Genesis 16:10
And again he said: I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, and it shall not be numbered for multitude.
Open Genesis 16:10 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Et rursum : Multiplicans, inquit, multiplicabo semen tuum, et non numerabitur præ multitudine.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ⸂⸆⸃ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου Πληθύνων πληθυνῶ τὸ σπέρμα σου, καὶ οὐκ ἀριθμήσεται ἀπὸ τοῦ πλήθους.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהּ֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה הַרְבָּ֥ה אַרְבֶּ֖ה אֶת זַרְעֵ֑ךְ וְלֹ֥א יִסָּפֵ֖ר מֵרֹֽב
The Fathers on this verse
St Hilary of Poitiers De Trinitate or On the Trinity, Book IV
23. After God had often spoken with Abraham, Sarah was moved to wrath against Hagar, being jealous that she, the mistress, was barren, while her handmaid had conceived a son. Then, when Hagar had departed from her sight, the Spirit speaks thus concerning her, And the angel of the Lord said unto Hagar, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, and it shall not be numbered for multitude, and again, And she called the Name of the Lord that spake with her, Thou art God, Who hast seen me . It is the Angel of God Who speaks, and speaks of things far beyond the powers which a messenger, for that is the meaning of the word, could have. He says, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, and it shall not be numbered for multitude . The power of multiplying nations lies outside the ministry of an angel. …