Genesis 15:10

“He brought him all these and cut them in two down the middle, and laid each half opposite the other; but the birds he did not cut in two.”
Genesis 15:10 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

He broughtוַיִּקַּחhimלוֹallאֶת כָּלtheseאֵלֶּהand cut themוַיְבַתֵּר אֹתָםin two down the middle,בַּתָּוֶךְand laidוַיִּתֵּןeachאִישׁhalfבִּתְרוֹoppositeלִקְרַאתthe other;רֵעֵהוּbutוְthe birdsאֶת הַצִפֹּרhe did notלֹאcut in two.בָתָר

Theme · Jeremiah 34:18

Go to Jeremiah 34:18

Both texts describe the same covenant rite: animals cut in half. Jeremiah 34:18 says that those who made the covenant passed between the halves, like the fire in Genesis 15:17.

The same term appears in both passages.

בִּתְרbitrH1335בְּתָרָיbetarayH1335“half”

Genesis 15:10, word by word

He broughtיִּקַּחyikach

fetch

To take someone along, or go and fetch something.

Where else “yikach” appears

and cut themיְבַתֵּרyevater

cut in two

Cut in two, divide.

Where else “yevater” appears

in two down the middleתָּוֶךְtavech

midst

The central point of something, or the company of several: in the midst of them.

Where else “tavech” appears

and laidיִּתֵּןyiten

put

To place something somewhere.

Where else “yiten” appears

eachאִישׁish

each

Literally "a man": any person; with "not", not a single person.

Where else “ish” appears

halfבִּתְרbitr

half, piece

Half, each of two parts into which something is cut.

Where else “bitr” appears

oppositeקְרַאתkerat

opposite

Facing, on the opposite side of something.

Where else “kerat” appears

the otherרֵעֵree

neighbor

The person living near, anyone one deals with.

Where else “ree” appears

the birdsצִפֹּרtsipor

bird

Bird, small bird.

Where else “tsipor” appears

The context

9He said to him, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”

10 · This verse (above)

11The birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

Read all of Genesis 15

To study Genesis 15 in a group

1. What it says
What did YHWH promise Abram about his descendants, and how did Abram respond (vv. 5-6)?
2. What it means
What relation does the text show between Abram’s faith and its being counted to him as righteousness (v. 6)?
3. How I live it
Which promise of Elohim is hard for you to believe today, and how can you talk with him about it?

How to use it