Genesis 15

Genesis 15

Genesis 15:1-2, NIV After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” But Abram said, “O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”

One of the biggest disappoints in my reading of the Bible is my surprise to find that I thoroughly do not like Abram. Over and over, his greed seems to shine through, yet I have never, ever seen him portrayed in a negative light in Christian or Jewish doctrine. To me, it seems as if becoming God’s Chosen One and the father of a future great nation has gone to his head.

There is also a difference in translation in the first verse between the JPS Torah and the NIV Bible. In the Torah, Genesis 15 starts off “Some time later”; in the NIV it is “After this”. In the Torah, a much bigger stretch of time could have compared to how it is stated in the NIV.

Abram’s request for children is repeated twice, which also lends credence to the Documentary Hypothesis. Under the Documentary Hypothesis, Gen 15: 1-2, 3b-4, 6-12, and 17-21 is claimed to be written by J. Author J focuses on humanity, uses YHWH as God’s name, lived in the southern kingdom of Judah during an early period in Israel’s history, likely written sometime between 848 BCE and 722 BCE. Gen 15:3a, 5, and 13-16 is believed to have been written by E. Author E uses Elohim as God’s name, lived in the Northern kingdom of Israel, probably wrote between 922 and 722 BCE, and primarily wrote about religious and moralistic concerns.

Genesis 15:7-8, NIV He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.” But Abram said, “O Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”

Abram was obviously not required to have the blind faith that is expected of Christians today. He had the nerve to ask God to prove himself, and God complied—in a roundabout sort of way that sets the scene for the opening chapters of Exodus. Once again, God makes a covenant, but is more specific this time, identifying the boundaries of Abram’s future nation as the land of Canaan from the Nile to the Euphrates, and who exactly his descendants will be taking the land from.

In company with shamans and other spiritual folks, Abram goes into a trance to receive this most recent message from God.

The moral of this chapter is quite loud and clear: be patient.