8 And he said, H559 Lord H136 GOD, H3069 whereby H4100 shall I know H3045 that I shall inherit it? H3423
And Gideon H1439 said H559 unto God, H430 If thou wilt H3426 save H3467 Israel H3478 by mine hand, H3027 as thou hast said, H1696 Behold, I will put H3322 a fleece H1492 of wool H6785 in the floor; H1637 and if the dew H2919 be on the fleece H1492 only, and it be dry H2721 upon all the earth H776 beside, then shall I know H3045 that thou wilt save H3467 Israel H3478 by mine hand, H3027 as thou hast said. H1696 And it was so: for he rose up early H7925 on the morrow, H4283 and thrust H2115 the fleece H1492 together, H2115 and wringed H4680 the dew H2919 out of the fleece, H1492 a bowl H5602 full H4393 of water. H4325 And Gideon H1439 said H559 unto God, H430 Let not thine anger H639 be hot H2734 against me, and I will speak H1696 but this once: H6471 let me prove, H5254 I pray thee, but this once H6471 with the fleece; H1492 let it now be dry H2721 only upon the fleece, H1492 and upon all the ground H776 let there be dew. H2919 And God H430 did H6213 so that night: H3915 for it was dry H2721 upon the fleece H1492 only, and there was dew H2919 on all the ground. H776
And Abraham H85 said H559 unto his eldest H2205 servant H5650 of his house, H1004 that ruled over H4910 all that he had, Put, H7760 I pray thee, thy hand H3027 under my thigh: H3409 And I will make thee swear H7650 by the LORD, H3068 the God H430 of heaven, H8064 and the God H430 of the earth, H776 that thou shalt not take H3947 a wife H802 unto my son H1121 of the daughters H1323 of the Canaanites, H3669 among H7130 whom I dwell: H3427 But thou shalt go H3212 unto my country, H776 and to my kindred, H4138 and take H3947 a wife H802 unto my son H1121 Isaac. H3327
Behold, I stand H5324 here by the well H5869 of water; H4325 and the daughters H1323 of the men H582 of the city H5892 come out H3318 to draw H7579 water: H4325 And let it come to pass, that the damsel H5291 to whom I shall say, H559 Let down H5186 thy pitcher, H3537 I pray thee, that I may drink; H8354 and she shall say, H559 Drink, H8354 and I will give H8248 thy camels H1581 drink H8248 also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed H3198 for thy servant H5650 Isaac; H3327 and thereby shall I know H3045 that thou hast shewed H6213 kindness H2617 unto my master. H113
And he said H559 unto him, If now I have found H4672 grace H2580 in thy sight, H5869 then shew H6213 me a sign H226 that thou talkest H1696 with me. Depart H4185 not hence, I pray thee, until I come H935 unto thee, and bring forth H3318 my present, H4503 and set H3240 it before H6440 thee. And he said, H559 I will tarry H3427 until thou come again. H7725 And Gideon H1439 went in, H935 and made ready H6213 a kid, H5795 H1423 and unleavened cakes H4682 of an ephah H374 of flour: H7058 the flesh H1320 he put H7760 in a basket, H5536 and he put H7760 the broth H4839 in a pot, H6517 and brought it out H3318 unto him under the oak, H424 and presented H5066 it. And the angel H4397 of God H430 said H559 unto him, Take H3947 the flesh H1320 and the unleavened cakes, H4682 and lay H3240 them upon this H1975 rock, H5553 and pour out H8210 the broth. H4839 And he did H6213 so. Then the angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 put forth H7971 the end H7097 of the staff H4938 that was in his hand, H3027 and touched H5060 the flesh H1320 and the unleavened cakes; H4682 and there rose up H5927 fire H784 out of the rock, H6697 and consumed H398 the flesh H1320 and the unleavened cakes. H4682 Then the angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 departed H1980 out of his sight. H5869 And when Gideon H1439 perceived H7200 that he was an angel H4397 of the LORD, H3068 Gideon H1439 said, H559 Alas, H162 O Lord H136 GOD! H3069 for because H3651 I have seen H7200 an angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 face H6440 to face. H6440 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto him, Peace H7965 be unto thee; fear H3372 not: thou shalt not die. H4191 Then Gideon H1439 built H1129 an altar H4196 there unto the LORD, H3068 and called H7121 it Jehovahshalom: H3073 unto this day H3117 it is yet in Ophrah H6084 of the Abiezrites. H33
If they say H559 thus unto us, Tarry H1826 until we come H5060 to you; then we will stand still H5975 in our place, and will not go up H5927 unto them. But if they say H559 thus, Come up H5927 unto us; then we will go up: H5927 for the LORD H3068 hath delivered H5414 them into our hand: H3027 and this shall be a sign H226 unto us.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 15
Commentary on Genesis 15 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 15
Ge 15:1-21. Divine Encouragement.
1. After these things—the conquest of the invading kings.
the word of the Lord—a phrase used, when connected with a vision, to denote a prophetic message.
Fear not, Abram—When the excitement of the enterprise was over, he had become a prey to despondency and terror at the probable revenge that might be meditated against him. To dispel his fear, he was favored with this gracious announcement. Having such a promise, how well did it become him (and all God's people who have the same promise) to dismiss fears, and cast all burdens on the Lord (Ps 27:3).
2. Lord God, what wilt thou give?—To his mind the declaration, "I am thy exceeding great reward" [Ge 15:1], had but one meaning, or was viewed but in one particular light, as bearing on the fulfilment of the promise, and he was still experiencing the sickness of hope deferred.
3. Eliezer of Damascus … one born in my house is mine heir—According to the usage of nomadic tribes, his chief confidential servant, would be heir to his possessions and honors. But this man could have become his son only by adoption; and how sadly would that have come short of the parental hopes he had been encouraged to entertain! His language betrayed a latent spirit of fretfulness or perhaps a temporary failure in the very virtue for which he is so renowned—and absolute submission to God's time, as well as way, of accomplishing His promise.
4. This shall not be thine heir—To the first part of his address no reply was given; but having renewed it in a spirit of more becoming submission, "whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it" [Ge 15:8], he was delighted by a most explicit promise of Canaan, which was immediately confirmed by a remarkable ceremony.
9-21. Take me an heifer, &c.—On occasions of great importance, when two or more parties join in a compact, they either observe precisely the same rites as Abram did, or, where they do not, they invoke the lamp as their witness. According to these ideas, which have been from time immemorial engraven on the minds of Eastern people, the Lord Himself condescended to enter into covenant with Abram. The patriarch did not pass between the sacrifice and the reason was that in this transaction he was bound to nothing. He asked a sign, and God was pleased to give him a sign, by which, according to Eastern ideas, He bound Himself. In like manner God has entered into covenant with us; and in the glory of the only-begotten Son, who passed through between God and us, all who believe have, like Abram, a sign or pledge in the gift of the Spirit, whereby they may know that they shall inherit the heavenly Canaan.