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 presented all these to him and killed them. Then he cut each animal down the middle and laid the halves side by side; he did not, however, cut the birds in half. 11Some vultures swooped down to eat the carcasses, but Abram chased them away. As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a terrifying darkness came down over him. 13Then the Lord said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. 14But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth.

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. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening.
• 1 Samuel 26:12So David took the spear and jug of water that were near Saul’s head. Then he and Abishai got away without anyone seeing them or even waking up, because the Lord had put Saul’s men into a deep sleep.
• Job 4:13It came to me in a disturbing vision at night, when people are in a deep sleep.
• Job 33:15He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds.
• Daniel 10:8So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak.
• Acts 20:9As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, became very drowsy. Finally, he fell sound asleep and dropped three stories to his death below.
• Psalms 4:3You can be sure of this: The Lord set apart the godly for himself. The Lord will answer when I call to him.
• Acts 9:8Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to 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