Genesis 15:4

4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; ¹your very own son^[a] shall be your heir. ”

Genesis 15:4 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 15:4

And behold, the word of the Lord [came] unto him
Either having disappeared, and then came a second time, or he again spoke unto him:

saying, this shall not be thine heir;
this Eliezer, this servant of thine, as thou hast made him, or hast intended to make him, giving up all hopes of having issue by Sarai:

but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine
heir;
that is, one shall inherit all thou hast, that shall be begotten by thee; an own son of Abram's, and not a servant born in his house; one that should spring out of his own loins: the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "out of thy womb", that is, out of his wife's, which was his; the phrase designs a genuine and legitimate son of his, who would be legally his heir.

Genesis 15:4 In-Context

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? ”

3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir. ”

4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir. ”

5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them. ” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be. ”

6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Cross References

• 1. 15:4 ch. 17:16

Footnotes

• [a] 15:4 Hebrew 'what will come out of your own loins'