Genesis 32:12

32:12 But you ¹  said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper ²  and will make ³  your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’” ⁴ 

Genesis 41:49

41:49 Joseph stored up a vast amount of grain, like the sand of the sea, ⁵  until he stopped measuring it because it was impossible to measure.

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¹ 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.

² 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.

³ tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, carrying the nuance of the preceding verb forward.

⁴ tn Heb “which cannot be counted because of abundance.” The imperfect verbal form indicates potential here.

⁵ tn Heb “and Joseph gathered grain like the sand of the sea, multiplying much.” To emphasize the vast amount of grain he stored up, the Hebrew text modifies the verb “gathered” with an infinitive absolute and an adverb.