Genesis 15: God's covenant with Abram
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
In a vision Yahweh promises Abram a son of his own and offspring as many as the stars, and Abram believes him. Abram cuts animals in two, and after dark a smoking furnace and a flaming torch pass between the pieces. That day Yahweh makes a covenant to give the land to Abram's offspring.
Who is speaking?
Yahweh and Abram talk. The chapter opens with a vision (verse 1). God speaks in 13 of the 21 verses. In verses 9 and 13 the text says only "he said", but in this back-and-forth the speaker is plainly Yahweh, so those words are gold, and so are verses 14 to 16, where he goes on speaking. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
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.”God speaks
In plain English: After these things, the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision: "Don't be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward (or: your reward will be very great)."
The Hebrew words: "Shield" is magen, a shield or a protector. "Reward" is sakar, wages or pay.
What changes: The Hebrew can be read two ways. Read as "your reward will be very great", God promises Abram a great reward, instead of saying that he himself is the reward.
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2Abram said, “Lord Yahweh, what will you give me, since I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”
In plain English: Abram said, "Lord Yahweh, what will you give me? I am going on without children, and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus."
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3Abram said, “Behold, you have given no children to me: and, behold, one born in my house is my heir.”
In plain English: Abram said, "Look, you have given me no children, so someone born in my household is my heir."
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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.”God speaks
In plain English: Then the word of Yahweh came to him: "This man will not be your heir. Someone who comes from your own body will be your heir."
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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 your offspring will be.”God speaks
In plain English: Yahweh took him outside and said, "Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can count them." Then he said to Abram, "Your offspring will be like that."
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6He believed in Yahweh, who credited it to him for righteousness.
In plain English: Abram believed (or trusted) Yahweh, and Yahweh counted it to him as righteousness (the Hebrew says only "he counted it", without a name).
The Hebrew words: "Believed" is aman: to be firm, to trust. The word "amen" comes from it. "Credited" is chashav: to count, to think of something as, to value.
How it is translated: For aman, this Bible says "believe" in 38 of its 102 verses and "faithful" in 19.
What changes: The Hebrew says "he counted it to him" and does not name who counted. This Bible reads it as Yahweh counting Abram's trust as righteousness. Some readers take it the other way: Abram counted Yahweh's promise as an act of God's righteousness.
Church tradition: Many churches teach from this verse that a person is made right with God through faith. and quote it, and so does , which sets it beside Abraham's actions. Genesis 15 says it about Abram trusting Yahweh's promise of offspring.
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7He said to Abram, “I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it.”God speaks
In plain English: He said to Abram, "I am Yahweh, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to own."
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8He said, “Lord Yahweh, how will I know that I will inherit it?”
In plain English: Abram said, "Lord Yahweh, how will I know that I will own it?"
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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.”God speaks
In plain English: He (Yahweh) said to him, "Bring me a three-year-old young cow, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."
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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.
In plain English: Abram brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half opposite the other. But he did not cut the birds in half.
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11The birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
In plain English: Birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
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12When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. Now terror and great darkness fell on him.
In plain English: As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram, and a terror and a great darkness came over him.
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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.God speaks
In plain English: He (Yahweh) said to Abram, "Know for sure that your offspring will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs. They will serve the people there and be mistreated by them, for 400 years.
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14I will also judge that nation, whom they will serve. Afterward they will come out with great wealth;God speaks
In plain English: I will also judge the nation they serve, and afterward they will come out with great wealth.
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15but you will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried at a good old age.God speaks
In plain English: As for you, you will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age.
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16In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.”God speaks
In plain English: In the fourth generation they will come back here, because the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure."
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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.
In plain English: When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking furnace (or fire-pot) and a flaming torch passed between the pieces.
Good to know: speaks of people making a covenant who "cut the calf in two and passed between its parts". Here only the smoking furnace and the flaming torch pass between the pieces. The text does not say that Abram passes between them.
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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:God speaks
In plain English: That day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram: "I have given this land to your offspring, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates:
The Hebrew words: "Made a covenant" is karat berit: word for word, "cut a covenant". It fits the animals cut in two in .
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19the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,God speaks
In plain English: the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,
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20the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,God speaks
In plain English: the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,
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21the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”God speaks
In plain English: the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."
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