Genesis 15:12

Genesis 15:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
• New International Version (NIV)As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him.

Context of Genesis 15:12

10So Abram took all these for him and then cut them in two and placed each half opposite the other, but he did not cut the birds in half. 11When birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. When the sun went down, Abram fell sound asleep, and great terror overwhelmed him. 13Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign country. They will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years. 14But I will execute judgment on the nation that they will serve. Afterward they will come out with many possessions.

Genesis 15:12 word by word

וַיְהִ֤י הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ לָב֔וֹא וְתַרְדֵּמָ֖ה נָפְלָ֣ה עַל־אַבְרָ֑ם וְהִנֵּ֥ה אֵימָ֛ה חֲשֵׁכָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה נֹפֶ֥לֶת עָלָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And when the sunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁshemesh · sunH8121
• was going downבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• a deep sleepתַּרְדֵּמָהtardêmâh · deep sleepH8639
• fellנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
• upon Abramאַבְרָם'abrâm · AbramH87
• and, lo, an horrorאֵימָה'êymâh 'êmâh · terrorH367
• of greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• darknessחֲשֵׁכָהchăshêkâh chăshêykâh · darknessH2825

Cross-references for Genesis 15:12

• Genesis 2:21So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he was asleep, he took part of the man’s side and closed up the place with flesh.
• 1 Samuel 26:12So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul’s head, and they got out of there. No one saw them or was aware of their presence or woke up. All of them were asleep, for the Lord had caused a deep sleep to fall on them.
• Job 4:13In the troubling thoughts of the dreams in the night when a deep sleep falls on men,
• Job 33:15In a dream, a night vision, when deep sleep falls on people as they sleep in their beds.
• Daniel 10:8I alone was left to see this great vision. My strength drained from me, and my vigor disappeared; I was without energy.
• Acts 20:9A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window, was sinking into a deep sleep while Paul continued to speak for a long time. Fast asleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead.
• Psalms 4:3Realize that the Lord shows the godly special favor; the Lord responds when I cry out to him.
• Acts 9:8So Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open, he could see nothing. Leading him by the hand, his companions brought him into Damascus.

Commentaries on Genesis 15:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12A deep sleep - תרדמה tardemah, the same word which is used to express the sleep into which Adam was cast, previous to the formation of Eve; Genesis 2:21. A horror of great darkness - Which God designed to be expressive of the affliction and misery into which his posterity should be brought during the four hundred years of their bondage in Egypt; as the next verse particularly 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. 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. 7-21In a special ceremony, God made a covenant with Abram and promised to do what he had said.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 15:12

• Abraham
• Condescension of God
• Covenant
• Sign
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Abram
• Abraham, Abram
• Deep Sleep
• Chronology
• Count
• Covenant
• 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