2 And Abram H87 said, H559 Lord H136 GOD, H3069 what wilt thou give H5414 me, seeing I go H1980 childless, H6185 and the steward H1121 H4943 of my house H1004 is this H1931 Eliezer H461 of Damascus? H1834
Now the LORD H3068 had said H559 unto Abram, H87 Get thee out H3212 of thy country, H776 and from thy kindred, H4138 and from thy father's H1 house, H1004 unto a land H776 that I will shew H7200 thee: And I will make of thee H6213 a great H1419 nation, H1471 and I will bless H1288 thee, and make H1431 thy name H8034 great; H1431 and thou shalt be a blessing: H1293 And I will bless H1288 them that bless H1288 thee, and curse H779 him that curseth H7043 thee: and in thee shall all families H4940 of the earth H127 be blessed. H1288
And when Rachel H7354 saw H7200 that she bare H3205 Jacob H3290 no children, Rachel H7354 envied H7065 her sister; H269 and said H559 unto Jacob, H3290 Give H3051 me children, H1121 or else H369 I die. H4191 And Jacob's H3290 anger H639 was kindled H2734 against Rachel: H7354 and he said, H559 Am I in God's H430 stead, who hath withheld H4513 from thee the fruit H6529 of the womb? H990
And Joseph H3130 found H4672 grace H2580 in his sight, H5869 and he served H8334 him: and he made him overseer H6485 over his house, H1004 and all that he had H3426 he put H5414 into his hand. H3027 And it came to pass from the time H227 that he had made him overseer H6485 in his house, H1004 and over all that he had, H3426 that the LORD H3068 blessed H1288 the Egyptian's H4713 house H1004 for Joseph's H3130 sake; H1558 and the blessing H1293 of the LORD H3068 was upon all that he had H3426 in the house, H1004 and in the field. H7704 And he left H5800 all that he had in Joseph's H3130 hand; H3027 and he knew H3045 not ought H3972 he had, save H518 the bread H3899 which he did eat. H398 And Joseph H3130 was a goodly H8389 person, and well H3303 favoured. H4758
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 15
Commentary on Genesis 15 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 15
Ge 15:1-21. Divine Encouragement.
1. After these things—the conquest of the invading kings.
the word of the Lord—a phrase used, when connected with a vision, to denote a prophetic message.
Fear not, Abram—When the excitement of the enterprise was over, he had become a prey to despondency and terror at the probable revenge that might be meditated against him. To dispel his fear, he was favored with this gracious announcement. Having such a promise, how well did it become him (and all God's people who have the same promise) to dismiss fears, and cast all burdens on the Lord (Ps 27:3).
2. Lord God, what wilt thou give?—To his mind the declaration, "I am thy exceeding great reward" [Ge 15:1], had but one meaning, or was viewed but in one particular light, as bearing on the fulfilment of the promise, and he was still experiencing the sickness of hope deferred.
3. Eliezer of Damascus … one born in my house is mine heir—According to the usage of nomadic tribes, his chief confidential servant, would be heir to his possessions and honors. But this man could have become his son only by adoption; and how sadly would that have come short of the parental hopes he had been encouraged to entertain! His language betrayed a latent spirit of fretfulness or perhaps a temporary failure in the very virtue for which he is so renowned—and absolute submission to God's time, as well as way, of accomplishing His promise.
4. This shall not be thine heir—To the first part of his address no reply was given; but having renewed it in a spirit of more becoming submission, "whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it" [Ge 15:8], he was delighted by a most explicit promise of Canaan, which was immediately confirmed by a remarkable ceremony.
9-21. Take me an heifer, &c.—On occasions of great importance, when two or more parties join in a compact, they either observe precisely the same rites as Abram did, or, where they do not, they invoke the lamp as their witness. According to these ideas, which have been from time immemorial engraven on the minds of Eastern people, the Lord Himself condescended to enter into covenant with Abram. The patriarch did not pass between the sacrifice and the reason was that in this transaction he was bound to nothing. He asked a sign, and God was pleased to give him a sign, by which, according to Eastern ideas, He bound Himself. In like manner God has entered into covenant with us; and in the glory of the only-begotten Son, who passed through between God and us, all who believe have, like Abram, a sign or pledge in the gift of the Spirit, whereby they may know that they shall inherit the heavenly Canaan.