Deuteronomy 1:10
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The LORD your God has multiplied you, so that today you are as numerous as the stars in the sky.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
The first part of Moses's farewell sermon to Israel begins with this chapter, and is continued to the latter end of the fourth chapter. In the first five verses of this chapter we have the date of the sermon, the place where it was preached (Deu 1:1, Deu 1:2, Deu 1:5), and the time when (Deu 1:3, Deu 1:4). The narrative in this chapter reminds them, I. Of the promise God made them of the land of Canaan (Deu 1:6-8). II. Of the provision made of judges for them (Deu 1:9-18). III. Of their unbelief and murmuring upon the report of the spies (Deu 1:19-33). IV. Of the sentence passed upon them for it, and the ratification of that sentence (Deu 1:34, etc.).
Open source ↗1:10 as numerous as the stars: This figure of speech deliberately exaggerates for effect. Abraham’s descendants had not approached the actual number of stars in the universe, though they exceeded the number of stars visible to the naked eye. Moses meant that God had begun fulfilling his promises to Abraham (see Gen 15:5; 22:17) by making Israel numerous, bringing them to the Promised Land, and preparing them to conquer it.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.
And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.”
Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to whom You swore by Your very self when You declared, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give your descendants all this land that I have promised, and it shall be their inheritance forever.’”
Your fathers went down to Egypt, seventy in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.
You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left few in number, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God.
And all those counted totaled 603,550.
The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth with about 600,000 men on foot, besides women and children.
You multiplied their descendants like the stars of heaven and brought them to the land You had told their fathers to enter and possess.
Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east and north and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.
David did not count the men aged twenty or under, because the LORD had said that He would make Israel as numerous as the stars of the sky.