Genesis 15:3

Genesis 15:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
• New International Version (NIV)And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Abram said, "Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”

Context of Genesis 15:3

1After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.” 2But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Abram also said, “Since You have given me no son, one who has been born in my house is my heir.” 4Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” 5And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

Genesis 15:3 word by word

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְרָ֔ם הֵ֣ן לִ֔י לֹ֥א נָתַ֖תָּה זָ֑רַע וְהִנֵּ֥ה בֶן־בֵּיתִ֖י יוֹרֵ֥שׁ אֹתִֽי׃Read the interlinear

• Abramאַבְרָם'abrâm · AbramH87
• also saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Sinceהֵןhên · look!H2005
• You have givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• me noלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• sonזֶ֫רַעzera‛ · seed: childrenH2233
• oneבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• in my houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• isיָרַשׁyârash yârêsh · to possess: possessH3423

Cross-references for Genesis 15:3

• Genesis 12:2And I will make you into a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing;
• Genesis 13:16I will make your descendants as plentiful as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can count the dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be counted.
• Proverbs 13:12Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
• Jeremiah 12:1Righteous are You, Lord, when I plead my case with You; Nevertheless I would discuss matters of justice with You: Why has the way of the wicked prospered? Why are all those who deal in treachery at ease?
• Hebrews 10:35Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
• Genesis 14:14When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, numbering 318, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
• Proverbs 29:21One who pampers his slave from childhood Will in the end find him to be rebellious.
• Proverbs 30:23Under an unloved woman when she gets a husband, And a female servant when she dispossesses her mistress.
• Ecclesiastes 2:7I bought male and female slaves, and I had slaves born at home. I also possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem.

Commentaries on Genesis 15:3

• 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. 2-6Verses 2-6 Though we must never complain of God, yet we have leave to complain to him; and to state all our grievances. It is ease to a burdened spirit, to open its case to a faithful and compassionate friend. Abram's complaint is, that he had no child; that he was never likely to have any; that the want of a son was so great a trouble to him, that it took away all his comfort. If we suppose that Abram looked no further than outward comfort, this…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-3Abram used wordplay to show his concern that Eliezer of Damascus (Hebrew dammeseq), a man in Abram's household, would become his heir (Hebrew ben-mesheq, which means “son of possession”). This was the usual practice when a man had no son.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. 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…Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 15:3

• Adoption
• Blessing
• Children
• Condescension of God
• Heir
• Inheritance
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Abram
• Abraham, Abram
• Chronology
• Count
• Covenant
• Eliezer
• Exceeding
• Fear
• Heir
• Horror

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