Produced by TheMediaDesk, ©2025
Posted on CCPC's website 2025
A quote for this one would be.....
"And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness."
verse 6 (NKJV) link below
This one begins with an interesting statement, and it is one we haven't seen in this context before in Genesis. And there are several interesting parts to it, which we will examine in the verse. But remember, GOD has spoken to various figures before, and that is how the event is always identified. In fact, HE has spoken to Abram before, but not like this. And when you consider the long range forecast of exactly what is being promised, the WHO is speaking becomes even more intriguing. Again, we'll look at the entire statement in Historical Context with Abram, and through our own lens thousands of years later, as we go. OK?
So, shall we dig into it?
1.
"After these things, came...."
We have no idea how much time has passed after the events of chapter 14 this passage is talking about. It reads like this current episode happened the morning after Abram got home from his lunch with the King of Salem. But we do not know. And, on the whole, if it was a week later, or months later, it doesn't matter.
... "hayah" (came / came to be (primary state of existence as seen in Genesis 1:2 (same word is used in Exodus 3 : 14))) the "dabar" (declaration / cause / meaning in form of words) of YHWH to Abram in a "machazeh" (vision / visible / to behold or see (this is the first use of this word in the OT)) "amar" (saying / said / etc), "'al" (do not / nothing / 'adverb of negation') "yare'" (fear / afraid / terror) 'Abram...
Whoever is speaking to Abram is reassuring him that Abe has nothing to fear. This is unusual because GOD has spoken directly to him before and he should be somewhat familiar with Him by now, which we'll look at again in a moment. But this time is different. Also, it is reported as being a vision, but exactly what Abram sees is not recorded.
.... "anoki" (I 'first person singular') "magen / meginnah" (shield / protection (is also used to refer to the hide of a crocodile)), to you "sakar" (wages / reward / payment / etc) "rabah" (multiply / increase / etc (last seen after the flood)) "meod" (great / much / exceedingly (see Gen 1: 31 and 7: 18))
We're going to take this discussion apart a little bit as we go.
The last time YHWH spoke to Abram directly was in chapter 13 verse 14. In that verse GOD spoke directly to Abram, and told him to 'look around'. It wasn't a vision, Abram checked out the scenery and then moved up to the trees that named his descendants.
However, as we'll see in a minute, nothing new has been added to the promise that Abe will have descendants beyond count, which Abram points out to YHWH in the next couple of verses. Which is yet another foreshadowing of Issac.
2 and 3.
Paraphrase: Abe tells The Almighty that he has no son and his heir is some guy from Damascus.
4.
And "hinneh" (behold, see here, lo, etc) "dabar" (the Word) comes to Abram saying "lo" (not) your heir 'this one', but "asher" (which) will come "meeh" (bowels / insides) of your body, 'and he shall be your heir'.
The promise is explicit. Abram's heir will be his own son (child).
However, and this is crucial, at this point, Sarai is not involved in the discussion.
5.
Paraphrase: Abe is told to count the stars outside.
6.
And Abram "aman" (believed / trusted / etc) YHWH, and GOD "chasshab" (considered / accounted / reckoned) to him "tsedaqah" (righteousness / rightness / justice (same ancient root as 'sedeq' in name portion of Melchizedek)).
7.
Paraphrase: YHWH reminds Abram who He is and what has already happened and the land that he sees will be his.
8.
Paraphrase: Abram asks for a sign to confirm the promise.
9.
Paraphrase: God tells Abram to bring Him a three year old unbred cow, a three year old female goat, and a three year old male goat (the goats are not specified as having not been bred), a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
10 and 11.
Abram makes the shopping run, then he butchers the mammals but not the birds.
The "ayit" (vultures / and other birds of prey) came down to the carcasses and Abram chased them off.
12.
after sundown Abe falls asleep -
The term here "tardemah" was last seen in chapter two when Adam takes a nap. It implies a great deal more than just a normal sleep, and includes the idea of a state of being in a trance.
.... "hinneh" (behold / lo / etc) "emah" (terror / dread / horror / etc (deeper than fear, the word that was used in verse 1)) and "chashekah" (darkness (includes the idea of misery, which is NOT the darkness from Genesis 1 : 2.)) "gadol" (great / large / mighty) "naphal" (fell / came upon (same word used for Adam's sleep)) overwhelmed him.
The text goes to great lengths to point out that Father Abram didn't simply nod off and wake up with 'a bad feeling about this'. This is not a normal sleep, and not the usual 'bad feeling', and most certainly not a 'dark mood', and we find out in a bit that it wasn't fully nighttime yet!
13.
Analysis: It is YWHW speaking to Abram. The words "surely know" are correctly translated as a form of the the term "yada" is repeated to emphasize what is being said as a certainty. The statement that Abram's descendants will be a "ger" (sojourner / stranger) should sound familiar, as that's what he's been doing for the last several years, but, the part about them being "abad" (workers (includes: servant (used to describe Adam's relationship to The Garden in 2 : 5 and 15))) is new. It contains the added attraction of "anah" (oppression / mistreated / etc) for four hundred years.
14.
Analysis: The statement that GOD will judge the nation they serve is in the text, although how that judgment will be carried out is not stated. Also clearly stated is the fact that Abram's descendants will 'come out afterward', with "rekush" (possessions) "gadol" (great / mighty / etc).
15.
Paraphrase: GOD tells Abe that he'll be at peace and "go to his fathers" at a good old age.
16.
But the "dor" (generation(s) / time / etc) "rebii" (fourth), they will return "hennah" (here / hither), "ki" (for / indeed / surely / because...) "lo" (not / no) "shalem" (whole / complete / full / etc) "avon" (guilt / iniquity / sin / perversity / evil) Emori / Amorite "ad" (during / while / until / up to) "hennah" (here / hither).
OK.... with this one it seems GOD is saying that, eventually, Abram's people will come back because, by then, GOD will have had it with the Amorite's 'up to here'.
17.
and it came to pass when it was fully dark.....
"hinneh" (behold / lo / see here) 'appeared' a "tannur" (furnace / oven / fire pot / etc (the word is different in Daniel 3 where the king's furnace is "attun" which is also translated 'fireplace') this one is 'a place to cook with fire') "ashan" (smoke / smoking) and a "lappid" (torch) "esh" (fire) that "abar" (passed through / cross over) the pieces.
Note: there is no record in the text that ANY of the meat was consumed by fire in the vision.
18.
On that "yom" (day) made YHWH with Abram a "berith" (covenant / treaty (the root word is to cut flesh, such as a 'blood oath')) saying, to your "zara" (seed / offspring) I "nathan" (give / put / place) this "erets" (land / country) from "nahar" (river / stream) "Mitsrayim" (Egypt) to "nahar" (river) "gadol" (great) the "nahar" Perath / Euphrates.
19 and 20.
Commentary: these two verses are simply a rundown of everybody that lived in the land between the Nile and the Euphrates. Some we've come across before, and some we haven't, and a few, such as the "Qadmoni / Kadmonite" we have no idea who they were, and the name is no help. With that one, this is the only use of the word in the OT, it means "eastern / ancient" and doesn't give much assistance with identifying the people.
One name from the list is of some interest historically. The Hittite Empire began in modern Turkey and extended down into the Biblical region. At one time even rivaling Egypt for power and influence. It is through an inscription at the site of the battle of Kedesh in the spring of 1274 BC between Pharaoh Ramesses II and the Hittite King Muwatalli II in what is today the area between Syria and Lebanon. The two great armies, between them there may have been over 6,000 chariots, and perhaps 50,000 or more on foot, was indecisive, but it stopped, for a time, the northern expansion of Egypt and the southern movement of the Hittites.
The result is considered one of the earliest surviving documents of a peace treaty between rival powers, and is on display in the Archaeology Museum in Istanbul. Other surviving documents, such as the Armana letters and the Egyptian poem about the battle show the history from the time in sometimes more colorful detail. See links below.
end 15
Selected resources for this chapter:
The New King James Version https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2015&version=NKJV
The Geneva Bible http://www.genevabible.org/geneva.html
The Egyptian - Hittite Treaty Museum Exhibit https://turkishmuseums.com/blog/detail/do-you-know-worlds-first-international-peace-treaty/10040/4
Photos and a article as a PDF. https://media.australian.museum/media/dd/documents/New_Kingdom_Egypt_Amenhotep_III_to_the_Death_of_Ramesses_II_-_Activity_seven.cec8bcf.pdf
The Battle of Kadesh, led by Ramesses II https://pharaoh.se/ancient-egypt/battle-of-kadesh/
With several interesting images of the inscriptions.
The Genesis Study Index Page
NOTE: The Bible Study Lesson presented above is posted as a reference document to begin a conversation of the topic. And that's it. Please accept it at such.
http://centralparkchurchofchrist.org
With the assistance and cooperation of The Media Desk.