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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Psalm 105:12 When they were few in number, few indeed, and strangers in the land,</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/psalms/105-12.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/15/19_Psa_105_012.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Psalm 105:12 - Tell of His Wonders" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="When they were few in number, few indeed, and strangers in the land," /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; 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yea, very few, and strangers in it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/psalms/105.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />When they were few in number, Indeed very few, and strangers in it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/psalms/105.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />When they were <i>only</i> a few people in number, Very few, and strangers in it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/psalms/105.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />When they were only a few men in number, Very few, and strangers in it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/psalms/105.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />When they were only a few men in number, Very few, and strangers in it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/psalms/105.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />When they were only a few men in number, Of little account, and sojourners in it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/psalms/105.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />When there were only a few men in number, Very few [in fact], and strangers in it;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/psalms/105.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />When they were few in number, very few indeed, and resident aliens in Canaan,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/psalms/105.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />When they were few in number, very few indeed, and temporary residents in Canaan, <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/psalms/105.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />When they were but a few men in number, Yea, very few, and sojourners in it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/psalms/105.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />At the time there were only a few of us, and we were homeless. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/psalms/105.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and sojourners in it;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/psalms/105.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />While the people of Israel were few in number, a small group of foreigners living in that land,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/psalms/105.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />God's people were few in number, strangers in the land of Canaan. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/psalms/105.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />When the Hebrews were few in number—so very few— and were sojourners in it,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/psalms/105.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />When they were few in number, few indeed, and strangers in the land,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/psalms/105.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />When they were few in number, just a very few, and resident aliens within it, <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/psalms/105.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />when they were but a few men in number, yes, very few, and foreigners in it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/psalms/105.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />When they were a few men in number; yes, very few, and strangers in it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/psalms/105.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />when they were but a few men in number, yes, very few, and foreigners in it. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/psalms/105.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />In their being few in number, "" But a few, and sojourners in it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/psalms/105.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> In their being few in number, But a few, and sojourners in it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/psalms/105.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />In their being men of number, as few and strangers in it.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/psalms/105.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />When they were but a small number: yea very few, and sojourners therein: <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/psalms/105.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br /><V 104:12>Though they may have been but a small number, very few and foreigners there,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/psalms/105.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />When they were few in number, a handful, and strangers there, <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/psalms/105.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />When they were few in number, of little account, and strangers in it,<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/psalms/105.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />When they were but a few men in number, yea, very few, and strangers in it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/psalms/105.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />When they were few in number; they were small, and they were inhabitants in it.<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/psalms/105.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />When they were but a few men in number. Yea, very few, and sojourners in it,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/psalms/105.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />when they were few in number, very few, and sojourners in it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/psalms/105-12.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nFaD2oDhKPc?start=13112" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/psalms/105.htm">Tell of His Wonders</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">11</span>“I will give you the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance.” <span class="reftext">12</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/1961.htm" title="1961: bih·yō·w·ṯām (Prep-b:: V-Qal-Inf:: 3mp) -- To fall out, come to pass, become, be. A primitive root; to exist, i.e. Be or become, come to pass.">When they were</a> <a href="/hebrew/4962.htm" title="4962: mə·ṯê (N-mpc) -- Male, man. From the same as mathay; properly, an adult; by implication, a man.">few</a> <a href="/hebrew/4557.htm" title="4557: mis·pār (N-ms) -- Number, tally. From caphar; a number, definite or indefinite; also narration.">in number,</a> <a href="/hebrew/4592.htm" title="4592: kim·‘aṭ (Prep-k:: Adj-ms) -- A little, fewness, a few. Or miat; from ma'at; a little or few.">few indeed,</a> <a href="/hebrew/1481.htm" title="1481: wə·ḡā·rîm (Conj-w:: V-Qal-Prtcpl-mp) -- A primitive root; properly, to turn aside from the road, i.e. Sojourn; also to shrink, fear; also to gather for hostility.">and strangers</a> <a href="/hebrew/bāh (Prep:: 3fs) -- ">in the land,</a> </span><span class="reftext">13</span>they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/12-1.htm">Genesis 12:1-3</a></span><br />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.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/17-1.htm">Genesis 17:1-8</a></span><br />When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless. / I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.” / Then Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/28-13.htm">Genesis 28:13-15</a></span><br />And there at the top the LORD was standing and saying, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you now lie. / Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east and north and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. / Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/exodus/6-7.htm">Exodus 6:7-8</a></span><br />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!’”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/7-7.htm">Deuteronomy 7:7-8</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_chronicles/16-19.htm">1 Chronicles 16:19-22</a></span><br />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: ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/nehemiah/9-7.htm">Nehemiah 9:7-8</a></span><br />You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram, who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. / You found his heart faithful before You, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites and Hittites, of the Amorites and Perizzites, of the Jebusites and Girgashites—to give it to his descendants. You have kept Your promise, because You are righteous.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/51-2.htm">Isaiah 51:2</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/7-2.htm">Acts 7:2-5</a></span><br />And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, / and told him, ‘Leave your country and your kindred and go to the land I will show you.’ / So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God brought him out of that place and into this land where you are now living. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/4-13.htm">Romans 4:13-18</a></span><br />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. / For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith is useless and the promise is worthless, / because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/galatians/3-16.htm">Galatians 3:16</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hebrews/11-8.htm">Hebrews 11:8-12</a></span><br />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. / For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/15-5.htm">Genesis 15:5-6</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/26-3.htm">Genesis 26:3-4</a></span><br />Stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. / I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/35-11.htm">Genesis 35:11-12</a></span><br />And God told him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation—even a company of nations—shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you. / The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.”</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">When they were but a few men in number; yes, very few, and strangers in it.</p><p class="hdg">a few</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/genesis/34-30.htm">Genesis 34:30</a></b></br> 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 <i>being</i> few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/deuteronomy/7-7.htm">Deuteronomy 7:7</a></b></br> The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye <i>were</i> the fewest of all people:</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/deuteronomy/26-5.htm">Deuteronomy 26:5</a></b></br> And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, A Syrian ready to perish <i>was</i> my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:</p><p class="hdg">and strangers</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/genesis/17-8.htm">Genesis 17:8</a></b></br> And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/genesis/23-4.htm">Genesis 23:4</a></b></br> I <i>am</i> a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/acts/7-5.htm">Acts 7:5</a></b></br> And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not <i>so much as</i> 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 <i>as yet</i> he had no child.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/psalms/65-3.htm">Account</a> <a href="/psalms/39-5.htm">Few</a> <a href="/psalms/18-45.htm">Foreigners</a> <a href="/psalms/102-4.htm">Indeed</a> <a href="/psalms/81-14.htm">Little</a> <a href="/psalms/104-25.htm">Small</a> <a href="/job/19-15.htm">Sojourners</a> <a href="/psalms/81-9.htm">Strange</a> <a href="/psalms/54-3.htm">Strangers</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/psalms/105-14.htm">Account</a> <a href="/psalms/109-8.htm">Few</a> <a href="/psalms/144-7.htm">Foreigners</a> <a href="/psalms/118-11.htm">Indeed</a> <a href="/psalms/114-4.htm">Little</a> <a href="/psalms/115-13.htm">Small</a> <a href="/psalms/146-9.htm">Sojourners</a> <a href="/psalms/114-1.htm">Strange</a> <a href="/psalms/109-11.htm">Strangers</a><div class="vheading2">Psalm 105</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/105-1.htm">An exhortation to praise God, and to seek out his works</a></span><br><span class="reftext">7. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/105-7.htm">The story of God's providence over Abraham</a></span><br><span class="reftext">16. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/105-16.htm">Over Joseph</a></span><br><span class="reftext">23. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/105-23.htm">Over Jacob in Egypt</a></span><br><span class="reftext">26. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/105-26.htm">Over Moses delivering the Israelites</a></span><br><span class="reftext">37. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/105-37.htm">Over the Israelites brought out of Egypt, fed in the desert, and planted in Canaan.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; 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At this time, the family of Abraham was small, emphasizing their vulnerability and dependence on God's promises. This small beginning is significant in biblical history, as it highlights God's ability to fulfill His promises despite seemingly insurmountable odds. The promise to Abraham in <a href="/genesis/12-2.htm">Genesis 12:2</a> that his descendants would become a great nation underscores the miraculous growth from a small family to a populous nation.<p><b>Few indeed</b><br>The repetition of "few" emphasizes the insignificance of their numbers in the context of the larger populations around them. This serves to highlight God's providence and protection over them. It also reflects the theme of God choosing the weak and insignificant to accomplish His purposes, as seen throughout Scripture (<a href="/1_corinthians/1-27.htm">1 Corinthians 1:27-29</a>). The smallness of their numbers is a testament to God's faithfulness in preserving and multiplying them despite their initial insignificance.<p><b>And strangers in the land</b><br>The patriarchs were sojourners in Canaan, living as foreigners in a land that was promised to them but not yet possessed. This status as "strangers" is a recurring theme in the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who lived in tents and moved frequently (<a href="/hebrews/11-9.htm">Hebrews 11:9</a>). It underscores the transient nature of their existence and their reliance on God's promise of a future inheritance. This concept of being strangers and pilgrims is echoed in the New Testament, where believers are described as aliens and strangers in the world (<a href="/1_peter/2-11.htm">1 Peter 2:11</a>), pointing to the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises in a heavenly kingdom.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/a/abraham_and_sarah.htm">Abraham and Sarah</a></b><br>The patriarch and matriarch of the Israelites, who were called by God to leave their homeland and journey to a land He would show them. They were the beginning of God's covenant people, often few in number and strangers in foreign lands.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/c/canaan.htm">Canaan</a></b><br>The land promised by God to Abraham and his descendants. At the time of Abraham, it was inhabited by various tribes, making Abraham and his family strangers in this land.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/i/isaac_and_jacob.htm">Isaac and Jacob</a></b><br>The son and grandson of Abraham, who continued to live as sojourners in the land of Canaan, maintaining the promise given to Abraham.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/e/egypt.htm">Egypt</a></b><br>A place where the Israelites would later become numerous but also strangers and slaves, highlighting their journey from few to many.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_covenant.htm">The Covenant</a></b><br>God's promise to Abraham to make his descendants a great nation, despite their small beginnings and status as strangers.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_faithfulness_in_small_beginnings.htm">God's Faithfulness in Small Beginnings</a></b><br>God often starts with small beginnings to fulfill His grand purposes. Just as He began with a small family to create a great nation, He can use our seemingly insignificant efforts for His glory.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/l/living_as_strangers.htm">Living as Strangers</a></b><br>As believers, we are called to live as strangers and pilgrims in this world, looking forward to our eternal home. Our identity is not rooted in earthly status but in our relationship with God.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/trust_in_god's_promises.htm">Trust in God's Promises</a></b><br>Despite circumstances that seem contrary, we are to trust in God's promises. His faithfulness to Abraham and his descendants assures us of His faithfulness to us.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_power_of_obedience.htm">The Power of Obedience</a></b><br>Abraham's obedience to God's call, despite being few and strangers, is a model for us. Obedience to God can lead to blessings beyond our imagination.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/c/community_and_growth.htm">Community and Growth</a></b><br>The growth of the Israelites from a small family to a nation reminds us of the importance of community and the potential for growth when we are united in God's purpose.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_psalm_105.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Psalm 105</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_defines_a_saint_in_the_bible.htm">What defines a saint in the Bible?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/does_psalm_12_1-2_reflect_israel's_history.htm">Does the contrast in Psalm 12:1-2 between a faithful few and a deceitful majority align with historical evidence of Israel's religious practices at the time?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_reconcile_psalm_105_8-11_with_history.htm">Psalm 105:8-11 states God's covenant lasts 'a thousand generations.' How do we reconcile this indefinite timeline with known historical and genealogical records?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_do_psalm_112_1-2_promises_align_with_history.htm">How do Psalm 112:1-2's promises of blessed descendants align with historical records showing many faithful believers who faced familial hardship or extinction?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/psalms/105.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 12.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">When they were but a few men in number;</span> literally, <span class="accented">when they were men of number</span>; <span class="accented">i.e.</span> when they could be easily counted. A few scores at the utmost, or, with their entire households, a few hundreds (<a href="/genesis/14-14.htm">Genesis 14:14</a>; <a href="/genesis/33-1.htm">Genesis 33:1</a>). <span class="cmt_word">Yea, very few, and strangers in it;</span> <span class="accented">i.e.</span> "in the land of Canaan" (comp. <a href="/exodus/6-4.htm">Exodus 6:4</a>). <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/psalms/105-12.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">When they were</span><br /><span class="heb">בִּֽ֭הְיוֹתָם</span> <span class="translit">(bih·yō·w·ṯām)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1961.htm">Strong's 1961: </a> </span><span class="str2">To fall out, come to pass, become, be</span><br /><br /><span class="word">few</span><br /><span class="heb">מְתֵ֣י</span> <span class="translit">(mə·ṯê)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine plural construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4962.htm">Strong's 4962: </a> </span><span class="str2">An adult, a man</span><br /><br /><span class="word">in number,</span><br /><span class="heb">מִסְפָּ֑ר</span> <span class="translit">(mis·pār)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4557.htm">Strong's 4557: </a> </span><span class="str2">A number, definite, indefinite, narration</span><br /><br /><span class="word">few indeed,</span><br /><span class="heb">כִּ֝מְעַ֗ט</span> <span class="translit">(kim·‘aṭ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-k | Adjective - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4592.htm">Strong's 4592: </a> </span><span class="str2">A little, fewness, a few</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and strangers</span><br /><span class="heb">וְגָרִ֥ים</span> <span class="translit">(wə·ḡā·rîm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1481.htm">Strong's 1481: </a> </span><span class="str2">To turn aside from the road, sojourn, to shrink, fear, to gather for, hostility</span><br /><br /><span class="word">in [the land],</span><br /><span class="heb">בָּֽהּ׃</span> <span class="translit">(bāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition | third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/.htm">Strong's Hebrew</a> </span><span class="str2"></span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/psalms/105-12.htm">Psalm 105:12 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/psalms/105-12.htm">Psalm 105:12 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/psalms/105-12.htm">Psalm 105:12 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/psalms/105-12.htm">Psalm 105:12 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/psalms/105-12.htm">Psalm 105:12 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/psalms/105-12.htm">Psalm 105:12 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/psalms/105-12.htm">Psalm 105:12 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/psalms/105-12.htm">Psalm 105:12 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/psalms/105-12.htm">Psalm 105:12 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/psalms/105-12.htm">Psalm 105:12 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/psalms/105-12.htm">OT Poetry: Psalm 105:12 When they were but a few men (Psalm Ps Psa.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/psalms/105-11.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Psalm 105:11"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Psalm 105:11" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/psalms/105-13.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Psalm 105:13"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Psalm 105:13" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>