B'resheet (Gen) 15
15
1Some time later the word of Adonai came to Avram in a vision: “Don’t be afraid, Avram. I am your protector; your reward will be very great.” 2Avram replied, “Adonai, God, what good will your gifts be to me if I continue childless; and Eli‘ezer from Dammesek inherits my possessions? 3You haven’t given me a child,” Avram continued, “so someone born in my house will be my heir.” 4But the word of Adonai came to him: “This man will not be your heir. No, your heir will be a child from your own body.” 5Then he brought him outside and said, “Look up at the sky, and count the stars — if you can count them! Your descendants will be that many!” 6He believed in Adonai, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
(vi) 7Then he said to him, “I am Adonai, who brought you out from Ur-Kasdim to give you this land as your possession.” 8He replied, “Adonai, God, how am I to know that I will possess it?” 9He answered him, “Bring me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a dove and a young pigeon.” 10He brought him all these, cut the animals in two and placed the pieces opposite each other; but he didn’t cut the birds in half. 11Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Avram drove them away.
12As the sun was about to set, a deep sleep fell on Avram; horror and great darkness came over him. 13Adonai said to Avram, “Know this for certain: your descendants will be foreigners in a land that is not theirs. They will be slaves and held in oppression there four hundred years. 14But I will also judge that nation, the one that makes them slaves. Afterwards, they will leave with many possessions. 15As for you, you will join your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16Only in the fourth generation will your descendants come back here, because only then will the Emori be ripe for punishment.”
17After the sun had set and there was thick darkness, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch appeared, which passed between these animal parts. 18That day Adonai made a covenant with Avram: “I have given this land to your descendants — from the Vadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River — 19the territory of the Keni, the K’nizi, the Kadmoni, 20the Hitti, the P’rizi, the Refa’im, 21the Emori, the Kena‘ani, the Girgashi and the Y’vusi.”
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15
The Abrahamic Covenant
1After these events, the word of the Lord came # 1Sm 15:10; 2Sm 7:4; 1Kg 6:11; Is 38:4; Jr 1:2 to Abram in a vision:
Do not be afraid, # Gn 26:24; Is 41:10; Jr 30:10; Lk 1:13,30 Abram.
I am your shield; # Dt 33:29; 2Sm 22:3,31; Ps 3:3; 7:10
your reward will be very great.
2But Abram said, “Lord God, what can You give me, since I am childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus? ” # Hb obscure 3Abram continued, “Look, You have given me no offspring, so a slave born in # Lit a son of my house will be my heir.”
4Now the word of the Lord came to him: “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body # Lit loins will be your heir.” 5He took him outside and said, “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “Your offspring will be that numerous.” # Gn 22:17; 26:4; Ex 32:13; Dt 1:10; 10:22; 1Ch 27:23; Rm 4:18; Heb 11:12
6Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness. # Rm 4:3,9,22; Gl 3:6; Jms 2:23
7He also said to him, “I am Yahweh who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” # Gn 11:31; 12:1; Neh 9:7-8; Ac 7:2-4
8But he said, “Lord God, how can I know # Jdg 6:17; 2Kg 20:8; Ps 86:17; Is 7:11-13; Lk 1:18 that I will possess it? ”
9He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
10So he brought all these to Him, split them down the middle, and laid the pieces opposite each other, but he did not cut up the birds. # Lv 1:17 11Birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. 12As the sun was setting, a deep sleep # Gn 2:21 fell on Abram, and suddenly great terror and darkness descended on him.
13Then the Lord said to Abram, # Ac 7:6-7 “Know this for certain: Your offspring will be foreigners # Ex 22:21; 23:9 in a land that does not belong to them; they will be enslaved and oppressed # Lit will serve them and they will oppress them 400 years. # Ex 12:40; Gl 3:17 14However, I will judge the nation they serve, # Ex 6:6; 7:4; 12:12 and afterward they will go out with many possessions. # Ex 3:22 15But you will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age. # Gn 25:8; 47:30 16In the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” # Lit Amorites is not yet complete # Lv 18:24-28; Dn 8:23; Mt 23:32; 1Th 2:16
17When the sun had set and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the divided animals. 18On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I give this land to your offspring, # Gn 12:7; 13:15; 17:8; 24:7; 26:4; Nm 34:2; Dt 34:4; Jos 21:43; Neh 9:8; Ac 7:5 from the brook of Egypt # Ex 23:31; Nm 34:1-15; Dt 1:7-8; 2Kg 24:7 to the Euphrates River: # Lit the great river, the river Euphrates 19the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaim, 21Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”
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