Genesis 13:16

Look at the ground you are standing on, it has lots of little bits of dirt. Nobody can count all those little bits of dirt on the ground, and just like that, nobody will be able to count all the people that will be in your family later on.

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

In Context

15I will give you all the country that you can see. Later on, you will have a son, and lots of people will be born into his family, and they will own all this country, for ever.

17All right, Abram, I want you to get up and walk all around the country that I’m giving you, and look at it all properly.”

Read all of Genesis 13

Cross References

Genesis 15:5Then God took Abram outside and said, “Look up at the sky and try to count all those stars. There are a lot of stars. You can’t count them all. Well, you will have a son, and later on lots of people will be born into his family, and later on they will be a real big family. And just like nobody can count the stars, nobody will be able to count all your family.”

Genesis 17:6I will give you a real big family later on, and they will split up into lots of nations. And some of your people will be the big bosses of those nations.

Genesis 17:20And you asked me to do good things for Ishmael. Well, I listened to you, and I will be good to him too. He will have a big family, and later on, 12 big bosses will be in his family. I will make his mob into a great nation.

Genesis 21:13Don’t worry, I will give Ishmael a big family too. Later on, his family will grow into a big nation. I will do that for him, because he is your son too.”

Genesis 25:1Abraham married another woman too. Her name was Keturah.

Genesis 28:3Then Isaac said, “God has power over everything. So I’m asking God to be good to you. I’m asking him to give you lots of kids and grand-kids, so that your family will grow into lots of different tribes.

Matthew Henry on Genesis 13:15-18

God Confirms His Promise to Abram. ( b. c. 1917.) 14 And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: 15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. 16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. 17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Genesis 13:16