8
But he said,וַיֹּאמַר“AdonaiאֲדֹנָיYHWH,יֱהוִהhowבַּמָּהwill I knowאֵדַעthatכִּיI will possess it?”אִירָשֶׁנָּה
Genesis 15:8
Study it in the app“But he said, “Adonai YHWH, how will I know that I will possess it?””
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 15:8, word by word
- But he saidיֹּאמַרyomar
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomar” appears- “Adonaiאֲדֹנָadona
Adonai, Lord
"Adonai": "my Lord", said only to God. It is a title of respect that acknowledges his authority. It is not another god besides YHWH: often it goes with his name, "Adonai YHWH", Lord YHWH.
Where else “adona” appears- YHWHיֱהוִהyehvi
YHWH (with Adonai)
The four letters of God's name, YHWH (see "YHWH"). They almost always go with "Adonai"; then Jews, when reading, said "Elohim" so as not to repeat "Adonai".
Where else “yehvi” appears- will I knowאֵדַעeda
know
To know something, realize.
Where else “eda” appears- I will possess itאִירָשֶׁirashe
possess
To occupy a land and make it one's own.
Where else “irashe” appears
The context
7And he said to him, “I am YHWH who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess it.”
8 · This verse (above)
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.”
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?