You made their descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and brought them into the land you had promised to their ancestors.
Parallel translations
- WEB You also multiplied their children as the stars of the sky, and brought them into the land concerning which you said to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it.
- KJV Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it.
- BSB You multiplied their descendants like the stars of heaven and brought them to the land You had told their fathers to enter and possess.
- NKJV You also multiplied their children as the stars of heaven, And brought them into the land Which You had told their fathers To go in and possess.
- NASB “You made their sons as numerous as the stars of heaven, And You brought them into the land Which You had told their fathers to enter and possess.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God multiplied their children like the stars and brought them into the promised land. It matters because it shows God keeping his ancient promise to Abraham.
Overview
The growth of Israel and their entry into Canaan fulfilled the promise made to the patriarchs (Genesis 15:5). God's word does not fail across generations. This faithfulness anticipates the innumerable offspring of Abraham gathered in Christ from every nation (Galatians 3:29; Revelation 7:9).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Gen 22:17that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your offspring greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gate of his enemies.
- Gen 15:5Yahweh brought him outside, and said, “Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He said to Abram, “So will your offspring be.”
- Gen 12:7Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” He built an altar there to Yahweh, who had appeared to him.
- Gen 15:18In that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I have given this land to your offspring, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:
- Gen 17:8I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.”
- Gen 26:3Live in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you. For I will give to you, and to your offspring, all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.
- Josh 1:1–3Now after the death of Moses the servant of Yahweh, Yahweh spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying,
- Gen 13:15–17for all the land which you see, I will give to you, and to your offspring forever.
- 1 Chr 27:23But David didn’t take the number of them from twenty years old and under, because Yahweh had said he would increase Israel like the stars of the sky.
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Christ at the center
The rebuilt walls and renewed covenant community foreshadow the greater builder who gathers and secures a people for God, the one who declares 'I will build my church.'
How Nehemiah 9:23 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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