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Sunday, September 29th, 2024
the Week of Proper 21 / Ordinary 26
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Read the Bible

King James Version

Psalms 105:12

When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Psalms, the Book of;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Genesis, Theology of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Confessions and Credos;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Hallelujah;   Psalms;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Psalms the book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Jacob (1);   Yea;  

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
When they were only a few men in number,Of little account, and sojourners in it.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
When they were only a few men in number, Very few, and strangers in it.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
When they were a fewe men in number, and had ben straungers but a litle whyle in it:
Darby Translation
When they were a few men in number, of small account, and strangers in it.
New King James Version
When they were few in number, Indeed very few, and strangers in it.
Literal Translation
when they were a few men of number; very few, and aliens in it.
Easy-to-Read Version
At the time God said this, there were only a few of his people, and they were strangers there.
World English Bible
When they were but a few men in number, Yes, very few, and sojourners in it.
King James Version (1611)
When they were but a few men in number: yea very few, & strangers in it.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
When there was yet but a fewe of them, and they straungers therin.
Amplified Bible
When there were only a few men in number, Very few [in fact], and strangers in it;
American Standard Version
When they were but a few men in number, Yea, very few, and sojourners in it.
Bible in Basic English
When they were still small in number, and strange in the land;
Update Bible Version
When they were but a few men in number, Yes, very few, and sojourners in it.
Webster's Bible Translation
When they were a few men in number; yes, very few, and strangers in it.
New English Translation
When they were few in number, just a very few, and resident foreigners within it,
Contemporary English Version
At the time there were only a few of us, and we were homeless.
Complete Jewish Bible
When they were but few in number, and not only few, but aliens there too,
Geneva Bible (1587)
Albeit they were fewe in nomber, yea, very fewe, and strangers in the land,
George Lamsa Translation
When they were but a few men in number, yea, very few, and strangers in it.
Hebrew Names Version
When they were but a few men in number, Yes, very few, and sojourners in it.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
When they were but a few men in number. Yea, very few, and sojourners in it,
New Living Translation
He said this when they were few in number, a tiny group of strangers in Canaan.
New Life Bible
when they were only a few men in number and were strangers in it.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
when they were few in number, very few, and sojourners in it.
English Revised Version
When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and sojourners in it;
Berean Standard Bible
When they were few in number, few indeed, and strangers in the land,
New Revised Standard
When they were few in number, of little account, and strangers in it,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
While as yet they were men easily counted, - A very few, and sojourners therein;
Douay-Rheims Bible
(104-12) When they were but a small number: yea very few, and sojourners therein:
Lexham English Bible
When they were few in number— a trifle—and were sojourners in it,
English Standard Version
When they were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it,
New American Standard Bible
When they were only a few people in number, Very few, and strangers in it.
New Century Version
Then God's people were few in number. They were strangers in the land.
Good News Translation
God's people were few in number, strangers in the land of Canaan.
Christian Standard Bible®
When they were few in number, very few indeed, and temporary residents in Canaan,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whanne thei weren in a litil noumbre; and the comelingis of hem weren ful fewe.
Young's Literal Translation
In their being few in number, But a few, and sojourners in it.
Revised Standard Version
When they were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it,

Contextual Overview

8 He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. 9 Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; 10 And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant: 11 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance: 12 When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it. 13 When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people; 14 He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes; 15 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. 16 Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread. 17 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a few: Genesis 34:30, Deuteronomy 7:7, Deuteronomy 26:5, Isaiah 51:2, Ezekiel 33:24-33

and strangers: Genesis 17:8, Genesis 23:4, Acts 7:5, Hebrews 11:9, Hebrews 11:12

Reciprocal: Genesis 15:13 - thy Exodus 6:4 - the land of their Jeremiah 35:6 - Ye shall

Gill's Notes on the Bible

When they were but a few men in number,.... Or "men of number" d, that might easily be numbered; see Genesis 34:30, when this covenant, promise, and oath, were first made to Abraham, he was alone, and had no child; and when his posterity were increased in Jacob's time, and sojourned in Egypt, they were but few, though greatly enlarged when they came out of it: in comparison of other nations, they were the fewest of all people, and therefore had this grant of Canaan, not for their numbers any more than their goodness. And this circumstance is mentioned to show the unmerited goodness of God unto them; see Deuteronomy 7:6. And so the Lord's people, to whom he gives the kingdom of heaven, are a little flock; they are only a few that find the way to eternal life, Luke 12:32.

Yea, very few; or "as a little thing" e: so were the people of Israel a little contemptible body of men in the eyes of others, and in comparison of them. And such are the saints in this world; "the filth of it", and the "offscouring of all things";

yea, things that are not; that scarce deserve, in the opinion of men, to be reckoned entities or beings. And strangers in it; as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were, Hebrews 11:9, and so are the people of God, who are the heirs of the heavenly Canaan. These are strangers to the men of the world, who know them not; and the men of the world to them; with whom they have no conversation and fellowship in things sinful and criminal; for which they late despised by the world: yet these are the fellow citizens of heaven, and of the household of God, which shows his discriminating grace.

d מתי מספר "viros numeri", Montanus; so Vatablus, Gejerus, Michaelis. e כמעט "sicut parum", Montanus; so Vatablus; "aut exile aliquid", Gejerus; so Gussetius, p. 477.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

When they were but a few men in number - literally, “In their being people of number, very little.” That is, They could then be easily numbered, and they were so few that they could not take possession of it themselves. This is in contrast with the promise then made to them that they should be in number as the stars, and as the sand on the sea shore.

And strangers in it - Foreigners. They were mere sojourners. They did not become incorporated with the people of the land. They did not acquire property there. They were regarded and treated as belonging to a foreign people. See the notes at Hebrews 11:9.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 105:12. But a few men — When all appearances were against them, and nothing but the arm of God could have brought them through their difficulties, and given them a settlement in the promised land.


 
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