1 Chronicles 16:19 (GNV)

Passage

When ye were fewe in number, yea, a very fewe, and strangers therein,

Nearby Context

1 Chronicles 16:17 And hath confirmed it to Iaakob for a Law, and to Israel for an euerlasting couenant,

1 Chronicles 16:18 Saying, To thee will I giue the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance.

1 Chronicles 16:19 When ye were fewe in number, yea, a very fewe, and strangers therein,

1 Chronicles 16:20 And walked about from nation to nation, and from one kingdome to another people,

1 Chronicles 16:21 He suffered no man to do them wrong, but rebuked Kings for their sakes, saying,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "fewe", "number", "very", "strangers", and "therein". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "fewe" and "number", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "Saying To thee will I giue the..." into verse 20's "And walked about from nation to nation...", so "fewe" and "number" belong inside that flow. In 1 Chronicles context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "fewe" and "number" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.