Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Print Page Options
Close NABRE

Genesis 15:1-6
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

Chapter 15

The Covenant with Abram.[a] 1 Some time afterward, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: Do not fear, Abram! I am your shield; I will make your reward very great.

2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what can you give me, if I die childless and have only a servant of my household, Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Abram continued, “Look, you have given me no offspring, so a servant of my household will be my heir.” 4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: No, that one will not be your heir; your own offspring will be your heir.(A) 5 He took him outside and said: Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so, he added, will your descendants be.(B) 6 (C)Abram put his faith in the Lord, who attributed it to him as an act of righteousness.[b]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 15:1–21 In the first section (vv. 1–6), Abraham is promised a son and heir, and in the second (vv. 7–21), he is promised a land. The structure is similar in both: each of the two promises is not immediately accepted; the first is met with a complaint (vv. 2–3) and the second with a request for a sign (v. 8). God’s answer differs in each section—a sign in v. 5 and an oath in vv. 9–21. Some scholars believe that the Genesis promises of progeny and land were originally separate and only later combined, but progeny and land are persistent concerns especially of ancient peoples and it is hard to imagine one without the other.
  2. 15:6 Abraham’s act of faith in God’s promises was regarded as an act of righteousness, i.e., as fully expressive of his relationship with God. St. Paul (Rom 4:1–25; Gal 3:6–9) makes Abraham’s faith a model for Christians.
Close NRSVCE

Genesis 15:1-6
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

God’s Covenant with Abram

15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”[a] 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” 4 But the word of the Lord came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” 5 He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 And he believed the Lord; and the Lord[b] reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 15:2 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  2. Genesis 15:6 Heb he
Close GNT

Genesis 15:1-6
Good News Translation

God's Covenant with Abram

15 After this, Abram had a vision and heard the Lord say to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I will shield you from danger and give you a great reward.”

2 But Abram answered, “Sovereign Lord, what good will your reward do me, since I have no children? My only heir is Eliezer of Damascus.[a] 3 You have given me no children, and one of my slaves will inherit my property.”

4 Then he heard the Lord speaking to him again: “This slave Eliezer will not inherit your property; your own son will be your heir.” 5 (A)The Lord took him outside and said, “Look at the sky and try to count the stars; you will have as many descendants as that.”

6 (B)Abram put his trust in the Lord, and because of this the Lord was pleased with him and accepted him.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 15:2 My … Damascus; Hebrew unclear.
Listen to Genesis 15:1-6
Close NASB

Genesis 15:1-6
New American Standard Bible

Abram Promised a Son

15 After these things (A)the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying,

“(B)Do not fear, Abram,
I am (C)a shield to you;
[a]Your (D)reward shall be very great.”

2 But Abram said, “Lord [b]God, what will You give me, since I [c]am childless, and the [d]heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Abram also said, “[e]Since You have given me no [f]son, [g]one who has been (E)born in my house is my heir.” 4 Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; (F)but one who will come from your own [h]body shall be your heir.” 5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens and (G)count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “(H)So shall your [i]descendants be.” 6 (I)Then he believed in the Lord; and He [j]credited it to him as righteousness.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 15:1 Or Your very great reward
  2. Genesis 15:2 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  3. Genesis 15:2 Lit go
  4. Genesis 15:2 Lit son of acquisition
  5. Genesis 15:3 Lit Behold
  6. Genesis 15:3 Lit seed
  7. Genesis 15:3 Lit then behold, a son of my
  8. Genesis 15:4 Lit inward parts
  9. Genesis 15:5 Lit seed
  10. Genesis 15:6 Or imputed
Listen to Genesis 15:1-6
Close NIV

Genesis 15:1-6
New International Version

The Lord’s Covenant With Abram

15 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram(A) in a vision:(B)

“Do not be afraid,(C) Abram.
    I am your shield,[a](D)
    your very great reward.[b](E)”

2 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord,(F) what can you give me since I remain childless(G) and the one who will inherit[c] my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?(H)” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant(I) in my household(J) will be my heir.”

4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.(K)” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars(L)—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring[d] be.”(M)

6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.(N)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 15:1 Or sovereign
  2. Genesis 15:1 Or shield; / your reward will be very great
  3. Genesis 15:2 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  4. Genesis 15:5 Or seed
Next
Genesis 14
Genesis 16
Next
dropdown
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Good News Translation (GNT)

Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.

GNT Resources
New American Standard Bible (NASB)

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible is made available by The Lockman Foundation
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

July Summer Surge

More on the NIV