1 Chronicles 16:19

KJV

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

KJV (with Strong's)

When ye were but few {H4557}{H4962}, even a few {H4592}, and strangers {H1481} in it.

Complete Jewish Bible

When you were but few in number, and not only few, but aliens there too,

Berean Standard Bible

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

American Standard Version

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

Commentary

### SUMMARY
1 Chronicles 16:19, a poignant line from David's psalm of thanksgiving, celebrates God's profound and enduring faithfulness to Israel during their most vulnerable and nascent period. It vividly recalls the time when the nascent nation was merely a small, nomadic family, sojourning without a permanent home in a land not yet fully theirs, highlighting God's miraculous preservation and covenant keeping despite their numerical insignificance and precarious status.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is embedded within a lengthy psalm of thanksgiving (1 Chronicles 16:8-36) that King David proclaimed when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem. This psalm parallels much of [Psalm 105](/psalms/105 "Psalm 105 - God's Faithfulness to Israel"), serving as a historical recounting of God's mighty acts and covenant promises to Israel from their earliest beginnings. The specific section from [1 Chronicles 16:15-22](/1_chronicles/16-15 "1 Chronicles 16:15-22 - God's Covenant with Abraham") focuses on God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and His protective care over them as they journeyed through various lands. Verse 19, therefore, serves as a crucial reminder of Israel's humble origins, setting the stage for the subsequent recounting of God's miraculous interventions on their behalf.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The verse directly refers to the patriarchal era, encompassing the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. During this period, the descendants of Abraham were indeed "but few, even a few"—a small, extended family unit rather than a numerous nation. They were "strangers" (Hebrew: _gerim_) because they were sojourners in the land of Canaan, which was promised to them but not yet possessed. They did not own significant territory, held no political power, and were often at the mercy of more powerful local inhabitants, as seen in accounts like [Genesis 12:10-20](/genesis/12-10 "Genesis 12:10-20 - Abraham in Egypt") or [Genesis 26:1-33](/genesis/26-1 "Genesis 26:1-33 - Isaac in Gerar"). Their existence was precarious, marked by constant movement and reliance on divine provision and protection in a culturally and religiously diverse region.
* **Key Themes:** The primary message conveyed by this verse is God's **unwavering faithfulness** to His covenant people, even when they were numerically insignificant and utterly vulnerable. It underscores the theme of **divine protection and providence**, demonstrating God's sovereign control over nations and circumstances to safeguard His chosen few, as highlighted in [1 Chronicles 16:21-22](/1_chronicles/16-21 "1 Chronicles 16:21-22 - God's Protection of His Anointed"). Furthermore, it emphasizes Israel's **humble beginnings**, a recurring motif in biblical theology that God often chooses and works through the seemingly weak or insignificant to accomplish His great purposes, echoing the sentiment found in [Deuteronomy 7:7](/deuteronomy/7-7 "Deuteronomy 7:7 - God's Choice of Israel"). This historical reflection also serves as a powerful reminder of God's **covenant remembrance**, assuring the people of David's time—and us—that God remembers and fulfills His promises across generations.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Few (Hebrew, _m'tei mispar'_):** This phrase literally translates to "men of number" or "few in number," emphasizing their quantitative insignificance. It highlights the extreme numerical smallness of the early Israelite family units, underscoring their vulnerability and the miraculous nature of their survival and growth into a nation. The repetition of "few, even a few" intensifies this sense of numerical scarcity.
* **Strangers (Hebrew, _gerim'_): (Hebrew, _gerim'_):** This term refers to sojourners, aliens, or non-native residents. It signifies their transient status in the land of Canaan, which was promised to them but not yet fully inherited. As _gerim_, they lacked permanent land ownership, political rights, and often social standing, making them dependent on the goodwill of local inhabitants or, more profoundly, on the direct protection and provision of God.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"When ye were but few, even a few":** This clause vividly recalls the early stages of Israel's history, specifically the patriarchal period. It emphasizes the numerical insignificance of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their immediate families. This smallness highlights that Israel's existence and future growth were not due to their own strength or numbers, but solely to God's sovereign choice and promise. The repetition of "few" serves to underscore this profound numerical scarcity.
* **"and strangers in it":** This phrase describes their status as sojourners or temporary residents in the land of Canaan. They did not possess the land as a nation, but moved within it, often at the mercy of more powerful local populations. This precarious, non-landed status further emphasizes their complete dependence on God for protection, provision, and the eventual fulfillment of the land promise. It sets the stage for God's miraculous interventions on behalf of His vulnerable covenant people.

#### Literary Devices
The verse employs several literary devices to enhance its impact. **Repetition** is prominent with "few, even a few," serving to emphasize the extreme numerical insignificance of early Israel and thereby magnify the greatness of God's protective power. This also functions as a form of **hyperbole**, stressing their smallness to highlight the vastness of God's faithfulness. The verse uses **historical allusion**, referencing the patriarchal era without explicitly naming the patriarchs, relying on the audience's familiarity with their foundational history. Furthermore, there's an element of **understatement** in describing their vulnerability; being "strangers" and "few" paints a picture of extreme weakness, making God's subsequent acts of protection and covenant fulfillment all the more profound and miraculous.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
1 Chronicles 16:19 profoundly illustrates God's unwavering commitment to His covenant promises, irrespective of human strength or circumstances. It establishes a foundational theological truth: God's faithfulness is not contingent on the power, numbers, or resources of His people, but solely on His own character and word. He chooses the weak and the few to demonstrate His omnipotence, ensuring that His glory is magnified through their preservation and growth. This pattern of divine election and protection for the vulnerable is a recurring motif throughout biblical history, reminding believers that their security and success rest entirely in God's sovereign hand.

* [Deuteronomy 7:7](/deuteronomy/7-7 "God's Choice of Israel")
* [Psalm 105:12](/psalms/105-12 "Parallel Account of Israel's Fewness")
* [Genesis 12:1-3](/genesis/12-1 "The Abrahamic Covenant")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
This verse offers profound encouragement for believers today, reminding us that God's power and faithfulness are not limited by our perceived weaknesses, numerical insignificance, or transient circumstances. When we feel overwhelmed, small, or like "strangers" in a hostile world, 1 Chronicles 16:19 calls us to remember God's steadfast care for His people from their very beginnings. It encourages us not to despise humble beginnings in our personal lives, ministries, or callings, but to trust that God often works through the seemingly insignificant to accomplish His grand purposes. Recounting God's past faithfulness, both in biblical history and in our own lives, builds confidence and hope for the future, fostering a deeper reliance on His provision and protection.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does remembering God's faithfulness to vulnerable Israel encourage you in your own times of weakness or feeling insignificant?**
* **In what areas of your life or ministry do you currently feel "few" or like a "stranger," and how can this verse prompt greater reliance on God's providence?**
* **How can recounting God's past acts of faithfulness, both in biblical history and in your personal journey, strengthen your hope and trust for the future?**

### FAQ
**What period of Israelite history does this verse primarily refer to?**

Answer: This verse primarily refers to the patriarchal period of Israel's history, encompassing the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. During this time, the descendants of Abraham were a small, nomadic family unit, not yet a numerous nation, and they dwelt as sojourners or "strangers" in the land of Canaan, which God had promised to them but they did not yet fully possess.

**Why is it important for David's psalm to highlight Israel's humble beginnings?**

Answer: Highlighting Israel's humble beginnings serves several crucial purposes. Firstly, it underscores God's sovereign choice and faithfulness, demonstrating that Israel's very existence, survival, and future success were solely due to divine promise and protection, not their own strength or numbers. This reinforces the theme of utter dependence on God from the very start. Secondly, it provides a powerful historical foundation for the covenant relationship, reminding the people that God remembers and fulfills His promises across generations, even when circumstances seem impossible. It sets a precedent for God working through the weak to display His power.

**How does this verse connect with the broader narrative of God's covenant with Israel?**

Answer: This verse is deeply connected to the broader narrative of God's covenant with Israel, particularly the Abrahamic covenant established in [Genesis 12:1-3](/genesis/12-1 "Genesis 12:1-3 - The Abrahamic Covenant"). God promised to make a great nation from Abraham, even though he was childless and old. This verse reminds the audience that God began fulfilling that promise when Abraham's descendants were still "few" and "strangers," without a homeland. It emphasizes God's unwavering commitment to His covenant, demonstrating His power to bring about His promises despite human limitations, and setting the stage for the miraculous growth and deliverance that would follow, leading to the establishment of the nation of Israel.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The profound truth of God's faithfulness to the "few" and "strangers" in 1 Chronicles 16:19 finds its ultimate and most glorious fulfillment in Jesus Christ and the establishment of His kingdom. Just as ancient Israel began as an insignificant, vulnerable family, the Kingdom of God inaugurated by Christ also began in humble, seemingly weak circumstances. Jesus Himself came not as a mighty king but as a humble servant, born in obscurity, described by [Isaiah 53:2-3](/isaiah/53-2 "Isaiah 53:2-3 - Christ's Humble Appearance") as having "no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him." His first followers were a small band of ordinary people, yet from this "few" would grow a movement that would transform the world, much like the mustard seed growing into the largest of garden plants as described in [Matthew 13:31-32](/matthew/13-31 "Matthew 13:31-32 - Parable of the Mustard Seed"). Furthermore, believers in Christ are often described as "strangers" and "sojourners" in this world ([1 Peter 2:11](/1_peter/2-11 "1 Peter 2:11 - Believers as Sojourners")), whose true citizenship is in heaven ([Philippians 3:20](/philippians/3-20 "Philippians 3:20 - Our Citizenship in Heaven")). Yet, through Christ, these former "strangers" and "aliens" have been brought near and made fellow citizens with God's people ([Ephesians 2:19](/ephesians/2-19 "Ephesians 2:19 - No Longer Strangers")), becoming the new spiritual Israel. God's faithfulness to His covenant, which began with the patriarchs, finds its ultimate "Yes" and "Amen" in Christ ([2 Corinthians 1:20](/2_corinthians/1-20 "2 Corinthians 1:20 - God's Promises in Christ")), who ensures the protection and ultimate inheritance for all who are "in Him," regardless of their earthly power or numbers.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

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.

Deuteronomy 7:7

The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye [were] the fewest of all people:

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.

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.