Genesis 15
15
Abram Promised a Son
1After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying,
“Do not be afraid, Abram,
I am your shield;
Your reward [for obedience] shall be very great.”
2Abram said, “Lord #Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord.God, what reward will You give me, since I am [leaving this world] childless, and he who will be the owner and heir of my house is this [servant] Eliezer from Damascus?” 3And Abram continued, “Since You have given no child to me, one (a servant) born in my house is my heir.” 4Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man [Eliezer] will not be your heir but he who shall come from your own body shall be your heir.” 5And the Lord brought Abram outside [his tent into the night] and said, “Look now toward the heavens and count the stars—if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “So [numerous] shall your descendants be.” 6Then Abram believed in (affirmed, trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord; and He counted (credited) it to him #This was crucial to God’s plan of salvation, as can be seen in Rom 4. There was simply no way that anyone except Christ could ever be sufficiently righteous to meet God’s standards and avoid condemnation. Having faith in God and placing one’s trust in Him was not in itself something that could be a substitute for perfect righteousness, but God graciously determined to accept faith as an equivalent for that righteousness nonetheless. So in a sense, Abraham—and all believers since him, who are his spiritual descendants—received righteousness on credit, and the bill for that righteousness was paid by the death of Christ on the cross.as righteousness (doing right in regard to God and man). 7And He said to him, “I am the [same] Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land as an inheritance.” 8But Abram said, “Lord #Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord.God, by what [proof] will I know that I will inherit it?” 9So God said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10So Abram brought all these to Him and #This was preparation for an ancient ceremony that formally bound two parties to an agreement or covenant (v 18). Reference is made to the ceremony in Jer 34:18, but details are not given elsewhere in Scripture.cut them down the middle, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds. 11The birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
12When the sun was setting, a deep sleep overcame Abram; and a horror (terror, shuddering fear, nightmare) of great darkness overcame him. 13God said to Abram, “Know for sure that your descendants will be strangers [living temporarily] in a land (Egypt) that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years. 14But on that nation whom your descendants will serve I will bring judgment, and afterward they will come out [of that land] with great possessions. 15As for you, you shall [die and] go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16Then in the #This prophecy was fulfilled when Moses led the Israelites back to Canaan after their four hundred years in Egypt. He was “in the fourth generation” from Jacob—Levi, Kohath, Amram, Moses.fourth generation your descendants shall return here [to Canaan, the land of promise], for the wickedness and guilt of the #The most important and powerful group of that region. The name “Amorite” later became virtually synonymous with that of the inhabitants of Canaan. They were known for their many superstitious practices (according to the Talmud).Amorites is not yet complete (finished).”
17When the sun had gone down and a [deep] darkness had come, there appeared a smoking #I.e. a large bowl or pan holding burning coals.brazier and a flaming torch which passed between the [divided] pieces [of the animals]. 18On the same day the Lord made a covenant (promise, pledge) with Abram, saying,
“To your descendants I have given this land,
From the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates—
19[the land of] the Kenites and the Kenizzites and the Kadmonites 20and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Rephaim, 21the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”
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Genesis 15
15
1After these things the word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram; I am thy shield, thy exceeding great reward.
2And Abram said, Lord Jehovah, what wilt thou give me? seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus. 3And Abram said, Lo, to me thou hast given no seed, and behold, a son of my house will be mine heir. 4And behold, the word of Jehovah came to him, saying, This shall not be thine heir, but he that will come forth out of thy body shall be thine heir. 5And he led him out, and said, Look now toward the heavens, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them. And he said to him, So shall thy seed be! 6And he believed Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness.
7And he said to him, I am Jehovah who brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give thee this land to possess it. 8And he said, Lord Jehovah, how shall I know that I shall possess it? 9And he said to him, Take me a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon. 10And he took all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid the half of each opposite its fellow; but the birds he did not divide. 11And the birds of prey came down on the carcases; and Abram scared them away.
12And as the sun was just going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, a horror, a great darkness, fell upon him. 13And he said to Abram, Know assuredly that thy seed will be a sojourner in a land that is not theirs, and they shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years. 14But also that nation which they shall serve I will judge; and afterwards they shall come out with great property. 15And 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 Amorites is not yet full.
17And it came to pass when the sun had gone down, and it was dark, that behold, there was a smoking furnace, and a flame of fire which passed between those pieces. 18On the same day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates; 19the Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, 20and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaim, 21and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.