God’s Word Translation
Genesis 15:17
17The sun had gone down, and it was dark. Suddenly a smoking oven and a flaming torch passed between the animal pieces.
Genesis 15:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
- New International Version (NIV)When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces.
- English Standard Version (ESV)When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.
Context of Genesis 15:17
15But you will die in peace and be buried at a very old age. 16In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, because the sin of the Amorites will not have run its course until then.” The sun had gone down, and it was dark. Suddenly a smoking oven and a flaming torch passed between the animal pieces. 18At that time the Lord made a promise to Abram. He said, “I will give this land to your descendants. This is the land from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates. 19It is the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,
Read all of Genesis 15Genesis 15:17 word by word
וַיְהִ֤י הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ בָּ֔אָה וַעֲלָטָ֖ה הָיָ֑ה וְהִנֵּ֨ה תַנּ֤וּר עָשָׁן֙ וְלַפִּ֣יד אֵ֔שׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָבַ֔ר בֵּ֖ין הַגְּזָרִ֥ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And it came to pass, that, when the sunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁshemesh · sunH8121
- went downבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- and it was darkעֲלָטָה‛ălâţâh · darknessH5939
- behold a smokingעָשָׁן‛âshân · smokeH6227
- furnaceתַּנּוּרtannûr · ovenH8574
- and a burningאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- lampלַפִּידlappîyd lappid · torchH3940
- that passedעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- betweenבַּ֫יִןbêyn · betweenH996
- those piecesגֶּ֫זֶרgezer · pieceH1506
Cross-references for Genesis 15:17
- Exodus 3:2The Messenger of the Lord appeared to him there as flames of fire coming out of a bush. Moses looked, and although the bush was on fire, it was not burning up.
- Deuteronomy 4:20But you are the people the Lord brought out of Egypt, the iron smelter, in order to make you his own people as you still are today.
- Judges 6:21Then the Messenger of the Lord touched the meat and the bread with the tip of the staff that was in his hand. Fire flared up from the rock and burned the meat and the bread. Then the Messenger of the Lord disappeared.
- Judges 13:20As the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the Messenger of the Lord went up in the flame. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they immediately bowed down with their faces touching the ground.
- 1 Chronicles 21:26David built an altar for the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him by ⌞sending⌟ fire from heaven on the altar for burnt offerings.
- Isaiah 62:1For Zion’s sake I will not remain silent. For Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until its righteousness shines like the dawn and its salvation burns brightly like a torch.
- Jeremiah 11:4I made this promise to your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, which was an iron smelter. I said, “Obey me, and do everything that I have told you to do. Then you will be my people, and I will be your God.
- 2 Samuel 22:9Smoke went up from his nostrils, and a raging fire came out of his mouth. Glowing coals flared up from it.
- Jeremiah 34:18I will hand over the people who have rejected my promise. They have not kept the terms of the promise which they made in my presence when they cut a calf in two and passed between its pieces.
Commentaries on Genesis 15:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Smoking furnace and a burning lamp - Probably the smoking furnace might be designed as an emblem of the sore afflictions of the Israelites in Egypt; but the burning lamp was certainly the symbol of the Divine presence, which, passing between the pieces, ratified the covenant with Abram, as the following verse immediately states.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-21Verses 1-21 - The Faith of Abram 1. דבר dābār “a word, a thing;” the word being the sign of the thing. 2. אדני 'ǎdonāy “Adonai, the Lord;” related: “bring down, lay down.” This is the name usually read in place of Yahweh; but when, as in the present case, יהוה yehovâh and אדני 'ǎdonāy are in apposition, אלהים 'ĕlohı̂ym is read instead of the former. The Jews from a feeling of reverence avoided the utterance of this sacred name except on the most…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-21Verses 17-21 The smoking furnace and the burning lamp, probably represented the Israelites' severe trials and joyful deliverance, with their gracious supports in the mean time. It is probable that this furnace and lamp, which passed between the pieces, burned and consumed them, and so completed the sacrifice, and testified God's acceptance of it. So it intimates that God's covenants with man are made by sacrifice, Psa 50:5. And we may know that he accepts…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-18smoking firepot and a flaming torch: Fire represented the Lord's cleansing and consuming zeal. It also represented how no one could come near him because of his holiness (compare Isaiah 6:3–7). The holy God made (literally cut) a one-sided covenant with Abram. The promises were absolutely certain. This was because they did not rely on what Abram or his descendants' might do.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 9-219-21. 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…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 15:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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