3
And Abramוַ אַבְרָםsaid,יֹּאמֶר“Look,הֵןto meלִיyou have not givenלֹא נָתַתָּהoffspring;זָרַעand look,וְהִנֵּהone bornבֶןin my houseבֵּיתִיwill be my heir.”יוֹרֵשׁ אֹתִי
Genesis 15:3
Study it in the app“And Abram said, “Look, to me you have not given offspring; and look, one born in my house will be my heir.””
To childless Abram, God shows the stars and promises descendantsFaithfulnessChildless Abram hears God's promise and believes itWaiting on God
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 15:3, word by word
- And Abramאַבְרָםavram
Abram
Abram, the name of Abraham before God changed it (Genesis 17:5). It means "exalted father".
Where else “avram” appears- saidיֹּאמֶרyomer
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomer” appears- you have not givenנָתַתָּהnatata
give
To hand something over to someone: a gift, a payment, a charge or a land.
Where else “natata” appears- offspringזָרַעzara
offspring
The children, grandchildren and whole line that come from someone.
Where else “zara” appears- one bornבֶןven
descendant
A descendant or member of a people: "sons of Israel".
Where else “ven” appears- in my houseבֵּיתִbeti
household
The family, everyone living under one roof.
Where else “beti” appears- will be my heirיוֹרֵשׁyoresh
inherit
To receive a land or goods as an inheritance, from fathers to sons.
Where else “yoresh” appears
The context
2But Abram said, “Adonai YHWH, what will you give me, while I go on childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
3 · This verse (above)
4And look, the word of YHWH came to him, saying, “This one will not be your heir; but one who will come out from your own body, he will be your heir.”
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?