Bible Strands
1 Chronicles 16:19
When they were few in number, few indeed, and strangers in the land,
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — David addresses the assembled Israelites through the Levitical choir, recounting God’s covenant declaration to the patriarchs. The speech marks the transition from ancestral promise to national inheritance, spoken during the formal transfer of the ark to Jerusalem.
The words — מְתֵי מִסְפָּר (me.tei mis.par) literally renders “men of number,” denoting numerical scarcity. It is coupled with וְגָרִים (ve.ga.rim), meaning “and sojourners,” which specifies their temporary, non-native status in the region.
The thread — The pattern of divine election despite demographic weakness appears in Deuteronomy 7:7, which states God chose Israel not for size but for covenant purpose. The same sojourner motif runs through Hebrews 11:13, which records the patriarchs welcoming the promises without possessing the land.
Why it lands — The text requires acknowledgment that covenant fulfillment does not depend on population size or territorial permanence. It commands the reader to trust divine promise over visible human advantage or immediate settlement.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
When ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it.
Cross-references
- Genesis 34:30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble upon me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people of this land. We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”
- Deuteronomy 7:7 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.
- Hebrews 11:13 All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
- Acts 7:5 He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised to give possession of the land to Abraham and his descendants, even though he did not yet have a child.