1 Chronicles 16:19
New International Version
When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it,

New Living Translation
He said this when you were few in number, a tiny group of strangers in Canaan.

English Standard Version
When you were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it,

Berean Standard Bible
When they were few in number, few indeed, and strangers in the land,

King James Bible
When ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it.

New King James Version
When you were few in number, Indeed very few, and strangers in it.

New American Standard Bible
When they were only a few in number, Very few, and strangers in it,

NASB 1995
When they were only a few in number, Very few, and strangers in it,

NASB 1977
When they were only a few in number, Very few, and strangers in it,

Legacy Standard Bible
When you were only a few men in number, Of little account, and sojourners in it,

Amplified Bible
When you were few in number, Even a very few, and strangers in it,

Christian Standard Bible
When they were few in number, very few indeed, and resident aliens in Canaan

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When they were few in number, very few indeed, and temporary residents in Canaan

American Standard Version
When ye were but a few men in number, Yea, very few, and sojourners in it;

Contemporary English Version
At the time there were only a few of us, and we were homeless.

English Revised Version
When ye were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and sojourners in it;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"While they were few in number, a small group of foreigners living in that land,

Good News Translation
God's people were few in number, strangers in the land of Canaan.

International Standard Version
When you were few in number— very few, and strangers at that—

Majority Standard Bible
When they were few in number, few indeed, and strangers in the land,

NET Bible
When they were few in number, just a very few, and foreign residents within it,

New Heart English Bible
when you were but a few men in number, yes, very few, and foreigners were in it.

Webster's Bible Translation
When ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it.

World English Bible
when you were but a few men in number, yes, very few, and foreigners in it.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
When you were few in number, "" As a little thing, and sojourners in it.

Young's Literal Translation
When ye are few of number, As a little thing, and sojourners in it.

Smith's Literal Translation
In your being men of number, as few, and strangers in it.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
When they were but a small number: very few and sojourners in it.

Catholic Public Domain Version
At that time, they were small in number, they were few and were settlers there.

New American Bible
When they were few in number, a handful, and strangers there,

New Revised Standard Version
When they were few in number, of little account, and strangers in the land,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
When you were but few, even a few in numbers and strangers in it.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
When you were men of small numbers and dwellers in it.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
When ye were but a few men in number, Yea, very few, and sojourners in it,

Brenton Septuagint Translation
when they were few in number, when they were but little, and dwelt as strangers in it;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David's Psalm of Thanksgiving
18‘I will give you the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance.’ 19When they were few in number, few indeed, and strangers in the land, 20they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.…

Cross References
Genesis 12:1-3
Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you. / I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. / I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 15:5-7
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.” / Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness. / The LORD also told him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”

Genesis 17:7-8
I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. / And to you and your descendants I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession; and I will be their God.”

Exodus 6:7-8
I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. / And I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD!’”

Deuteronomy 7:6-8
For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of the earth. / The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. / But because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your fathers, He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Psalm 105:12-15
When they were few in number, few indeed, and strangers in the land, / they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. / He let no man oppress them; He rebuked kings on their behalf: ...

Psalm 105:42-45
For He remembered His holy promise to Abraham His servant. / He brought forth His people with rejoicing, His chosen with shouts of joy. / He gave them the lands of the nations, that they might inherit the fruit of others’ labor, ...

Psalm 106:45
And He remembered His covenant with them, and relented by the abundance of His loving devotion.

Isaiah 41:8-10
“But you, O Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham My friend— / I brought you from the ends of the earth and called you from its farthest corners. I said, ‘You are My servant.’ I have chosen and not rejected you. / Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 51:2
Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who gave you birth. When I called him, he was but one; then I blessed him and multiplied him.

Romans 4:13
For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not given through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.

Romans 9:7-8
Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.” / So it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring.

Galatians 3:16
The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ.

Galatians 3:29
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.

Hebrews 11:8-9
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going. / By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.


Treasury of Scripture

When you were but few, even a few, and strangers in it.

but few [heb] but men of number

Genesis 34:30
And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.

Acts 7:5
And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

Hebrews 11:13
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

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1 Chronicles 16
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When they were few in number
This phrase refers to the early patriarchal period of Israel's history, specifically the time of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Hebrew word for "few" is "מְתֵי" (metei), which emphasizes the smallness and insignificance of the group in the eyes of the world. This small number highlights God's sovereign choice and His ability to work through what seems insignificant to accomplish His divine purposes. Historically, this period was marked by the nomadic lifestyle of the patriarchs, who were not yet a nation but a family chosen by God to inherit the promises. This serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness and His power to fulfill His promises regardless of human limitations.

few indeed
The repetition of "few" underscores the vulnerability and the humble beginnings of the Israelites. In Hebrew, repetition is often used for emphasis, and here it serves to reinforce the idea that despite their small numbers, God's covenant with them was unbreakable. This phrase invites reflection on the nature of God's covenantal relationship, which does not depend on human strength or numbers but on His steadfast love and faithfulness. It is a call to trust in God's promises, even when circumstances seem daunting.

and strangers in the land
The term "strangers" is translated from the Hebrew word "גֵּרִים" (gerim), which refers to sojourners or temporary residents. This highlights the transient and pilgrim nature of the patriarchs' existence in Canaan, a land that was promised to them but not yet possessed. Archaeologically, this period aligns with the Middle Bronze Age, a time when Canaan was a land of city-states and diverse cultures. The patriarchs lived as foreigners, dependent on God's guidance and protection. This status as "strangers" is a powerful metaphor for the Christian life, reminding believers that they are pilgrims on earth, with their true citizenship in heaven. It calls for a life of faith, trusting in God's promises and looking forward to the fulfillment of His kingdom.

(19) The fourth strophe of Psalms 105 begins here.

When ye were but few.--The psalm has "when they [that is, your fathers] were but few; "and so LXX. here.

Few.--Literally, men of number = easily counted. (Comp. Genesis 34:30.)

Strangers in it.--Sojourners, ???????? (Genesis 23:4).



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When they were
בִּֽהְיֽוֹתְכֶם֙ (bih·yō·wṯ·ḵem)
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

few
מְתֵ֣י (mə·ṯê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 4962: An adult, a man

in number,
מִסְפָּ֔ר (mis·pār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4557: A number, definite, indefinite, narration

few indeed,
כִּמְעַ֖ט (kim·‘aṭ)
Preposition-k | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 4592: A little, fewness, a few

and strangers
וְגָרִ֥ים (wə·ḡā·rîm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 1481: To turn aside from the road, sojourn, to shrink, fear, to gather for, hostility

in [the land],
בָּֽהּ׃ (bāh)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew


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OT History: 1 Chronicles 16:19 When you were but a few men (1 Chron. 1Ch iCh i Ch 1 chr 1chr)
1 Chronicles 16:18
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