the Week of Proper 22 / Ordinary 27
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Genesis 15:1
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After these things the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying,"Do not fear, Abram,I am a shield to you;Your reward shall be very great."
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great."
After these thynges, the worde of the Lorde came vnto Abram in a vision, saying: feare not Abram I am thy shielde [and] thy exceedyng great rewarde.
After all these things happened, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. God said, "Abram, don't be afraid. I will defend you and give you a great reward."
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great."
And so whanne these thingis weren don, the word of the Lord was maad to Abram bi a visioun, and seide, Abram, nyle thou drede, Y am thi defender, and thi meede is ful greet.
After these things, the word of the LORD came vnto Abram in a vision, saying; Feare not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
After 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.
It happened after these actes, yt the worde of ye LORDE came vnto Abra in a vysion, and sayde: Feare not Abram, I am thy shylde and thy exceadinge greate rewarde.
After all these things, this word of God came to Abram in a vision: "Don't be afraid, Abram. I'm your shield. Your reward will be grand!"
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great."
After 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.
After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Have no fear, Abram: I will keep you safe, and great will be your reward.
After these things the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying, Don't be afraid, Abram: I am your shield, [and] your exceeding great reward.
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I [am] thy shield, [and] thy exceeding great reward.
After these things the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Don't be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: "Fear not, Abram! I am your shield and the one who will reward you in great abundance."
Hebrews 11:8-10">[xr] After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."
Later the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision, "Abram, don't be afraid! I will protect you and reward you greatly."
Some 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."
After these things the word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram; I am thy shield, thy exceeding great reward.
After these things, the worde of the Lorde came vnto Abram in a vision, saying, Feare not, Abram, I am thy buckler, and thine exceeding great reward.
AFTER these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram; I am your shield, and your reward is exceedingly great.
After this, Abram had a vision and heard the Lord say to him, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I will shield you from danger and give you a great reward."
After these things the word of the LORD came to Avram in a vision, saying, "Don't be afraid, Avram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."
After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying: 'Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield, thy reward shall be exceeding great.'
Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, "Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great."
After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a special dream, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your safe place. Your reward will be very great."
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, "Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great."
And after these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I shield thee, thy reward shall be very great.
After 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.
After 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."
After these things, came the word of Yahweh unto Abram, in a vision saying, - Do not fear Abram, am a shield to thee, thine exceeding great reward.
Now when these things were done, the word of the Lord came to Abram by a vision, saying: Fear not, Abram, I am thy protector, and thy reward exceeding great.
After these things the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying: "Do not be afraid, Abram; I am your shield, and your reward shall be very great."
After these things the Word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision, saying, Do not fear, Abram; I am your shield, your reward will increase greatly.
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great."
After these things happened, the Lord spoke his word to Abram in a vision: "Abram, don't be afraid. I will defend you, and I will give you a great reward."
After these events, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield; your reward will be very great.
After these things hath the word of Jehovah been unto Abram in a vision, saying, `Fear not, Abram, I [am] a shield to thee, thy reward [is] exceeding great.'
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
am 2093, bc 1911
in: Genesis 46:2, Numbers 12:6, 1 Samuel 9:9, Ezekiel 1:1, Ezekiel 3:4, Ezekiel 11:24, Daniel 10:1-16, Acts 10:10-17, Acts 10:22, Hebrews 1:1
Fear: Genesis 15:14-16, Genesis 26:24, Genesis 46:3, Exodus 14:13, Deuteronomy 31:6, 1 Chronicles 28:20, Psalms 27:1, Isaiah 35:4, Isaiah 41:10, Isaiah 41:14, Isaiah 43:1, Isaiah 43:5, Isaiah 44:2, Isaiah 44:8, Isaiah 51:12, Daniel 10:12, Matthew 8:26, Matthew 10:28-31, Matthew 28:5, Luke 1:13, Luke 1:30, Luke 12:32, Revelation 1:17
thy shield: Deuteronomy 33:29, Psalms 3:3, Psalms 5:12, Psalms 18:2, Psalms 84:9, Psalms 84:11, Psalms 91:4, Psalms 119:114, Proverbs 30:5
and thy: Deuteronomy 33:26-29, Ruth 2:12, Psalms 16:5, Psalms 16:6, Psalms 58:11, Psalms 142:5, Proverbs 11:18, Lamentations 3:24, 1 Corinthians 3:22, Hebrews 13:5, Hebrews 13:6, Revelation 21:3, Revelation 21:4
Reciprocal: Genesis 18:1 - appeared Genesis 21:17 - fear Genesis 24:12 - O Lord Genesis 28:12 - he dreamed Genesis 28:13 - I am Exodus 3:12 - Certainly Exodus 3:18 - met Deuteronomy 18:2 - the Lord 1 Samuel 3:21 - appeared 1 Samuel 25:29 - bound 2 Samuel 2:7 - let your 2 Samuel 22:3 - shield 2 Samuel 22:36 - the shield 2 Kings 1:15 - be not afraid of him 2 Chronicles 15:7 - your work Job 1:10 - an hedge Job 22:25 - the Almighty Psalms 7:10 - My Psalms 28:7 - shield Psalms 89:18 - the Lord is Isaiah 51:2 - unto Abraham Jeremiah 30:10 - fear Jeremiah 39:17 - of whom Daniel 7:1 - visions Joel 2:21 - Fear Matthew 5:12 - for great John 10:35 - unto Acts 27:24 - Fear not Romans 8:31 - If 2 Corinthians 4:17 - far Galatians 4:7 - heir Ephesians 6:16 - the shield Colossians 3:24 - ye shall Hebrews 11:6 - a rewarder
Cross-References
After 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."
Abram said, "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?"
And Abram continued, "Since You have given no child to me, one (a servant) born in my house is my heir."
Then 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."
And 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."
Then Abram believed in (affirmed, trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the LORD; and He counted (credited) it to him as righteousness (doing right in regard to God and man).
So Abram brought all these to Him and cut them down the middle, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds.
"But on that nation whom your descendants will serve I will bring judgment, and afterward they will come out [of that land] with great possessions.
"Then in the fourth generation your descendants shall return here [to Canaan, the land of promise], for the wickedness and guilt of the Amorites is not yet complete (finished)."
When the sun had gone down and a [deep] darkness had come, there appeared a smoking brazier and a flaming torch which passed between the [divided] pieces [of the animals].
Gill's Notes on the Bible
After these things,.... The battle of the kings, the captivity of Lot, the rescue of him and his goods, and of those of Sodom and Gomorrah by Abram, and the conversation that passed between him, and the kings of Sodom and Salem:
the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision; Christ, the essential Word, appeared to Abram in an human form, visible to him, and with an articulate voice spoke unto him:
saying, as follows,
fear not, Abram; calling him by his name, the more to encourage him, and to dissipate his fears to which he was subject; which might be, lest the nations that belonged to the four kings he had conquered and slain should recruit their armies, and come against him with greater force; and the brethren and relations of those he had slain should avenge themselves on him, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem suggest; and therefore the Lord bids him not give way to those fears, for, adds he,
I [am] thy shield; to protect him against all his enemies, be they ever so strong and numerous; as Christ is the shield of his people against all their spiritual enemies, sin, Satan, and the world, which being held up in the hand of faith, called therefore the shield of faith, is a security against them:
[and] thy exceeding great reward; though he had generously refused taking any reward for the service he had done in pursuing the kings, and slaughtering them, and bringing back the persons and goods they had took away; yet he should be no loser by it, the Lord would reward him in a way of grace with greater and better things; nay, he himself would be his reward, and which must be a great one, an exceeding great one; as Christ is to his people in his person, offices, and grace, all being theirs, and he all in all to them; all the blessings of grace and glory coming along with him, and he being their portion here and hereafter, to all eternity; for since he is theirs, all are theirs, all things appertaining to life and godliness, and eternal life itself.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
- The Faith of Abram
1. ××ר daÌbaÌr, âa word, a thing;â the word being the sign of the thing.
2. ××× × 'aÌdonaÌy, âAdonai, the Lord;â related: âbring down, lay down.â This is the name usually read in place of Yahweh; but when, as in the present case, ×××× yehovaÌh and ××× × 'aÌdonaÌy are in apposition, ××××× 'eÌlohıÌym is read instead of the former. The Jews from a feeling of reverence avoided the utterance of this sacred name except on the most solemn occasions. This is said to have arisen from a stringent interpretation of Leviticus 24:16. According to some, this name was pronounced only once a year by the high priest, on the day of atonement, in the Holy of Holies, and according to others only in the solemn benedictions pronounced by the priests. At an earlier period, however, the name must have been freely used by the people, since it enters into the composition of proper names. Adon ××× 'aÌdoÌn in the singular and plural is used as a common name. ×ש×ק mesheq, âpossession,â ××Ö¾×ש×ק ben-mesheq, âpossessor.â This forms a paronomasia with ××ש×ק damesÌeq, which is for ××ש××§× damasÌqıÌy. ××××¢×ר âelıÌy'ezer, âEliezer, God of help, or mighty to help.â
19. ק×× × qeÌynıÌy, Kenite, patronymic of ק×× qayıÌn, Kain. ×§× ×× qenıÌzıÌy, Kenizzite, patronymic of ×§× × qenaz, Kenaz, âhunter.â ק××× × qademonıÌy, Kadmonite, âeastern, old.â
The events recorded in the preceding chapter manifest the sway of the new nature in Abram, and meet the approval of the Lord. This approval is exhibited in a heavenly visit to the patriarch, in which the Lord solemnly reiterates the promise of the seed and the land. Abram believes in the Lord, who thereupon enters into covenant with him.
Genesis 15:1-6
After these things, - - the victory, the blessing, and the self-denial recorded in the previous chapter. âThe word of the Lord,â manifesting himself by speech to his servant. âIn the visionâ the intelligent observer passes from the merely sensible to the supersensible sphere of reality. âFear not, Abram.â The patriarch had some reason to fear. The formidable allies had indeed been defeated, and the fruits of their marauding enterprise wrested from them. But they might resume their purpose, and return with an overwhelming force. And Abram was still a stranger in a foreign land, preoccupied by tribes of another race, who would combine against him as soon as they suspected him of being an intruder. But the Lord had stood by him and given him the victory, and now speaks to him in the language of encouragement. âI am thy shield, thy exceeding great reward.â The word I is separately expressed, and, therefore, emphatic in the original.
I, Jehovah (Yahweh), the Self-existent One, the Author of existence, the Performer of promise, the Manifester of myself to man, and not any creature however exalted. This was something beyond a seed, or a land, or any temporal thing. The Creator infinitely transcends the creature. The mind of Abram is here lifted up to the spiritual and the eternal. (1) thy shield. (2) thy exceeding great reward. Abram has two fears - the presence of evil, and the absence of good. Experience and conscience had begun to teach him that both of these were justly his doom. But Yahweh has chosen him, and here engages himself to stand between him and all harm, and himself to be to him all good. With such a shield from all evil, and such a source of all good, he need not be afraid. The Lord, we see, begins, as usual, with the immediate and the tangible; but he propounds a principle that reaches to the eternal and the spiritual. We have here the opening germ of the great doctrine of âthe Lord our righteousness,â redeeming us on the one hand from the sentence of death, and on the other to a title to eternal life.
Genesis 15:2-3
Notwithstanding the unbounded grandeur and preciousness of the promise, or rather assurance, now given, Abram is still childless and landless; and the Lord has made as yet no sign of action in regard to these objects of special promise. âLord Jehovah (Yahweh).â The name ××× × 'aÌdonaÌy is here for the first time used in the divine records. It denotes one who has authority; and, therefore, when applied to God, the Supreme Lord. Abram hereby acknowledges Yahweh as Supreme Judge and Governor, and therefore entitled to dispose of all matters concerning his present or prospective welfare. âWhat wilt thou give me?â Of what use will land or wealth be to me, the immediate reward specified by the promise? Eliezer of Damascus is master of my house. âTo me thou hast given no seed.â This was the present shield mentioned also in former words of promise. There is something strikingly human in all this. Abram is no enthusiast or fanatic. He fastens on the substantive blessings which the Lord had expressly named.
Genesis 15:4-5
The Lord reiterates the promise concerning the seed. As he had commanded him to view the land, and see in its dust the emblem of the multitude that would spring from him, so now, with a sublime simplicity of practical illustration, he brings him forth to contemplate the stars, and challenges him to tell their number, if he can; adding, âSo shall thy seed be.â He that made all these out of nothing, by the word of his power, is able to fulfill his promise, and multiply the seed of Abram and Sarai. Here, we perceive, the vision does not interfere with the notice of the sensible world, so far as is necessary Daniel 10:7; John 12:29.
Genesis 15:6
And Abram believed in the Lord. - Thus, at length, after many throes of labor, has come to the birth in the breast of Abram âfaith in Yahweh,â on his simple promise in the absence of all present performance, and in the face of all sensible hinderance. The command to go to the land which the Lord would show him, accompanied with the promise to make of him a great nation, had awakened in him a certain expectation; which, however, waited for some performance to ripen it into faith. But waiting in a state of suspense is not faith, but doubt; and faith after performance is not faith, but sight. The second and third renewal of the promise, while performance was still unseen in the distance, was calculated to slay the expectancy that still paused for realization, to give it the vitality of a settled consent and acquiescence in the faithfulness of God, and mature it into conviction and confession.
What was there now, then, to call forth Abramâs faith more than at the first promise? There was the reiteration of the promise. There was the withholding of the performance, leaving room for the exercise of pure faith. There was time to train the mind to this unaccustomed idea and determination. And, lastly, there was the sublime assurance conveyed in the sentence, âI am thy shield, thy exceeding great reward,â transcending all the limits of time and place, comprehending alike the present and the eternal, the earthly and the heavenly. This, coupled with all the recorded and unrecorded dealings of the Lord, leads him to conceive the nobler feeling of faith in the Promiser, antecedent to any part of the execution, any unfolding of the plan, or any removal of the obvious difficulty. The moment of deliverance draws nigh, when Abram at length ventures to open his mouth and lay bare, in articulate utterance, the utmost questionings of his soul before the Lord. And then, in due time is effected the birth of faith; not by commencing the accomplishment of the promise, but by the explicit reassertion of its several parts, in the light of that grand assurance which covers it in its narrowest and in its most expanded forms. Thus, faith springs solely from the seed of promise. And from that moment there stands up and grows within the breast of man the right frame of mind toward the God of mercy - the germ of a mutual good understanding between God and man which will spread its roots and branches through the whole soul, to the exclusion of every noxious plant, and blossom forth unto the blessed fruit of all holy feelings and doings.
And he counted it to him for righteousness. - First. From this confessedly weighty sentence we learn, implicitly, that Abram had no righteousness. And if he had not, no man had. We have seen enough of Abram to know this on other grounds. And here the universal fact of manâs depravity comes out into incidental notice, as a thing usually taken for granted, in the words of God. Second. Righteousness is here imputed to Abram. Hence, mercy and grace are extended to him; mercy taking effect in the pardon of his sin, and grace in bestowing the rewards of righteousness. Third. That in him which is counted for righteousness is faith in Yahweh promising mercy. In the absence of righteousness, this is the only thing in the sinner that can be counted for righteousness. First, it is not of the nature of righteousness. If it were actual righteousness, it could not be counted as such. But believing God, who promises blessing to the undeserving, is essentially different from obeying God, who guarantees blessing to the deserving. Hence, it has a negative fitness to be counted for what it is not. Secondly, it is trust in him who engages to bless in a holy and lawful way. Hence, it is that in the sinner which brings him into conformity with the law through another who undertakes to satisfy its demands and secure its rewards for him. Thus, it is the only thing in the sinner which, while it is not righteousness, has yet a claim to be counted for such, because it brings him into union with one who is just and having salvation.
It is not material what the Almighty and All-gracious promises in the first instance to him that believes in him, whether it be a land, or a seed, or any other blessing. All other blessing, temporal or eternal, will flow out of that express one, in a perpetual course of development, as the believer advances in experience, in compass of intellect, and capacity of enjoyment. Hence, it is that a land involves a better land, a seed a nobler seed, a temporal an eternal good. The patriarchs were children to us in the comprehension of the love of God: we are children to those who will hereafter experience still grander manifestations of what God has prepared for them that love him. The shield and exceeding great reward await a yet inconceivable enlargement of meaning.
Genesis 15:7-21
The Lord next confirms and explains the promise of âthe landâ to Abram. When God announces himself as Yahweh, who purposed to give him the land, Abram asks, Whereby âshall I know that I shall possess it?â He appears to expect some intimation as to the time and mode of entering upon possession. The Lord now directs him to make ready the things requisite for entering into a formal covenant regarding the land. These include all the kinds of animals afterward used in sacrifice. The number three is sacred, and denotes the perfection of the victim in point of maturity. The division of the animals refers to the covenant between two parties, who participate in the rights which it guarantees. The birds are two without being divided. âAbram drove them away.â As the animals slain and divided represent the only mean and way through which the two parties can meet in a covenant of peace, they must be preserved pure and unmutilated for the end they have to serve.
Genesis 15:12-17
And the sun was about to set. - This visit of the Lord to Abram continues for two nights, with the intervening day. In the former night he led him forth to view the stars Genesis 15:5. The second night sets in with the consummation of the covenant Genesis 15:17. The revelation comes to Abram in a trance of deep sleep. The Lord releases the mind from attention to the communications of sense in order to engage it with higher things. And he who makes the loftier revelation can enable the recipient to distinguish the voice of heaven from the play of fancy.
Genesis 15:13-15
Know, know thou. - Know certainly. This responds to Abramâs question, Whereby shall I know? Genesis 15:8. Four hundred years are to elapse before the seed of Abram shall actually proceed to take possession of the land. This interval can only commence when the seed is born; that is, at the birth of Isaac, when Abram was a hundred years of age and therefore thirty years after the call. During this interval they are to be, âfirst, strangers in a land not theirsâ for one hundred and ninety years; and then for the remaining two hundred and ten years in Egypt: at first, servants, with considerable privilege and position; and at last, afflicted serfs, under a hard and cruel bondage. At the end of this period Pharaoh and his nation were visited with a succession of tremendous judgments, and Israel went out free from bondage âwith great wealthâ Exo. 12â14. âGo to thy fathers.â This implies that the fathers, though dead, still exist. To go from one place to another implies, not annihilation, but the continuance of existence. The doctrine of the soulâs perpetual existence is here intimated. Abram died in peace and happiness, one hundred and fifteen years before the descent into Egypt.
Genesis 15:16
In the fourth age. - An age here means the average period from the birth to the death of one man. This use of the word is proved by Numbers 32:13 - âHe made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was consumed.â This age or generation ran parallel with the life of Moses, and therefore consisted of one hundred and twenty years. Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. Four such generations amount to four hundred and eighty or four hundred and forty years. From the birth of Isaac to the return to the land of promise was an interval of four hundred and forty years. Isaac, Levi, Amram, and Eleazar may represent the four ages.
For the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full. - From this simple sentence we have much to learn. First. The Lord foreknows the moral character of people. Second. In his providence he administers the affairs of nations on the principle of moral rectitude. Third. Nations are spared until their iniquity is full. Fourth. They are then cut off in retributive justice. Fifth. The Amorite was to be the chief nation extirpated for its iniquity on the return of the seed of Abram. Accordingly, we find the Amorites occupying by conquest the country east of the Jordan, from the Arnon to Mount Hermon, under their two kings, Sihon and Og Numbers 21:21-35. On the west of Jordan we have already met them at En-gedi and Hebron, and they dwelt in the mountains of Judah and Ephraim Numbers 13:29, whence they seem to have crossed the Jordan for conquest Numbers 21:26. Thus had they of all the tribes that overspread the land by far the largest extent of territory. And they seem to have been extinguished as a nation by the invasion of Israel, as we hear no more of them in the subsequent history of the country.
Genesis 15:17
And the sun went down. - The light of day is gone. The covenant is now formally concluded. Abram had risen to the height of faith in the God of promise. He is come into the position of the father of the faithful. He is therefore qualified for entering into this solemn compact. This covenant has a uniqueness which distinguishes it from that with Noah. It refers to a patriarch and his seed chosen out of a coexisting race. It is not, however, subversive of the ancient and general covenant, but only a special measure for overcoming the legal and moral difficulties in the way, and ultimately bringing its comprehensive provisions into effect. It refers to the land of promise, which is not only a reality, but a type and an earnest of all analogous blessings.
The oven of smoke and lamp of flame symbolize the smoke of destruction and the light of salvation. Their passing through the pieces of the victims and probably consuming them as an accepted sacrifice are the ratification of the covenant on the part of God, as the dividing and presenting of them were on the part of Abram. The propitiatory foundation of the covenant here comes into view, and connects Abram with Habel and Noah, the primeval confessors of the necessity of an atonement.
Genesis 15:18-21
In that instant the covenant was solemnly completed. Its primary form of benefit is the grant of the promised land with the extensive boundaries of the river of Egypt and the Euphrates. The former seems to be the Nile with its banks which constitute Egypt, as the Phrat with its banks describes the land of the East, with which countries the promised land was conterminous.
Genesis 15:19-21
The ten principal nations inhabiting this area are here enumerated. Of these five are Kenaanite, and the other five probably not. The first three are new to us, and seem to occupy the extremities of the region here defined. The Kenite dwelt in the country bordering on Egypt and south of Palestine, in which the Amalekites also are found Numbers 24:20-22; 1 Samuel 15:6. They dwelt among the Midianites, as Hobab was both a Midianite and a Kenite Numbers 10:29; Judges 1:16; Judges 4:11. They were friendly to the Israelites, and hence some of them followed their fortunes and settled in their land 1 Chronicles 2:55. The Kenizzite dwelt apparently in the same region, having affinity with the Horites, and subsequently with Edom and Israel Genesis 36:11, Genesis 36:20-23; Joshua 15:17; 1 Chronicles 2:50-52. The Kadmonite seems to be the Eastern, and, therefore, to hold the other extreme boundary of the promised land, toward Tadmor and the Phrat. These three tribes were probably related to Abram, and, therefore, descendants of Shem. The other seven tribes have already come under our notice.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER XV
God appears to Abram in a vision, and gives him great
encouragement, 1.
Abram's request and complaint, 2, 3.
God promises him a son, 4;
and an exceedingly numerous posterity, 5.
Abram credits the promise, and his faith is counted unto
him for righteousness, 6.
Jehovah proclaims himself, and renews the promise of Canaan
to his posterity, 7.
Abram requires a sign of its fulfilment, 8.
Jehovah directs him to offer a sacrifice of five different
animals, 9;
which he accordingly does, 10, 11.
God reveals to him the affliction of his posterity in
Egypt, and the duration of that affliction, 12, 13.
Promises to bring them back to the land of Canaan with
great affluence, 14-16.
Renews the covenant with Abram, and mentions the
possessions which should be given to his posterity, 18-21.
NOTES ON CHAP. XV
Verse Genesis 15:1. The word of the Lord came unto Abram — This is the first place where God is represented as revealing himself by his word. Some learned men suppose that the ××ר ×××× debar Yehovah, translated here word of the Lord, means the same with the Î»Î¿Î³Î¿Ï ÏÎ¿Ï ÎÎµÎ¿Ï of St. John, John 1:1, and, by the Chaldee paraphrases in the next clause, called ××××¨× meimeri, "my word," and in other places ××××¨× ××× meimera daiya, the word of Yeya, a contraction for Jehovah, which they appear always to consider as a person; and which they distinguish from פת××× pithgama, which signifies merely a word spoken, or any part of speech. There have been various conjectures concerning the manner in which God revealed his will, not only to the patriarchs, but also to the prophets, evangelists, and apostles. It seems to have been done in different ways.
1. By a personal appearance of him who was afterwards incarnated for the salvation of mankind.
2. By an audible voice, sometimes accompanied with emblematical appearances.
3. By visions which took place either in the night in ordinary sleep, or when the persons were cast into a temporary trance by daylight, or when about their ordinary business,
4. By the ministry of angels appearing in human bodies, and performing certain miracles to accredit their mission.
5. By the powerful agency of the Spirit of God upon the mind, giving it a strong conception and supernatural persuasion of the truth of the things perceived by the understanding.
We shall see all these exemplified in the course of the work. It was probably in the third sense that the revelation in the text was given; for it is said, God appeared to Abram in a vision, ×××× machazeh, from ××× chazah, to see, or according to others, to fix, fasten, settle; hence chozeh, a SEER, the person who sees Divine things, to whom alone they are revealed, on whose mind they are fastened, and in whose memory and judgment they are fixed and settled. Hence the vision which was mentally perceived, and, by the evidence to the soul of its Divine origin, fixed and settled in the mind.
Fear not — The late Dr. Dodd has a good thought on this passage; "I would read, says he, "the second verse in a parenthesis, thus: For Abram HAD said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, c. Abram had said this in the fear of his heart, upon which the Lord vouchsafed to him this prophetical view, and this strong renovation of the covenant. In this light all follows very properly. Abram had said so and so in Genesis 15:2, upon which God appears and says, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. The patriarch then, Genesis 15:3, freely opens the anxious apprehension of his heart, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed, &c., upon which God proceeds to assure him of posterity."
I am thy shield, &c. — Can it be supposed that Abram understood these words as promising him temporal advantages at all corresponding to the magnificence of these promises? If he did he was disappointed through the whole course of his life, for he never enjoyed such a state of worldly prosperity as could justify the strong language in the text. Shall we lose sight of Abram, and say that his posterity was intended, and Abram understood the promises as relating to them, and not to himself or immediately to his own family? Then the question recurs, Did the Israelites ever enjoy such a state of temporal affluence as seems to be intended by the above promise? To this every man acquainted with their history will, without hesitation, say, No. What then is intended? Just what the words state. GOD was Abram's portion, and he is the portion of every righteous soul for to Abram, and the children of his faith, he gives not a portion in this life. Nothing, says Father Calmet, proves more invincibly the immortality of the soul, the truth of religion, and the eternity of another life, than to see that in this life the righteous seldom receive the reward of their virtue, and that in temporal things they are often less happy than the workers of iniquity.
I am, says the Almighty, thy shield - thy constant covering and protector, and thy exceeding great reward, ש××¨× ×ר×× ××× sekarcha harbeh meod, "THAT superlatively multiplied reward of thine." It is not the Canaan I promise, but the salvation that is to come through the promised seed. Hence it was that Abram rejoiced to see his day. And hence the Chaldee Targum translates this place, My WORD shall be thy strength, &c.
