob...I am with you..." | God's watchful care and presence in times of distress. |
| Jer 31:3 | "I have loved you with an everlasting love..." | God's enduring and steadfast love. |
| Luke 1:52-53 | "He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate..." | God's favor and elevation of the lowly. |
| Rom 4:18-20 | "...in hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations..." | Abraham's faith in God's promise of numerous descendants. |
| Gal 3:29 | "And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring..." | Broadening of Abraham's seed to spiritual heirs in Christ. |
| Heb 6:13-15 | "For when God made a promise to Abraham...he swore by himself..." | God's unchangeable and certain promises. |
| Jas 2:5 | "Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world..." | God's specific regard for the disadvantaged. |
| 1 Pet 5:7 | "casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." | God's constant care for His people in trouble. |
| Deut 26:5 | "...there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous." | Later acknowledgement of vast numerical growth of a nation. |
| 1 Sam 2:8 | "He raises the poor from the dust..." | God's power to elevate those in lowly states. |
Genesis 16 verses
Genesis 16 10 Meaning
This verse presents a divine promise from the Angel of the Lord directly to Hagar, assuring her that her descendants through her unborn son Ishmael will be incredibly numerous, so vast that they cannot be counted. It signifies God's personal intervention and compassionate care for Hagar in her distress, affirming His sovereignty and His ability to bring forth life and multiplication beyond the specific covenant line through Isaac, yet in harmony with His broader promises to Abraham concerning all his seed.Genesis 16 10 Context
Genesis chapter 16 depicts the desperate attempt by Sarah and Abraham to fulfill the divine promise of descendants through human means. Impatient with barrenness, Sarah, following cultural custom, gives her Egyptian slave Hagar to Abraham to bear children. When Hagar conceives, a power struggle ensues, leading Hagar to flee Sarah's cruel treatment into the wilderness. It is at this point of profound vulnerability and isolation that God directly intervenes. Genesis 16:10, spoken by the Angel of the Lord to Hagar, is a pivotal moment demonstrating God's compassion beyond the primary covenant lineage. The promise regarding Ishmael's vast progeny sets the stage for the existence of numerous Arab nations, highlighting God's faithfulness even when His people veer off His divine path and His providential care for all individuals, including the marginalized.Genesis 16 10 Word analysis
- And (וַיֹּאמֶר - vayyomer): This conjunctive serves as a narrative continuation, linking directly to the previous instruction given to Hagar. It denotes an immediate, authoritative follow-up from the Angel of the Lord.
- the angel of the Lord (מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה - malak Yahweh): This is a highly significant theological term. While "angel" means messenger, the context of "the Angel of the Lord" throughout the Old Testament often denotes a special, visible manifestation of God Himself (sometimes interpreted as a Christophany or a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ). The Angel speaks here with full divine authority ("I will greatly multiply"), acts with divine power, and knows Hagar's thoughts and future, demonstrating this is no mere created angel but a divine encounter. This emphasizes the gravity and certainty of the promise.
- said to her (אֵלֶיהָ - eleiha): Direct personal address to Hagar, an outcast, a slave, and an Egyptian. This highlights God's particular attention and compassion for the afflicted and those without social standing, breaking through cultural and social barriers.
- I will greatly multiply (הַרְבָּה אַרְבֶּה - harba arbeh): This is an emphatic Hebrew idiom using the infinitive absolute before the verb, signifying "I will surely multiply," "I will abundantly multiply," or "I will multiply very much." It conveys absolute certainty and a substantial degree of increase, directly mirroring the language of promises given to Abraham (e.g., Gen 22:17).
- your offspring (זַרְעֵךְ - zar'ech): Refers to descendants or progeny. In this specific context, it refers to the lineage that will originate from Hagar through her son Ishmael, ensuring the continuity and growth of his family line.
- so that they cannot be numbered for multitude (לְרֹב לֹא יִסָּפֵר - l'rov lo yissafer): Literally "from multitude/abundance, it will not be counted." This echoes the precise phrase used for Abraham's uncountable descendants (e.g., Gen 13:16, 15:5). It underlines the extraordinary scale of the numerical blessing bestowed upon Ishmael's line, signifying a vast and innumerable posterity.
Words-group analysis:
- "the angel of the Lord said to her": This phrase emphasizes the divine initiative and compassion. God Himself (or His authoritative manifestation) reaches out directly to Hagar, bypassing human intermediaries, affirming the profound importance and binding nature of the promise given to a marginalized individual.
- "I will greatly multiply your offspring": The first-person "I" signifies divine authority and capability. This promise, directed to Hagar, asserts God's sovereign power over fertility and population growth. It reveals His benevolence, extending the blessing of numerous descendants to Ishmael, distinguishing his physical abundance from the covenant promise made to Isaac.
- "so that they cannot be numbered for multitude": This segment highlights the boundless nature of God's blessing. It assures Hagar of an enormous family, illustrating God's capacity to bring forth abundance from seemingly barren situations and extending a "countless" promise parallel to that given to Abraham regarding his entire posterity.
Genesis 16 10 Bonus section
- Identity of "the Angel of the Lord": The frequent interpretation of "the Angel of the Lord" in the Old Testament as a Christophany (a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ) elevates this encounter to a profoundly personal divine meeting. It implies that Hagar, an enslaved woman, was one of the first to encounter the Messiah in a direct, visible form.
- Theological Contrast: The blessing of numerical abundance given to Ishmael stands in contrast, yet parallel, to the covenantal blessing given to Isaac. Ishmael receives vast physical progeny (Gen 25:12-16 lists his 12 sons, ancestors of many Arab tribes), while Isaac's line leads to the chosen people Israel and ultimately to the Messiah through whom all nations would be blessed (Gal 3:16, 29). This distinction is crucial but highlights God's comprehensive plan for all humanity.
- God's Immanence: This narrative demonstrates God's immanence, His active presence and involvement in the specific and often difficult details of human lives. He is not distant but steps into Hagar's individual suffering in the wilderness, seeing her (as "El Roi," Gen 16:13, the God Who Sees) and responding personally.