Acts 7:5

5 yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot's length, but promised to give it to him in possession and to his posterity after him, though he had no child.

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, 'Depart from your land and from your kindred and go into the land which I will show you.'

4 Then he departed from the land of the Chalde'ans, and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living;

5 yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot's length, but promised to give it to him in possession and to his posterity after him, though he had no child.

6 And God spoke to this effect, that his posterity would be aliens in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and ill-treat them four hundred years.

7 'But I will judge the nation which they serve,' said God, 'and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.'