Acts 7:5

5 God did not then give Abraham any part of it as his own, not even a square foot of ground, but God promised to give it to him, and that it would belong to him and to his descendants. At the time God made this promise, Abraham had no children. 1

Acts 7:5 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 7:5

And he gave him none inheritance in it
To be personally enjoyed by him; and which was a great trial to Abraham's faith, to be brought out of his country, and into another land, and which was promised to him and his; and yet, as not the whole, so not a single part of it was given him to possess:

no, not so much as to set his foot on:
so that when Sarah his wife died, he was obliged to buy a piece of ground for a burying place to bury her in: and which could not be said to be given him by the Lord, for he bought it with his money:

yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and
to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child;
which was another exercise of Abraham's faith, that he should have a whole country promised him and his seed, and yet had no seed given him; see ( Genesis 12:7 ) ( 13:15 ) ( Genesis 15:2 Genesis 15:3 Genesis 15:7 ) .

Acts 7:5 In-Context

3 and said to him, "Leave your family and country and go to the land that I will show you.'
4 And so he left his country and went to live in Haran. After Abraham's father died, God made him move to this land where you now live.
5 God did not then give Abraham any part of it as his own, not even a square foot of ground, but God promised to give it to him, and that it would belong to him and to his descendants. At the time God made this promise, Abraham had no children.
6 This is what God said to him: "Your descendants will live in a foreign country, where they will be slaves and will be badly treated for four hundred years.
7 But I will pass judgment on the people that they will serve, and afterward your descendants will come out of that country and will worship me in this place.'

Cross References 1

  • 1. 7.5Genesis 12.7; 13.15; 15.18; 17.8.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.