Genesis 15:1 - Exposition

After these things —the events just recorded— the word of the Lord —Debar Jehovah ; the first occurrence of this remarkable phrase, afterwards so common in the Hebrew Scriptures ( Exodus 9:20 ; Numbers 3:16 ; Deuteronomy 34:5 ; 1 Samuel 3:1 ; Psalms 33:6 , et passim ). That this was a personal designation of the pre-incarnate Loges, if not susceptible of complete demonstration, yet receives not a little sanction from the language employed throughout this narrative (cf. Genesis 15:5 , Genesis 15:7 , Genesis 15:9 , Genesis 15:13 , Genesis 15:14 , &c.;). At least the expression denotes "the Lord manifesting himself by speech to his servant" (Murphy; vide Genesis 1:3 )— came (literally, was) unto Abram in a vision —a night vision, but no dream ( vide Genesis 15:5 ). Biblically viewed, the vision, as distinguished from the ordinary dream, defines the presentation to the bodily senses or to the mental consciousness of objects usually beyond the sphere of their natural activities; hence visions might be imparted in dreams ( Numbers 12:6 ), or in trances ( Numbers 24:4 , Numbers 24:16 , Numbers 24:17 ). Saying, Fear not, Abram. With allusion, doubtless, to the patriarch's mental dejection, which was probably occasioned by the natural re action consequent upon his late high-pitched excitement (cf. 1 Kings 19:4 ), which might lead him to anticipate either a war of revenge from the Asiatic monarchs (Jonathan), or an assault from the heathen Canaanites, already jealous of his growing power, or perhaps both. Wordsworth observes that the words here addressed to Abram are commonly employed in Scripture to introduce announcements of Christ ( Luke 1:13 , Luke 1:30 ; Luke 2:10 ; John 12:15 ; cf. St. John's vision, Revelation 4:1 ). I am thy shield, and thy exceed lag great reward. Literally, thy reward, exceeding abundantly, the hiphil inf. abs. הַרְבֵּה being always used adverbially (cf. Nehemiah 2:2 ; Nehemiah 3:1-32 :33), The other rendering, "thy reward m exceeding great" ( LXX ; Rosenmüller, Delitzsch, Ewald), fails to give prominence to the thought that the patriarch's reward was to be the all-sufficient Jehovah himself. It is not needful to suppose with Lange an actual vision of a shield and treasure.