Genesis — Chapter 15
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1After these events, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
2But Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
3Abram continued, “Behold, You have given me no offspring, so a servant in my household will be my heir.”
4Then the word of the LORD came to Abram, saying, “This one will not be your heir, but one who comes from your own body will be your heir.”
5And 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.”
6Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
7The LORD also told him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”
8But Abram replied, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess it?”
9And the LORD said to him, “Bring Me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a turtledove and a young pigeon.”
10So Abram brought all these to Him, split each of them down the middle, and laid the halves opposite each other. The birds, however, he did not cut in half.
11And the birds of prey descended on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
12As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly great terror and darkness overwhelmed him.
13Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
14But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions.
15You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.
16In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
17When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, behold, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the halves of the carcasses.
18On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—
19the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,
20Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,
21Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”
1After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
2And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
3And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
4And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
5And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
6And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
7And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
8And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
9And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
10And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.
11And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.
12And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
13And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
14And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
15And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
16But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
17And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
18In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
19The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
20And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
21And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
1After these things the word of Jehovah came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, [and] thy exceeding great reward.
2And Abram said, O Lord Jehovah, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and he that shall be possessor of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?
3And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
4And, behold, the word of Jehovah came unto him, saying, This man shall not be thine heir; But he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
5And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
6And he believed in Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.
7And he said unto him, I am Jehovah that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
8And he said, O Lord Jehovah, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
9And he said unto him, Take me a heifer three years old, and a she-goat three years old, and a ram three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.
10And he took him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each half over against the other: but the birds divided he not.
11And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
12And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him.
13And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
14and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
15But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
16And in the fourth generation they shall come hither again; for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.
17And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces.
18In that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
19the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite,
20and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim,
21and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.
1After these things the Lord’s message came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield and the one who will reward you in great abundance.”
2But Abram said, “O Sovereign Lord, what will you give me since I continue to be childless, and my heir is Eliezer of Damascus?”
3Abram added, “Since you have not given me a descendant, then look, one born in my house will be my heir!”
4But look, the Lord’s message came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but instead a son who comes from your own body will be your heir.”
5The Lord took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars—if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”
6Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord credited it as righteousness to him.
7The Lord said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”
8But Abram said, “O Sovereign Lord, by what can I know that I am to possess it?”
9The Lord said to him, “Take for me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.”
10So Abram took all these for him and then cut them in two and placed each half opposite the other, but he did not cut the birds in half.
11When birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
12When the sun went down, Abram fell sound asleep, and great terror overwhelmed him.
13Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign country. They will be enslaved and oppressed for 400 years.
14But I will execute judgment on the nation that they will serve. Afterward they will come out with many possessions.
15But as for you, you will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age.
16In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.”
17When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking firepot with a flaming torch passed between the animal parts.
18That day the Lord made a covenant with Abram: “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River—
19the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,
20Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,
21Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”
1After these things Yahweh’s word came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
2Abram said, “Lord Yahweh, what will you give me, since I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”
3Abram said, “Behold, to me you have given no children: and, behold, one born in my house is my heir.”
4Behold, Yahweh’s word came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir, but he who will come out of your own body will be your heir.”
5Yahweh brought him outside, and said, “Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He said to Abram, “So will your offspring be.”
6He believed in Yahweh, who credited it to him for righteousness.
7He said to Abram, “I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it.”
8He said, “Lord Yahweh, how will I know that I will inherit it?”
9He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
10He brought him all these, and divided them in the middle, and laid each half opposite the other; but he didn’t divide the birds.
11The birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
12When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. Now terror and great darkness fell on him.
13He said to Abram, “Know for sure that your offspring will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will afflict them four hundred years.
14I will also judge that nation, whom they will serve. Afterward they will come out with great wealth,
15but you will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried at a good old age.
16In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.”
17It came to pass that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.
18In that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I have given this land to your offspring, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:
19the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,
20the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,
21the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
Summary
The Lord comes to Abram in a vision, telling him not to fear because He is his shield and reward, and Abram voices his concern that he remains childless with a servant as his heir (vv. 1-3). The Lord promises that Abram's own son will be his heir and that his offspring will be as numerous as the stars, and Abram believes the Lord, who credits it to him as righteousness (vv. 4-6). God reaffirms the promise of the land and, at Abram's request for confirmation, instructs him to prepare a covenant ceremony involving several divided animals (vv. 7-11). As a deep sleep and terror fall on Abram, God foretells four hundred years of slavery and affliction for his descendants in a foreign land, followed by judgment on that nation and a return to Canaan (vv. 12-16). A smoking pot and flaming torch pass between the pieces, symbolizing God's self-binding oath, and the Lord formally grants Abram's descendants the land from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates (vv. 17-21).
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- "From the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates" (v.18) — the boundaries of the Promised Land defined. The "river of Egypt" is likely the Wadi el-Arish (not the Nile), marking the southwestern border.
- The Euphrates marks the northeastern boundary — an enormous territory that Israel only briefly controlled under Solomon (1 Kings 4:21).
- Ten nations listed (vv.19-21): Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaims, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, Jebusites — all occupying the land between these boundaries.
Places on this map
- EgyptEgyptA ribbon of irrigated land along the Nile, ending in the Delta where Israel settled in Goshen. Rain-fed Canaan depended on weather; Egypt depended on a river that flooded on schedule, which made it the place everyone went when the harvest failed. Wikipedia
- EuphratesTurkey, Syria, IraqThe longest river in western Asia, running about 1,700 miles from eastern Turkey to the Persian Gulf. It is the northern limit named in the promise to Abraham and the boundary Assyria and Babylon crossed to reach the Levant. Wikipedia
- NileEgyptEgypt's only real water source, flooding every summer and leaving the silt that made the valley farmable. Because the whole country depended on it, turning it to blood was an attack on Egypt's economy and its gods at once. Wikipedia
- CanaanIsrael, West Bank, LebanonThe land bridge between Egypt and Mesopotamia, which is why armies crossed it for three thousand years. Within about 60 miles it goes from coastal plain to hill country to rift valley to desert plateau, so control of it was always local and piecemeal. Wikipedia
Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik covers God as shield/reward, the star promise, justification by faith, the covenant ceremony, and the land promise.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- BibleProject: bibleproject.com On the whole book: how its opening chapters work as literature and how they set up everything that follows.
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Genesis -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- God Himself as the Reward (v.1) — God tells Abram not to fear because He is Abram's shield and his very great reward, not merely the giver of blessings but the blessing itself. Is God enough for you, or do you only want Him for what He provides?
- Faith Credited as Righteousness (v.6) — Abram simply believes God's promise, and God counts that faith as righteousness — the foundational picture of salvation by faith rather than works. Are you resting in what God has credited to you, or still trying to earn it?
- Told the Hard Season in Advance (v.13) — God warns Abram that his descendants will endure centuries of slavery before the promise is fulfilled, showing that suffering and the promise aren't contradictions. Are you able to trust God's timeline even when it includes a season of waiting or hardship?
- Patience With Even the Wicked (v.16) — God delays judgment on the Amorites because their sin has not yet reached its full measure, revealing a patience that gives space for repentance. How does God's patience with others' sin shape your own patience with people you're tempted to write off?
- A Covenant God Carries Alone (v.17) — In the ceremony, only God passes between the divided pieces while Abram sleeps, meaning the covenant's fulfillment depends entirely on God's faithfulness, not Abram's. Does it change how you hold your own promises from God, knowing He alone bears responsibility to keep them?