God’s Covenant with Abram
Genesis 15:1-21
Gen.15.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אחר: ADJ,m,sg
- הדברים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- האלה: DEM,m,pl
- היה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- דבר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: PREP
- אברם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- במחזה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לאמר: PREP+VERB,qal,inf
- אל: PREP
- תירא: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- אברם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אנכי: PRON,1,_,sg
- מגן: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- לך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- שכרך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- הרבה: ADV
- מאד: ADV
Parallels
- Gen.12:2-3 (structural): Earlier promise to Abram that he will become a great nation and be greatly blessed; connects to Genesis 15:1's assurance about Abram’s reward and blessing.
- Isaiah 41:10 (thematic): Contains the same consolation motif—'Fear not' and God's present help/assurance—paralleling 'Do not be afraid... I am your shield.'
- Psalm 3:3 (verbal): Uses the explicit image 'The LORD is a shield about him,' echoing the shield metaphor in 'I am your shield.'
- Psalm 91:4 (verbal): Speaks of God covering and protecting—'his faithfulness is a shield'—similar protective language and imagery as in Genesis 15:1.
- Hebrews 11:8-12 (allusion): New Testament reflection on Abraham’s faith and God’s promises; alludes to the same revelatory promises and their ultimate fulfillment referenced in Genesis 15.
Alternative generated candidates
- 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 Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying: Do not fear, Abram; I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.
Gen.15.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- אברם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,poss1
- יהוה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מה: PRON,interrog
- תתן: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- ואנכי: CONJ+PRON,1,sg
- הולך: VERB,qal,ptc,ms
- ערירי: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- ובן: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- משק: NOUN,m,sg,const
- ביתי: NOUN,m,sg,poss1
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- דמשק: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אליעזר: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 15:4-5 (structural): Immediate context: God answers Abram’s complaint by promising an heir from his own body and picturing descendants like the stars — a direct continuation of the concern about being childless and about Eliezer as heir.
- Genesis 12:2-3 (thematic): The initial promise that Abram’s offspring will be numerous and blessed the nations; sets up the tension in 15:2 between God’s promise and Abram’s present childlessness.
- Genesis 16:1-4 (thematic): Sarai gives Hagar to Abram and Hagar bears Ishmael, who functions as a household-born son/possible heir — a narrative instance of Abram lacking a natural heir and relying on a servant’s child.
- Genesis 17:17-19 (thematic): Abraham’s astonished reaction to God’s promise of a son through Sarah and God’s clarification that the heir will be Isaac, distinguishing the promised seed from household servants like Eliezer.
- Romans 4:18-21 (allusion): Paul cites Abraham’s confident hope for descendants despite being childless as the paradigm of faith; he treats the episode in Genesis as foundational for believing God’s promise of an heir.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Abram said, O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the steward of my household is Eliezer of Damascus?
- And Abram said, My Lord Yahweh, what will you give me, for I am going childless, and the steward of my household is Eliezer of Damascus?
Gen.15.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- אברם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הן: PRT
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- לא: PART,neg
- נתתה: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- זרע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והנה: CONJ+INTJ
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ביתי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+1,sg
- יורש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אתי: PRON,acc,1,sg
Parallels
- Gen.15:4 (quotation): Immediate response to Abram's complaint: God declares that the heir will not be the household slave but a son from Abram's own body.
- Gen.16:1-2, 16:15 (thematic): Sarai gives her maid Hagar to Abram so that a child (Ishmael) is born to the household—this episode explains the 'son of my house' Abram fears will inherit him.
- Gen.17:18-21 (verbal): Abraham again raises the question about Ishmael as heir; God reiterates the covenant promise that Isaac (the son of promise) will be the true heir, distinguishing him from the slave-born son.
- Gal.4:22-31 (allusion): Paul uses the story of Hagar and Sarah as an allegory contrasting the slave-born child and the child of promise—echoing the tension between a household-born heir and the promised offspring.
- Heb.11:11-12 (thematic): The author cites the miraculous fulfillment of the promise to Abraham and Sarah—God giving descendants despite barrenness—linking to the issue of Abram's lack of an heir and the promised seed.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Abram said, Look, to me you have not given seed; and look, one of my household will be my heir.
- And Abram said, Look, you have not given me seed, and look, a son of my household is to be my heir.
Gen.15.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והנה: CONJ+INTJ
- דבר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- לאמר: PREP+VERB,qal,inf
- לא: PART,neg
- יירשך: VERB,qal,imprf,3,m,sg
- זה: PRON,dem,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- אם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- יצא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ממעיך: PREP,2,m,sg
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- יירשך: VERB,qal,imprf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Gen.17:19 (thematic): God narrows the promise of an heir to Sarah’s son, naming Isaac as the child through whom the covenant will be established (continuation of the promise that the heir will come from Abram’s own body).
- Gen.21:12 (verbal): God reiterates that the covenantal offspring will be through Isaac — “in Isaac shall thy seed be called” — echoing the specification that the heir will come from Abraham’s own loins.
- Gen.22:2,12 (thematic): Isaac is treated as Abraham’s promised/appointed son (the heir of promise) when God instructs Abraham to offer his son and then stays the sacrifice, highlighting Isaac’s role as the child of the promise.
- Rom.9:7 (quotation): Paul cites the same distinguishing of the promised line — not all physical descendants are the covenant children, but the promise comes through the designated son (appeals to the Genesis promise about the line through Isaac).
- Gal.3:16 (allusion): Paul interprets the ‘seed’ promise singularly (to Christ), reworking the Genesis promise about Abraham’s heir into a theological claim that the covenantal inheritance centers on the promised Seed rather than merely biological descendants.
Alternative generated candidates
- And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, This one shall not be your heir; but the one who comes forth from your own body—he shall be your heir.
- And, look, the word of Yahweh came to him, saying: This one shall not be your heir; but one who shall come out from your own body—he shall be your heir.
Gen.15.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויוצא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אתו: PRT+PRON,3,m,sg
- החוצה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- הבט: VERB,hiph,imp,2,m,sg
- נא: PTCL
- השמימה: NOUN,m,pl,def
- וספר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- הכוכבים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- תוכל: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- לספר: VERB,qal,inf
- אתם: PRT+PRON,3,m,pl
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- כה: PTCL
- יהיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- זרעך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Gen.22.17 (verbal): Repeats the covenant promise with the same star-and-sand imagery: God will multiply Abraham's offspring 'as the stars of heaven.'
- Gen.26.4 (verbal): God reiterates the same promise to Isaac—'your offspring shall be as the stars of heaven'—continuing the Genesis covenant motif.
- Rom.4.18 (quotation): Paul cites the Abrahamic promise ('So shall your seed be') as the basis of Abraham's faith, directly alluding to Genesis 15:5.
- Heb.11.12 (allusion): Uses the star-and-sand imagery to describe the numerous descendants promised to Abraham, applying Genesis 15:5 to the faith tradition.
- Jer.33.22 (thematic): Employs similar imagery of the innumerable host of heaven to describe God's promise concerning offspring and covenant people, echoing Genesis' motif.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he brought him outside and said, Look now toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them. And he said to him, So shall your seed be.
- And he brought him outside and said, Look now toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them; and he said to him, So shall your seed be.
Gen.15.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והאמן: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ביהוה: PREP
- ויחשבה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- צדקה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Romans 4:3 (quotation): Paul directly quotes Genesis 15:6 to demonstrate that Abraham’s faith was 'counted to him as righteousness' and to argue justification by faith.
- Galatians 3:6-9 (verbal): Paul appeals to Abraham’s belief being credited as righteousness (Gen 15:6) to show that the promise comes through faith and that believers are heirs of the promise.
- James 2:23 (quotation): James cites 'Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness' (Gen 15:6) to discuss the relationship of faith and works, using Abraham as an example.
- Habakkuk 2:4 (thematic): Habakkuk’s declaration that 'the righteous shall live by his faith' echoes the biblical theme that righteousness is associated with faith, a motif linked to Gen 15:6 and later theological use of it.
- Hebrews 11:8-12 (thematic): The author of Hebrews treats Abraham’s trust in God’s promises as exemplary faith; the passage thematically builds on Gen 15:6’s portrayal of faith credited as righteousness.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he trusted in the LORD, and he reckoned it to him as righteousness.
- And he trusted in Yahweh, and he reckoned it to him as righteousness.
Gen.15.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- הוצאתיך: VERB,hif,perf,1,m,sg
- מאור: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כשדים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- לתת: VERB,qal,inf
- לך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- את: PRT
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- הזאת: DEM,f,sg,def
- לרשתה: VERB,qal,inf,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Genesis 12:7 (verbal): God appears to Abram and promises, “To your offspring I will give this land,” echoing the land-grant language of Gen 15:7.
- Genesis 15:18 (structural): Immediate continuation of the same scene where God formalizes the promise with a covenant and specifies the land to be given to Abram’s descendants.
- Genesis 17:8 (verbal): Reiteration of the promise: God declares He will give the land of Canaan to Abraham and his offspring as an everlasting possession.
- Exodus 6:8 (verbal): YHWH tells Moses He will bring Israel into the land and give it to them as an inheritance—using the same promise-of-land formulation applied to Abraham’s descendants.
- Deuteronomy 34:4 (allusion): God shows Moses the promised land ‘which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob,’ explicitly recalling the covenantal land promise made to Abraham in Genesis 15:7.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he said to him, I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.
- And he said to him, I am Yahweh who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.
Gen.15.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1cs
- יהוה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- במה: PREP+PRON,interr
- אדע: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- כי: CONJ
- אירשנה: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg,suff-3fs
Parallels
- Genesis 15:9-21 (structural): Immediate continuation: God answers Abram’s question by instituting the covenant ceremony that guarantees the promise of the land.
- Genesis 12:7 (thematic): Earlier promise that God would give the land to Abram’s offspring — the background for Abram’s question about how he will inherit it.
- Psalm 105:8-11 (thematic): Recounts God’s covenantal promise to give the land to Abraham and his offspring, echoing the assurance sought in Gen 15:8.
- Romans 4:13 (verbal): Paul treats the original promise to Abraham as an inheritance to be received by faith, connecting the theme of ‘inheritance’ with Abraham’s righteousness.
- Joshua 21:43-45 (thematic): Narrates the fulfillment of God’s promise that Israel would possess the land, showing the eventual realization of the inheritance Abram inquired about.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he said, O Lord GOD, by what shall I know that I shall inherit it?
- And he said, My Lord Yahweh, by what shall I know that I will inherit it?
Gen.15.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- קחה: VERB,qal,imperative,2,m,sg,with_3f_obj_suffix
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- עגלה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- משלשת: NUM,card,f,sg
- ועז: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- משלשת: NUM,card,f,sg
- ואיל: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- משלש: NUM,card,m,sg
- ותר: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וגוזל: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Exodus 24:5-8 (structural): Covenant ratification using animal sacrifices and blood; Moses sprinkles blood and declares it the 'blood of the covenant,' paralleling Abram's preparatory slaughter for a covenant ceremony.
- Genesis 15:10-11 (verbal): Immediate continuation of the same scene: the animals are cut and prepared and birds disturb the carcasses—direct narrative completion of Gen 15:9's command to bring animals.
- Jeremiah 34:18-20 (allusion): Jeremiah recalls the ancient practice of cutting a covenant and passing between pieces of animals as a condemnatory precedent—an explicit allusion to the covenant-cutting ritual exemplified in Genesis 15.
- Leviticus 17:11 (thematic): Declares that 'the life is in the blood' and links blood with atonement and covenantal life—explains the theological significance of slaughtering animals in covenant rituals like Abram's.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he said to him, Take for me a heifer three years old, and a goat three years old, and a ram three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
- And he said to him, Take for me a heifer three years old, and a she-goat three years old, and a ram three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
Gen.15.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויקח: VERB,qal,imprf,3,m,sg
- לו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- את: PRT
- כל: ADJ,m,sg
- אלה: PRON,dem,pl
- ויבתר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אתם: PRT+PRON,3,m,pl
- בתוך: PREP
- ויתן: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בתרו: NOUN,m,sg,prs-suff3,m,sg
- לקראת: PREP
- רעהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,3,sg
- ואת: CONJ+PRT
- הצפר: NOUN,f,sg,def
- לא: PART,neg
- בתר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Gen.15.9-21 (verbal): Immediate context: the full covenant ritual—Abram divides the animals, the smoking furnace and flaming torch pass between the pieces, and God formally makes the covenant (vv. 17–18).
- Exod.24.5-8 (thematic): Another OT covenant‑ratification scene involving sacrificial animals and blood as the sign/means of the covenant (Moses sprinkles blood, calling it 'the blood of the covenant').
- Jer.34.18-19 (allusion): Jeremiah invokes the imagery of the 'cutting' covenant (animals cut and passed between) to condemn those who broke a covenant with God—explicitly recalling the covenant‑cutting motif.
- Heb.6.13-17 (thematic): New Testament reflection on God's oath and covenant‑ratification (God swore to Abraham), thematically paralleling ancient practices of solemnly confirming promises.
- Gen.31.44-54 (structural): Jacob and Laban make a treaty/covenant with ritual signs (heap and pillar, witness), a parallel legal/ritual mechanism for sealing agreements between parties.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he took for himself all these and cut them in two, and he set each piece opposite its fellow; but the birds he did not cut.
- And he took for himself all these and cut them in two and set each part opposite its fellow; but the birds he did not cut.
Gen.15.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וירד: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- העיט: NOUN,m,sg,def
- על: PREP
- הפגרים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- וישב: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- אתם: PRT+PRON,3,m,pl
- אברם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Gen.15.10 (structural): Immediate narrative context: the animals Abram cut and arranged in halves—Gen 15:11 follows by describing vultures descending on those carcasses, part of the covenant ritual scene.
- Deut.28.26 (thematic): Uses the same image of carcasses being food for birds of the air as a sign of judgment—birds of prey consuming the dead.
- Ps.79.2 (verbal): Lament language about enemies giving the bodies of God's servants to the birds of the heavens; echoes the motif of corpses and scavenging birds.
- Ezek.39:17-20 (thematic): Prophetic summons of birds and beasts to feast on the slain (Gog/Magog)—same vivid motif of carrion birds feeding on corpses, here in an eschatological/sacrificial setting.
- Lev.11:13-19 (allusion): Legal classification of birds of prey (including vultures) as unclean; thematically relevant to the narrative depiction of scavenging birds in Gen 15.
Alternative generated candidates
- And birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
- And the bird of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
Gen.15.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- השמש: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לבוא: VERB,qal,infc
- ותרדמה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- נפלה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- על: PREP
- אברם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והנה: CONJ+INTJ
- אימה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- חשכה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- גדלה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- נפלת: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- עליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Genesis 2:21 (verbal): Both verses use the same rare term for a divinely-caused deep sleep (תַּרְדֵּמָה). In Gen 2:21 God causes Adam to fall into a deep sleep to bring about the formation of Eve; in Gen 15:12 a similar sleep precedes Abraham's visionary experience.
- Isaiah 29:10 (verbal): Isaiah uses the same language of God pouring out a 'spirit of deep sleep' (תַּרְדֵּמָה) as a means of divine action. The verbal parallel links Gen 15:12's sleep to prophetic/judicial motifs elsewhere in scripture.
- Psalm 91:5 (thematic): Psalm 91 promises deliverance from 'the terror of the night' and from 'the arrow that flies by day,' echoing the motif of night-time dread and divine protection/rescue that surrounds the 'horror of great darkness' in Gen 15:12.
- Deuteronomy 28:65–66 (thematic): These curses describe continual dread and terror 'day and night' as part of divine judgment, paralleling the theme of overwhelming fear and darkness falling upon an individual in Gen 15:12.
- Exodus 10:21–23 (thematic): The plague of palpable darkness ('thick darkness') that could be felt is a theologically charged depiction of divinely-sent darkness. This resonates with Gen 15:12's 'horror of great darkness' as a manifestation of divine presence or terror.
Alternative generated candidates
- And it happened, as the sun was going down, that a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, a dread and great darkness fell upon him.
- And as the sun was going to set, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, look, dread and great darkness fell upon him.
Gen.15.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לאברם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ידע: VERB,qal,ptc,3,m,sg
- תדע: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- גר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- זרעך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- בארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לא: PART,neg
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,pl,m
- ועבדום: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- וענו: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- אתם: PRT+PRON,3,m,pl
- ארבע: NUM,card,f,sg
- מאות: NUM,card,f,pl
- שנה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Exodus 1:12-14 (thematic): Describes the Israelites' oppression and forced labor in Egypt — the historical fulfillment of Abraham's prediction that his descendants would be afflicted and enslaved in a foreign land.
- Exodus 12:40-41 (verbal): Gives the related chronology of the Israelites' sojourning (430 years) and their departure from Egypt, connecting Genesis 15:13's promise of a period of alien residence with the Exodus event.
- Acts 7:6 (quotation): Stephen cites the same promise in his speech, explicitly recounting that Abraham's seed would be strangers and enslaved in a land for four hundred years, directly echoing Genesis 15:13.
- Galatians 3:17 (allusion): Paul appeals to the interval between Abraham's promise and the giving of the Law (430 years) when arguing about the timing and scope of the covenant — a theological use of the Genesis promise's chronological implications.
- Hebrews 11:9 (thematic): Portrays Abraham as a sojourner in the promised land, reflecting the motif of living as a foreigner/traveler that underlies Genesis 15:13's prediction about Abraham's descendants.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he said to Abram, Know for certain that your seed shall be a sojourner in a land not theirs, and they will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.
- And he said to Abram, Know for certain that your seed will be a sojourner in a land not theirs, and they will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.
Gen.15.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וגם: CONJ
- את: PRT
- הגוי: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- יעבדו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- דן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אנכי: PRON,1,_,sg
- ואחרי: CONJ
- כן: ADV
- יצאו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- ברכש: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- גדול: ADJ,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Exodus 3:22 (verbal): God tells Moses that the Israelites will ask the Egyptians for valuables—language of taking wealth echoes Genesis 15:14’s promise they will come out with great substance.
- Exodus 12:35-36 (verbal): Narrative fulfillment: the Israelites leave Egypt having taken/gotten goods from the Egyptians, concretely realizing the promise in Genesis 15:14.
- Psalm 105:37 (thematic): The psalm recounts God bringing Israel out of Egypt 'with silver and gold,' echoing the theme of leaving Egypt enriched as foretold in Gen 15:14.
- Acts 7:6 (quotation): Stephen cites the promise (that the nation who enslaves them I will judge, and afterward they shall come out) essentially quoting Genesis 15:13–14 as God’s word about Israel’s future deliverance and enrichment.
Alternative generated candidates
- But also the nation whom they serve I will judge, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.
- But also the nation whom they serve I will judge, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.
Gen.15.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואתה: CONJ+PRON,2,m,sg
- תבוא: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- אל: PREP
- אבתיך: NOUN,m,pl,abs,poss2,m,pl
- בשלום: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תקבר: VERB,niphal,impf,2,m,sg
- בשיבה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- טובה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Gen.25:8 (verbal): Abraham’s death is described as occurring “in a good old age” and he is ‘gathered to his people,’ echoing the promise that the patriarch will go to his fathers and be buried in a good old age.
- Gen.35:29 (thematic): The report of Isaac’s death — he ‘died and was gathered to his people’ — parallels the theme of a peaceful death and burial among one’s ancestors.
- 1 Kings 2:10 (verbal): David ‘slept with his fathers,’ using the recurring idiom for dying and joining one’s ancestors, similar in sense to ‘you shall go to your fathers.’
- Isaiah 57:2 (thematic): ‘He enters into peace; they rest in their beds’ echoes the motif of a peaceful end and rest that underlies the promise ‘you shall go to your fathers in peace.’
Alternative generated candidates
- But you—you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age.
- But you—you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age.
Gen.15.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ודור: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רביעי: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- ישובו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- הנה: PART
- כי: CONJ
- לא: PART,neg
- שלם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- האמרי: NOUN,m,sg,def
- עד: PREP
- הנה: PART
Parallels
- Exodus 34:7 (verbal): Shares the formula of God 'visiting the iniquity' on descendants 'to the third and fourth generation,' echoing the language and concept of measured/generational punishment.
- Numbers 14:18 (verbal): Repeats the same legal-theological formula ('visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation'), paralleling Genesis 15:16's focus on generational consequences.
- Deuteronomy 5:9 (verbal): Contains the covenantal refrain about God visiting iniquity to the third and fourth generation, reflecting the same Hebrew expression and theological idea.
- Genesis 15:13 (structural): Immediate narrative parallel in the same promise to Abram: 15:13 speaks of descendants' affliction and a 400-year time-frame, which 15:16 qualifies by locating the return in the 'fourth generation.'
- Ezekiel 18:20 (thematic): Offers a contrasting theological perspective on generational responsibility—asserting that individuals die for their own sin—thus thematically engaging the idea of inherited punishment implied in Genesis 15:16.
Alternative generated candidates
- And in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.
- And in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.
Gen.15.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- השמש: NOUN,f,sg,def
- באה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- ועלטה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- היה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- והנה: CONJ+INTJ
- תנור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עשן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ולפיד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אש: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- עבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בין: PREP
- הגזרים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- האלה: PRON,dem,pl
Parallels
- Gen.17:9-14 (structural): Another foundational Abrahamic covenant scene: God prescribes circumcision as the sign of the covenant with Abraham’s descendants — a different ritual form that performs the same covenant‑making function as the passing‑through‑the‑pieces in Gen 15.
- Exod.24:8-11 (structural): Mosaic covenant ratification: Moses sprinkles blood and calls it the 'blood of the covenant,' and the elders see a divine manifestation — parallels Gen 15’s covenant‑making ritual and theophanic sign of God’s presence.
- Josh.24:25-27 (thematic): Joshua’s covenant renewal at Shechem (setting up a witness stone, writing the law) echoes the communal/ceremonial character of covenant ratification and the use of visible signs or witnesses found in Gen 15.
- Jer.34:18-20 (thematic): Jeremiah invokes God’s covenant and announces punishment for those who broke it — thematically connected to Gen 15’s enacted covenant, where God binds himself as witness and implies obligations and consequences for violation.
- Acts 7:2-8 (allusion): Stephen’s retelling of Abraham’s story echoes the covenant promises recounted in Genesis (land, offspring, covenant rites) and reflects early Christian interpretation of the Abrahamic covenant inaugurated in Gen 15.
Alternative generated candidates
- And it happened, when the sun had gone down and it was dark, that behold, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.
- And it happened: the sun had set and it was dark, and, look, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.
Gen.15.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ביום: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ההוא: PRON,dem,m,sg
- כרת: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT
- אברם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ברית: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לאמר: PREP+VERB,qal,inf
- לזרעך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- נתתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- את: PRT
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- הזאת: DEM,f,sg,def
- מנהר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- מצרים: NOUN,pl,abs
- עד: PREP
- הנהר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- הגדל: ADJ,m,sg,def
- נהר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- פרת: NOUN,prop,f,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 105:8-11 (quotation): Psalm recounts God's covenant with Abraham and explicitly quotes the land promise and boundaries: 'from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,' directly echoing Gen 15:18.
- Genesis 17:8 (verbal): A parallel covenant promise to Abraham: God pledges the land to Abraham and his descendants ('I will give to you and to your descendants the land of your sojournings'), restating the grant of the land to his seed.
- Genesis 13:15-17 (thematic): Earlier promise to Abram that all the land he sees will be given to his offspring forever; thematically parallels the land grant made in Gen 15:18.
- Deuteronomy 11:24 (verbal): Moses' reiteration of the territorial promise includes similar boundary language ('from the river, the river Euphrates'), echoing the geographic extent named in Gen 15:18.
- Exodus 23:31 (thematic): God's promised borders for Israel are described here (extending to the Euphrates), reflecting the same conception of territorial limits found in Gen 15:18.
Alternative generated candidates
- On that day the LORD cut a covenant with Abram, saying, To your seed I have given this land, from the River of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates:
- On that day Yahweh cut a covenant with Abram, saying: To your seed I give this land, from the River of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates:
Gen.15.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- את: PRT
- הקיני: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ואת: CONJ+PRT
- הקנזי: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ואת: CONJ+PRT
- הקדמני: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Genesis 15:18–21 (structural): Immediate context — verses that contain the full list of peoples (Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites) promised to Abraham's descendants; Gen 15:19 is part of this catalogue.
- Deuteronomy 7:1 (verbal): A later legal summary listing the nations Israel is to dispossess on entering the land (Hittite, Girgashite, Amorite, Canaanite, Perizzite, Hivite, Jebusite), reflecting the same covenantal tradition of peoples inhabiting Canaan.
- Deuteronomy 20:17 (thematic): Command to devote certain Canaanite peoples to destruction (Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, etc.), connecting the conquest mandate to the promise in Genesis 15 about dispossessing the inhabitants of the land.
- Joshua 24:4 (thematic): Joshua's retelling of Israel's origins: God gave the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, and others to the descendants of Abraham — an explicit reception of the promise found in Genesis 15.
- Psalm 105:23–27 (allusion): The psalm retells the patriarchal promise and its fulfillment — God bringing Israel into a land inhabited by many nations and sending out his signs and wonders to displace them, echoing the theme and imagery of Gen 15's list of Canaanite peoples.
Alternative generated candidates
- the Kenite and the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite,
- the Kenite, the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite;
Gen.15.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואת: CONJ+PRT
- החתי: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ואת: CONJ+PRT
- הפרזי: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ואת: CONJ+PRT
- הרפאים: NOUN,m,pl,def
Parallels
- Gen.15.19 (verbal): Immediate parallel within the same promise list — the land’s inhabitants are enumerated in nearly identical terms (Hittite, Perizzite, Rephaim, etc.).
- Deut.7.1 (verbal): Moses repeats a canonical list of the nations to be driven out (including Hittites and Perizzites), echoing the covenantal promise to dispossess these peoples.
- Exod.3.8 (thematic): God’s promise to bring Israel into a land 'flowing with milk and honey' inhabited by Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, etc., parallels Genesis’ naming of the indigenous groups to be dispossessed.
- Num.13.29 (verbal): The spies’ report lists the peoples occupying Canaan (Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Canaanites), overlapping with Genesis’ catalogue of inhabitants and underscoring the same enemies context.
- Deut.3.11 (allusion): Reference to Og king of Bashan as the last of the Rephaim connects to Genesis’ mention of the Rephaim, expanding on who the Rephaim were in later tradition.
Alternative generated candidates
- and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim,
- the Hittite, the Perizzite, and the Rephaim;
Gen.15.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואת: CONJ+PRT
- האמרי: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ואת: CONJ+PRT
- הכנעני: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ואת: CONJ+PRT
- הגרגשי: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ואת: CONJ+PRT
- היבוסי: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 7:1 (verbal): Lists the nations to be dispossessed (including the Hittite, Amorite, Canaanite, Perizzite, Hivite, Jebusite), closely matching Genesis 15:19–21's catalogue of peoples promised to Abraham.
- Exodus 3:8 (verbal): God's promise to bring Israel into 'a land flowing with milk and honey' and to give them the inhabitants (Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites), echoing the same roster of peoples.
- Numbers 13:29 (verbal): The report of the scouts names the Hivites, Canaanites and Jebusites among the peoples in the land—repeating the ethnographic list found in Genesis 15:21.
- Exodus 23:28–31 (thematic): Promises divine driving out of the listed nations and the establishment of Israel in the land, reflecting the same theme of God giving the land by dispossessing these peoples.
- Joshua 24:11 (allusion): Recalls Israel’s conquest of the Amorites and Canaanites and God’s deliverance in fulfillment of the promise to their ancestors, alluding to the nations named in Genesis 15:21.
Alternative generated candidates
- and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Girgashite and the Jebusite.
- the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.
And it happened after these things, that the word of YHWH came to Abram in a vision, saying, Do not fear, Abram; I am a shield to you; your reward will be very great. And Abram said, O Lord YHWH, what will you give me, for I am going childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Look, to me you have given no seed, and, look, a member of my household will be my heir. And behold, the word of YHWH came to him, saying, This one will not be your heir; rather, one who comes forth from your own body—he will be your heir. And he brought him outside and said, Look now toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them. And he said to him, So shall your seed be. And he trusted in YHWH, who reckoned it to him as righteousness. And he said to him, I am YHWH who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give to you this land to possess it. And he said, O Lord YHWH, by what shall I know that I will possess it? And he said to him, Take for me a heifer three years old, and a she-goat three years old, and a ram three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. And he took for himself all these, and cut them in two, and set each half opposite its fellow; but the birds he did not cut. And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. And it happened, as the sun was going down, that a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, behold, dread and great darkness fell upon him. And he said to Abram, Know for certain that your seed will be a sojourner in a land not theirs, and they will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. But also the nation whom they serve I will judge; and afterward they will go out with great possessions. But you—you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete. And it happened—the sun had gone down and it was dark—that, behold, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch passed between those pieces.
On that day YHWH cut a covenant with Abram, saying, To your seed I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:
the Kenite, the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite,
and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim,
and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.