Gen. 15 A comfortable promise to Abram, Gen. 15:1. His prayer for an heir, Gen. 15:2–3. The promise of an answer to his prayer, Gen. 15:4–5. Abram’s faith, Gen. 15:6. He desires a sign, Gen. 15:7–8. God gives him one, Gen. 15:9. He observes it, Gen. 15:10–11.

God anciently revealed himself to men two ways; either, 1. When the man was asleep, in a dream; or, 2. In a vision, Num. 12:6, when he was awake: and this either, 1.

What pleasure can I take in any other gifts, so long as thou dost withhold from me that great and promised gift of that blessed and blessing Seed, in the giving of whom thy honour and the world’s happiness is so highly concerned? Gen. 12:3. Seeing I go childless; either, 1.

Of such see Gen. 14:14, Eccles. 2:7. And these are opposed to them that are born of a man’s body, Job 19:17, Prov. 31:2, Jer. 2:14. Mine heir; either, 1. By nearness of relation, being, as some conceive, descended from Aram the eldest son of Shem. Or, 2.

i.e. Out of thy own body: see Gen. 35:11, 2 Sam. 7:12, 2 Chron. 6:9.

Quest. Seeing the sun was not yet going down, Gen. 15:12, how could he see the stars? Answ. 1. He might see them by representation in a vision, or by a Divine power strengthening his eyes to behold them. 2. It was not necessary he should then actually see them.

He believed in the Lord, i.e. he was fully persuaded that God was able to fulfil, and would certainly fulfil, the promise made to him concerning a child, and especially concerning the Messias, who should come out of his loins by that child, and that both himself and all people should be justified…

He asks a sign, not out of distrust of God’s promise, for he was strong in faith, Rom. 4:20, but for further assurance and confirmation of it. And such an asking of a sign was not an unusual practice with good men, as Judg.

Take and offer at my command, and for my service, an heifer of three years old, at which time it is perfect in stature and strength, and therefore fittest for God’s service.

And he, i.e. Abram, who by Divine instinct and precept did all this which here follows, divided them in the midst, into two equal parts. This was done for two reasons. 1. To represent the torn and distracted condition in which his seed was to lie for a season. 2.

The fowls came to devour them; whereby is signified, either, 1. The disturbance and distraction which good men are exposed to in the service of God from evil spirits and men; or rather, 2.

A deep sleep fell upon Abram; partly natural, from his labour in killing and sacrificing those creatures; and partly sent upon him from God, to make way for the following representation. He seemed to be covered with a dreadful darkness, which was either, 1.

In a land that is not theirs, i.e. in Canaan and Egypt; for though Canaan was theirs by promise, to be fulfilled in after-times, yet it was not theirs by actual donation and possession; but they were strangers in it, Gen. 17:8, Ps. 105:11–12.

That nation whom they shall serve, i.e. Egypt, the principal seat of their servitude, and the instrument of their sorest bondage, will I judge, i.e. punish, as that word is used, Ps. 51:4, Obad. 21, and elsewhere. With great substance; the accomplishment of this, see Ex. 3:22, Ex. 11:2, Ex.

To thy fathers, i.e. either, 1. Into heaven, where thy godly progenitors are gone; or, 2. Into the state of the dead, where all thy fathers are gone before thee.

In the fourth generation; in the end of the four hundred years mentioned Gen. 15:13, a generation being at that time reckoned at one hundred years, or thereabouts.

By which symbol God designed to represent, either, 1. The future state of Abram’s seed; the smoking furnace signifying Israel’s misery in the iron furnace of Egypt, as it is called, Jer. 11:4; and the burning lamp noting their deliverance, or light shining out of darkness. Or, 2.

Unto thy seed have I given this land, i.e. decreed and promised in due time to give, which makes it as sure as if it were actually given to them. Or, I will give; words of the past time being oft put for the future, especially in prophecies.

The Kenites are supposed the same with the Midianites, by comparing Ex. 3:1, with Judg. 1:16, Num. 24:21, 1 Sam. 15:6. The Kenizzites, thought to be the Idumeans, who sprung from Kenaz of Esau’s race. But this seems not to agree with Deut.