New American Standard Bible 1995
Genesis 15:13
13God said to Abram, “Know for certain that 1your 2descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, 3where 4they will be enslaved and oppressed 5four hundred years.
Genesis 15:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
- New International Version (NIV)Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then the Lord said to Abram, "Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.
Context of Genesis 15:13
11The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. 12Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him. God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. 14But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age.
Read all of Genesis 15Genesis 15:13 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְאַבְרָ֗ם יָדֹ֨עַ תֵּדַ֜ע כִּי־גֵ֣ר׀ יִהְיֶ֣ה זַרְעֲךָ֗ בְּאֶ֙רֶץ֙ לֹ֣א לָהֶ֔ם וַעֲבָד֖וּם וְעִנּ֣וּ אֹתָ֑ם אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָֽה׃Read the interlinear
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- to Abramאַבְרָם'abrâm · AbramH87
- Knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- descendantsזֶ֫רַעzera‛ · seed: childrenH2233
- will be strangersגֵּרgêr gêyr · sojournerH1616
- in a landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- they will be enslavedעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647
- and oppressedעָנָה‛ânâh · to afflictH6031
- fourאַרְבַּע'arba‛ 'arbâ‛âh · fourH702
- hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
- yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
Cross-references for Genesis 15:13
- Genesis 17:8I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
- Exodus 1:1Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; they came each one with his household:
- Exodus 5:1And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.’”
- Exodus 22:21“You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
- Exodus 23:9“You shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger, for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt.
- Leviticus 19:34The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.
- Deuteronomy 10:19So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
- Psalms 105:11Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan As the portion of your inheritance,”
- Psalms 105:12When they were only a few men in number, Very few, and strangers in it.
- Acts 7:6But God spoke to this effect, that his descendants would be aliens in a foreign land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.
- Hebrews 11:8By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.
- Exodus 12:40Now the time that the sons of Israel lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.
- Galatians 3:17What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.
Commentaries on Genesis 15:13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Four hundred years - "Which began," says Mr. Ainsworth, "when Ishmael, son of Hagar, mocked and persecuted Isaac, Genesis 21:9; Galatians 4:29; which fell out thirty years after the promise, Genesis 12:3; which promise was four hundred and thirty years before the law, Galatians 3:17; and four hundred and thirty years after that promise came Israel out of Egypt, Exodus 12:41."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. 12-16Verses 12-16 A deep sleep fell upon Abram; with this sleep a horror of great darkness fell upon him: a sudden change. The children of light do not always walk in the light. Several things were then foretold. 1. The suffering state of Abram's seed for a long time. They shall be strangers. The heirs of heaven are strangers on earth. They shall be servants; but Canaanites serve under a curse, the Hebrews under a blessing. They shall be suffers. Those that…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13mistreated: The same word appears in Exodus 1:11–12. Egypt, like "birds of prey" (Genesis 15:11), tried to destroy Israel and stop the fulfillment of the covenant. four hundred years: This is probably an approximate number (also Acts 7:6; compare Exodus 12:40; Galatians 3:17). According to the Hebrew text's timeline, the family moved to Egypt around 1876 BC. The exodus happened around 1446 BC, but many scholars believe the Israelites left Egypt later…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 15:13
In the dictionaries
Notes
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
New American Standard Bible 1995 — © 1960–1995 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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