Matthew Poole and continuators on Genesis 15:5

5 And he brought him forth abroad; and said, Look now towards Heaven, and tell the Stars , if thou be able to number them : and he said unto him, so shall thy seed be.

Qu. Seeing the Sun was not yet going down, v. 12. how could he see the Stars? Ans. 1. He might see them by representation in a vision, or by a divine power strengthning his eyes to behold them. 2. It was not necessary he should then actually see them. He bids him make tryal when he pleased, if he could number the Stars which were now present to his mind and would shortly be present and visible to his bodily eye.

Which thou art not able to do: for though Astronomers have presumed to give us the number of those stars which are distinctly visible to the eye, wherein yet they vary one from another, yet that there are other stars innumerable appears, confusedly to the eye, and evidently by the help of glasses.

Marginal references: 1 Chron. 27. 23. Rom. 4. 18.