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Genesis 15

World English Bible

WEB

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.” 2Abram said, “Lord Yahweh, what will you give me, since I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3Abram said, “Behold, you have given no children to me: and, behold, one born in my house is my heir.” 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.” 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.” 6He believed in Yahweh, who credited it to him for righteousness. 7He said to Abram, “I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it.” 8He said, “Lord Yahweh, how will I know that I will inherit 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.” 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. 11The birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. 12When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. Now terror and great darkness fell on him. 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. 14I will also judge that nation, whom they will serve. Afterward they will come out with great wealth; 15but you will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried at a good old age. 16In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.” 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. 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: 19the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”

World English Bible, 2020 stable text edition. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org. eBible.org

Overview

Genesis Chapter 15 is a pivotal moment in the life of Abram, later known as Abraham, as it marks a significant deepening of God's covenant with him. The chapter begins with God reassuring Abram in a vision, telling him not to be afraid, for He is Abram's shield and great reward. Abram expresses his concern about being childless and questions how God's promises can be fulfilled without an heir. God responds by taking Abram outside and instructing him to look at the stars, declaring that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky. This promise emphasizes God's power and faithfulness, reinforcing the theme of #covenant throughout the narrative. Abram's belief in God's promise is counted to him as righteousness, establishing a foundational principle of faith that resonates throughout the Scriptures (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3).

The chapter continues with God making a formal covenant with Abram, outlining the future of his descendants. God reveals that Abram's offspring will be strangers in a foreign land, enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years, but He assures Abram that He will judge the nation that enslaves them and that they will ultimately return to the land of Canaan. This prophecy not only foreshadows the Israelites' future in Egypt but also highlights God's sovereignty and plan for redemption. The chapter concludes with God establishing the boundaries of the land that will belong to Abram's descendants, further solidifying the promise of land, nation, and blessing. This covenant is a crucial moment in biblical history, setting the stage for the unfolding of God's redemptive plan through the nation of Israel. #Abram #Covenant #Faith

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Referenced by

  1. Genesis 13:16v5In Genesis 13:16, God promises Abram that his descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth. This promise is further expanded in Genesis 15:5, where God compares Abram's descendants to the stars in the sky, highlighting the vastness of God's blessing.
  2. Genesis 26:4v5In Genesis 26:4, God reiterates the promise of numerous descendants to Isaac, echoing the promise made to Abraham in Genesis 15:5 about his offspring being as numerous as the stars.
  3. Genesis 46:2v1In Genesis 46:2, God speaks to Jacob in visions of the night, similar to how God appeared to Abram in a vision in Genesis 15:1, reaffirming His covenant and guidance.
  4. Exodus 2:24v13Exodus 2:24 describes God hearing the groaning of the Israelites and remembering His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Genesis 15:13-14 records God's promise to Abraham about the future enslavement and eventual deliverance of his descendants.
  5. Exodus 6:8v18Exodus 6:8 refers to the promise of the land to the Israelites, which is a fulfillment of the covenant made with Abraham in Genesis 15:18.
  6. Numbers 34:2v18Numbers 34:2 outlines the boundaries of the land that the Israelites are to inherit, which is a fulfillment of the promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 15:18 regarding the land from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates.
  7. Joshua 11:23v18Joshua 11:23 concludes with the land being taken as God had promised to Moses, fulfilling the covenant God made with Abraham in Genesis 15:18-21. This highlights the fulfillment of God's promises and the faithfulness of God to His covenant.
  8. Joshua 14:14v18Joshua 14:14 states that Hebron became Caleb's inheritance, fulfilling part of the land promise made to Abraham in Genesis 15:18-21, where God outlines the land to be given to his descendants.
  9. 1 Chronicles 27:23v51 Chronicles 27:23 notes that David did not count those under twenty years of age because the Lord had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars, echoing the promise made to Abraham in Genesis 15:5.
  10. Psalms 3:3v1Psalm 3:3 describes God as a shield, a metaphor also used in Genesis 15:1 where God tells Abram that He is his shield, emphasizing God's protection and defense for His people.
  11. Jeremiah 33:22v5Jeremiah 33:22 promises the multiplication of the descendants of David and the Levites, echoing God's promise to Abraham in Genesis 15:5 about his descendants being as numerous as the stars.
  12. Ezekiel 47:13v18Ezekiel 47:13 outlines the borders of the land for the twelve tribes of Israel, reflecting the promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 15:18 regarding the land his descendants would inherit.
  13. Romans 4:3v6Romans 4:3 cites Genesis 15:6 to illustrate that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness, emphasizing justification by faith.
  14. Romans 4:18v5Romans 4:18 speaks of Abraham's hope against hope, believing God's promise of numerous descendants, as initially promised in Genesis 15:5.
  15. Galatians 3:6v6Galatians 3:6 references Genesis 15:6 to illustrate that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness, emphasizing the principle of justification by faith.
  16. James 2:23v6James 2:23 cites Abraham's faith being credited as righteousness, referencing Genesis 15:6, where Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. This illustrates the harmony of faith and works in Abraham's life.

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