Genesis 15:1–6
To childless Abram, God shows the stars and promises descendants
Study it word by word1After these things the word of YHWH came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram; I am a shield to you; your reward will be very great.”
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?”
3And Abram said, “Look, to me you have not given offspring; and look, one born in my house will be my heir.”
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.”
5He 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 will your offspring be.”
6And he believed in YHWH, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
In its 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.”
8But he said, “Adonai YHWH, how will I know that I will possess it?”
Its words in the original
- דְּבָרִיםdevarim· word, matter, thing
Word; what is said. Also "matter" or "thing": what is spoken about, an affair, an event.
- הָיָהhaya· be, become, happen
Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".
- יְהוָהyehva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- אַבְרָםavram· Abram
Abram, the name of Abraham before God changed it (Genesis 17:5). It means "exalted father".
- מַּחֲזֶהmachaze· vision
Vision: something God makes a person see.
- אמֹרmor· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- תִּירָאtira· fear
Fear. It can be fright before a danger or deep reverence before God ("fear YHWH"). In some forms, be fearsome, awesome.
- מָגֵןmagen· shield
Shield. Figuratively, one who protects.
- שְׂכָרְsechar· wages
Pay for work; wages, reward.
- הַרְבֵּהharbe· multiply, increase
Become many, increase in number or amount; multiply. In the causative form, make many, do much.
- מְאֹדmeod· very, much
Very, greatly, exceedingly; a word that strengthens what goes with it. As a noun, strength, might.
- אֲדֹנָadona· 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.
- יֱהוִהyehvi· 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".
- תִּתֶּןtiten· give, put, set
Give, in a very wide sense: hand over, put, place, grant, allow, make something be.
- הוֹלֵךְholech· go, walk
Go, walk, come. Figuratively, the way one lives ("walk with God").
- עֲרִירִיariri· childless
Childless.
- בֶןven· son
Son. In the plural it can include sons and daughters, and also grandsons and descendants. "Son of..." also says what group someone belongs to ("sons of Israel" = Israelites).
- מֶשֶׁקmeshek· possession, heir
A rare word whose exact sense is uncertain; from the context, the one who takes over the household's goods: the heir.
- בֵּיתִbeti· house, household
House. Also the family that lives in it ("the house of Noah") and someone's descendants ("the house of David"); also a temple, "the house of God".
- דַּמֶּשֶׂקdamesek· Damascus
Damascus, the chief city of Syria.
- אֱלִיעֶזֶרeliezer· Eliezer
Eliezer, the name of Abram's trusted servant from Damascus and of several Israelites, among them a son of Moses and a prophet.
- זָרַעzara· offspring, seed
Seed. From there "offspring": the children and generations that come from someone. Also sowing and semen.
- יוֹרֵשׁyoresh· possess, drive out
Take possession of something; inherit. Also take from others what they had: drive out, dispossess.
- יֵצֵאyetse· go out, bring out
Go out, come out. In the causative form, "make go out", "bring out", "lead out", "produce".
- מֵּעֶיmee· inward parts, womb
Inward parts, belly. "One who comes from your inward parts" is one's own child. Figuratively, the seat of feeling.
- חוּצָchutsa· outside
Outside, outdoors; the street.
- הַבֶּטhabet· look
Look intently, gaze; regard, pay attention to.
- שָּׁמַיְמָshamayma· heavens, sky
The heavens: what is above, where the clouds, the sun and the stars are seen; also the dwelling of God. In Hebrew it is always plural. With birds, "the sky".
- סְפֹרsefor· count, tell
Count (numbers) and also tell (relate, recount). From here comes the word for "scribe".
- כּוֹכָבִיםkochavim· star
Star.
- תּוּכַלtuchal· be able, can
Be able, can; also prevail, overcome.
- הֶאֱמִןheemin· believe, be firm
Be firm, trustworthy; in another form, "believe": lean on someone and trust what he says. It is also said of one who brings up a child. "Amen" comes from this root.
- יַּחְשְׁבֶyachshve· think, count, devise
Think, consider; count something as something else ("count as", "credit as"). Also devise, design, plan, often evil: "the work of a skilled craftsman" is, literally, "the work of one who designs".
- צְדָקָהtsedaka· righteousness
Righteousness: being right with God and acting rightly with others; justice.