Genesis 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?” #15:2 Hb obscure 3Abram continued, “Look, you have given me no offspring, so a slave born in#15:3 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#15:4 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 the Lord 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, cut them in half, and laid the pieces opposite each other, but he did not cut the birds#Lv 1:17 in half. 11Birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. 12As the sun was setting, a deep sleep#Gn 2:21 came over 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 resident aliens#Ex 22:21; 23:9 for four hundred years#Ex 12:40; Gl 3:17 in a land that does not belong to them and will be enslaved and oppressed.#15:13 Lit will serve them and they will oppress them 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 ancestors in peace and be buried at a good 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.”#15:16 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 great river, the Euphrates River: 19the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20Hethites, Perizzites, Rephaim, 21Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”

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Genesis 15

God’s Covenant with Abram

1After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: #ch. 26:24; Dan. 10:12; Luke 1:13, 30 “Fear not, Abram, I am #Ps. 3:3; 18:2; 84:11; 119:114your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue#15:2 Or I shall die childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and #ch. 14:14a member of my household will be my heir.” 4And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; #ch. 17:16your very own son#15:4 Hebrew what will come out of your own loins shall be your heir.” 5And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and #Ps. 147:4 number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, #ch. 22:17; 26:4; Ex. 32:13; Deut. 1:10; 10:22; 1 Chr. 27:23; Heb. 11:12; Cited Rom. 4:18“So shall your offspring be.” 6And #Rom. 4:9, 22; Gal. 3:6; James 2:23 he believed the Lord, and #Cited Rom. 4:3; [Ps. 106:31]he counted it to him as righteousness.

7And he said to him, “I am the Lord who #ch. 11:31; 12:1; Neh. 9:7, 8; Acts 7:2-4 brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans #Ps. 105:42, 44to give you this land to possess.” 8But he said, “O Lord God, #[Judg. 6:17; 2 Kgs. 20:8; Ps. 86:17; Isa. 7:11-13; Luke 1:18]how am I to know that I shall possess 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.” 10And he brought him all these, #Jer. 34:18, 19 cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But #Lev. 1:17he did not cut the birds in half. 11And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

12As the sun was going down, a #ch. 2:21deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. 13Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain #Acts 7:6, 7 that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and #Ex. 1:11, 12; 3:7 they will be afflicted for #Acts 7:6; [Ex. 12:40, 41; Gal. 3:17]four hundred years. 14But #Ex. 6:6 I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward #Ex. 12:36; Ps. 105:37they shall come out with great possessions. 15As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; #ch. 25:8you shall be buried in a good old age. 16And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for #1 Kgs. 21:26; Amos 2:9 the iniquity of the Amorites #[Dan. 8:23; Matt. 23:32; 1 Thess. 2:16]is not yet complete.”

17When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, #ch. 12:7; 13:15; 24:7; 26:4; Num. 34:2; Deut. 34:4; Neh. 9:8 “To your offspring I give#15:18 Or have given this land, from #Ex. 23:31; Deut. 1:7; Josh. 1:4the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

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