Genesis 15:8

8 He said, "O Lord GOD, ¹how may I know that I will possess it?"

Genesis 15:8 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 15:8

And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall
inherit it?
] Not as questioning or doubting whether he should or not; but this he asked for the further confirmation of his faith in the promise, and for the sake of his posterity, that they might more easily and strongly believe that they should inherit the land given and promised to them; nor is it culpable to ask a sign of God with such a view; good men have done it, as Gideon, ( Judges 6:36-40 ) , and Hezekiah, ( 2 Kings 20:8-11 ) , without being blamed for it; yea, Ahaz is blamed for not asking one, ( Isaiah 7:10-13 ) .

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Genesis 15:8 In-Context

6 Then he believed in the LORD ; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.

7 And He said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it."

8 He said, "O Lord GOD, how may I know that I will possess it?"

9 So He said to him, "Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon."

10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds.

Cross References 1

1. Judges 6:36-40; Luke 1:18

Footnotes 2

[a]. Heb "YHWH," usually rendered LORD
[b]. Or "inherit"

Genesis 15:8

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Genesis 15:8 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 15:8 In-Context

Cross References 1

Footnotes 2