Genesis 16:10

16:10 I will greatly multiply your descendants,” the Lord’s angel added, 1  “so that they will be too numerous to count.” 2 

Genesis 32:12

32:12 But you 3  said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper 4  and will make 5  your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’” 6 

1 tn Heb “The Lord’s angel said, ‘I will greatly multiply your descendants….” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

2 tn Heb “cannot be numbered because of abundance.”

3 tn Heb “But you, you said.” One of the occurrences of the pronoun “you” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.

sn Some commentators have thought this final verse of the prayer redundant, but it actually follows the predominant form of a lament in which God is motivated to act. The primary motivation Jacob can offer to God is God’s promise, and so he falls back on that at the end of the prayer.

4 tn Or “will certainly deal well with you.” The infinitive absolute appears before the imperfect, underscoring God’s promise to bless. The statement is more emphatic than in v. 9.

5 tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, carrying the nuance of the preceding verb forward.

6 tn Heb “which cannot be counted because of abundance.” The imperfect verbal form indicates potential here.