Revised Literal Translation

Genesis 15

1Afterאַחַ֣ר׀'a.CharH310these thingsהַדְּבָרִ֣יםha.de.va.RimH1697the wordדְבַר־de.var-H1697of Yhwhיְהוָה֙Yah.wehH3068cameהָיָ֤הha.YahH1961unto Abramאַבְרָ֔ם'av.RamH87in a visionבַּֽמַּחֲזֶ֖הba.ma.cha.ZehH4236,sayingלֵאמֹ֑רle.MorH559,Fearתִּירָ֣אti.Ra'H3372not, Abramאַבְרָ֗ם'av.RamH87: I amthy shieldמָגֵ֣ןma.GenH4043, andthy exceedingמְאֹֽד׃me.'OdH3966greatהַרְבֵּ֥הhar.BehH7235rewardשְׂכָרְךָ֖se.kha.re.KhaH7939.

2And Abramאַבְרָ֗ם'av.RamH87saidוַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559,Lordאֲדֹנָ֤י'a.do.NaiH136Yhwhיֱהוִה֙Yah.wehH3069,what wilt thou giveתִּתֶּן־ti.ten-H5414me, seeing I goהוֹלֵ֣ךְho.LekhH1980childlessעֲרִירִ֑י'a.ri.RiH6185,and the stewardוּבֶן־ מֶ֣שֶׁקu.ven- Me.shekH4943 H1121of my houseבֵּיתִ֔יbei.TiH1004isthisה֖וּאhu'H1931Eliezerאֱלִיעֶֽזֶר׃'e.li.'E.zerH461of Damascusדַּמֶּ֥שֶׂקda.Me.sekH1834?

3And Abramאַבְרָ֔ם'av.RamH87saidוַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559,Behold, to me thou hast givenנָתַ֖תָּהna.Ta.tahH5414noלֹ֥אlo'H3808seedזָ֑רַעZa.ra'H2233:and, lo, one bornבֶן־ven-H1121in my houseבֵּיתִ֖יbei.TiH1004is mine heirיוֹרֵ֥שׁyo.ReshH3423.

4And, behold, the wordדְבַר־de.var-H1697of Yhwhיְהוָ֤הYah.wehH3068cameunto him, sayingלֵאמֹ֔רle.MorH559,This shall not be thine heirיִֽירָשְׁךָ֖yi.ra.she.KhaH3423;but he that shall come forthיֵצֵ֣אye.Tze'H3318out of thine own bowelsמִמֵּעֶ֔יךָmi.me.'Ei.khaH4578shall be thine heirיִֽירָשֶֽׁךָ׃Yi.ra.She.khaH3423.

5And he brought him forthוַיּוֹצֵ֨אvai.yo.Tze'H3318abroadהַח֗וּצָהha.Chu.tzahH2351,and saidוַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙vai.Yo.merH559,Lookהַבֶּט־ha.bet-H5027now toward heavenהַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָהha.sha.May.mahH8064,and tellוּסְפֹר֙u.se.ForH5608the starsהַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔יםha.Ko.kha.VimH3556,if thou be ableתּוּכַ֖לtu.KhalH3201to numberלִסְפֹּ֣רlis.PorH5608them: and he saidוַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559unto him, Soכֹּ֥הkohH3541shall thy seedזַרְעֶֽךָ׃zar.'E.khaH2233be.

6And he believedוְהֶאֱמִ֖ןve.he.'e.MinH539in Yhwhבַּֽיהוָ֑הba.Yah.wehH3068;and he countedוַיַּחְשְׁבֶ֥הָvai.yach.she.Ve.haH2803it to him for righteousnessצְדָקָֽה׃tze.da.KahH6666.

7And he saidוַיֹּ֖אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559unto him, I amYhwhיְהוָ֗הYah.wehH3068that brought thee outהוֹצֵאתִ֙יךָ֙ho.tze.Ti.khaH3318of Urמֵא֣וּרme.'UrH218of the Chaldeesכַּשְׂדִּ֔יםkas.DimH3778,to giveלָ֧תֶתLa.tetH5414thee this landהָאָ֥רֶץha.'A.retzH776to inheritלְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃le.rish.TahH3423it.

8And he saidוַיֹּאמַ֑רvai.yo.MarH559,Lordאֲדֹנָ֣י'a.do.NaiH136Yhwhיֱהוִ֔הYah.wehH3069,wherebyבַּמָּ֥הba.MahH4100shall I knowאֵדַ֖ע'e.Da'H3045that I shall inherit itאִֽירָשֶֽׁנָּה׃'I.ra.She.nahH3423?

9And he saidוַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559unto him, Takeקְחָ֥הke.ChahH3947me an heiferעֶגְלָ֣ה'eg.LahH5697of three years oldמְשֻׁלֶּ֔שֶׁתme.shu.Le.shetH8027,and a she goatוְעֵ֥זve.'EzH5795of three years oldמְשֻׁלֶּ֖שֶׁתme.shu.Le.shetH8027,and a ramוְאַ֣יִלve.'A.yilH352of three years oldמְשֻׁלָּ֑שׁme.shu.LashH8027,and a turtledoveוְתֹ֖רve.TorH8449,and a young pigeonוְגוֹזָֽל׃ve.go.ZalH1469.

10And he tookוַיִּֽקַּֽח־vai.yi.kach-H3947unto him all these, and dividedוַיְבַתֵּ֤רvay.va.TerH1334them in the midstבַּתָּ֔וֶךְba.Ta.vekhH8432,and laidוַיִּתֵּ֥ןvai.yi.TenH5414eachאִישׁ־'ish-H376pieceבִּתְר֖וֹbit.RoH1335one againstH7125anotherרֵעֵ֑הוּre.'E.huH7453:but the birdsהַצִפֹּ֖רha.tzi.PorH6833dividedבָתָֽר׃va.TarH1334he not.

11And when the fowlsהָעַ֖יִטha.'A.yitH5861came downוַיֵּ֥רֶדvai.Ye.redH3381upon the carcasesהַפְּגָרִ֑יםha.pe.ga.RimH6297,Abramאַבְרָֽם׃'av.RamH87drove them awayוַיַּשֵּׁ֥בvai.ya.ShevH5380.

12And when the sunהַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ha.She.meshH8121was going downלָב֔וֹאla.Vo'H935,a deep sleepוְתַרְדֵּמָ֖הve.tar.de.MahH8639fellנָפְלָ֣הna.fe.LahH5307upon Abramאַבְרָ֑ם'av.RamH87;and, lo, an horrorאֵימָ֛ה'ei.MahH367of greatגְדֹלָ֖הge.do.LahH1419darknessחֲשֵׁכָ֥הcha.she.KhahH2825fellנֹפֶ֥לֶתno.Fe.letH5307upon him.

13And he saidוַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559unto Abramלְאַבְרָ֗םle.'av.RamH87,Knowיָדֹ֨עַya.Do.a'H3045of a suretyתֵּדַ֜עte.Da'H3045that thy seedזַרְעֲךָ֗zar.'a.KhaH2233shall be a strangerגֵ֣ר׀gerH1616in a landבְּאֶ֙רֶץ֙be.'E.retzH776that isnot theirs, and shall serveוַעֲבָד֖וּםva.'a.va.DumH5647them; and they shall afflictוְעִנּ֣וּve.'i.NuH6031them fourאַרְבַּ֥ע'ar.Ba'H702hundredמֵא֖וֹתme.'otH3967yearsשָׁנָֽה׃sha.NahH8141;

14And also that nationהַגּ֛וֹיha.GoyH1471,whom they shall serveיַעֲבֹ֖דוּya.'a.Vo.duH5647,will I judgeדָּ֣ןdanH1777:and afterwardוְאַחֲרֵי־ כֵ֥ןve.'a.cha.rei- khenH3651 H310shall they come outיֵצְא֖וּye.tze.'UH3318with greatגָּדֽוֹל׃ga.DolH1419substanceבִּרְכֻ֥שׁbir.KhushH7399.

15And thou shalt goתָּב֥וֹאta.Vo'H935to thy fathersאֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ'a.vo.Tei.khaH1in peaceבְּשָׁל֑וֹםbe.sha.LomH7965;thou shalt be buriedתִּקָּבֵ֖רti.ka.VerH6912in a goodטוֹבָֽה׃to.VahH2896old ageבְּשֵׂיבָ֥הbe.sei.VahH7872.

16But in the fourthרְבִיעִ֖יre.vi.'IH7243generationוְד֥וֹרve.DorH1755they shall come hitherהֵ֑נָּהHe.nahH2008againיָשׁ֣וּבוּya.Shu.vuH7725:for the iniquityעֲוֹ֥ן'a.VonH5771of the Amoritesהָאֱמֹרִ֖יha.'e.mo.RiH567isnot yetהֵֽנָּה׃He.nahH2008fullשָׁלֵ֛םsha.LemH8003.

17And it came to pass, that, when the sunהַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ha.She.meshH8121went downבָּ֔אָהBa.'ahH935,and it was darkוַעֲלָטָ֖הva.'a.la.TahH5939,behold a smokingעָשָׁן֙'a.ShanH6227furnaceתַנּ֤וּרta.NurH8574,and a burningאֵ֔שׁ'EshH784lampוְלַפִּ֣ידve.la.PidH3940that passedעָבַ֔ר'a.VarH5674betweenבֵּ֖יןbeinH996those piecesהַגְּזָרִ֥יםha.ge.za.RimH1506.

18In the sameהַה֗וּאha.Hu'H1931dayבַּיּ֣וֹםbai.YomH3117Yhwhיְהוָ֛הYah.wehH3068madeכָּרַ֧תka.RatH3772a covenantבְּרִ֣יתbe.RitH1285with Abramאַבְרָ֖ם'av.RamH87,sayingלֵאמֹ֑רle.MorH559,Unto thy seedלְזַרְעֲךָ֗le.zar.'a.KhaH2233have I givenנָתַ֙תִּי֙na.Ta.tiH5414this landהָאָ֣רֶץha.'A.retzH776,from the riverמִנְּהַ֣רmi.ne.HarH5104of Egyptמִצְרַ֔יִםmitz.Ra.yimH4714unto the greatהַגָּדֹ֖לha.ga.DolH1419riverהַנָּהָ֥רha.na.HarH5104,the riverנְהַר־ne.har-H5104Euphratesפְּרָֽת׃pe.RatH6578:

19The Kenitesהַקֵּינִי֙ha.kei.NiH7017,and the Kenizzitesהַקְּנִזִּ֔יha.ke.ni.ZiH7074,and the Kadmonitesהַקַּדְמֹנִֽי׃ha.kad.mo.NiH6935,

20And the Hittitesהַחִתִּ֥יha.chi.TiH2850,and the Perizzitesהַפְּרִזִּ֖יha.pe.ri.ZiH6522,and the Rephaimsהָרְפָאִֽים׃ha.re.fa.'ImH7497,

21And the Amoritesהָֽאֱמֹרִי֙ha.'e.mo.RiH567,and the Canaanitesהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֔יha.ke.na.'a.NiH3669,and the Girgashitesהַגִּרְגָּשִׁ֖יha.gir.ga.ShiH1622,and the Jebusitesהַיְבוּסִֽי׃ סhay.vu.SiH2983.

Commentaries on Genesis 15