And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
17. a smoking furnace ] The sign of the covenant is given in the appearance of a kiln, from which issued smoke and a blazing torch; and this passed through the two rows of the divided carcases. The figure described as a “smoking furnace” ( tannur) was that of a clay constructed kiln, or furnace, such as is used for baking purposes by the Fellaheen. It is the = “oven,” of Mat 6:30. For the fire and smoke as a symbol of the Theophany, see Exo 13:21; Exo 19:18; Exo 24:17.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Gen 15:17
Behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces
The furnace and the lamp
In this whole striking and impressive narrative there are teachings of the utmost interest and value; and I would fain extract alike from the sacrifice, the furnace, and the lamp, guiding light and strengthening cheer for Abrahams spiritual seed today.
1. Note, first, that Abrams long and lonely hours of watching came to an end at last, and that patient waiting upon God obtained its due reward. You, too, may find that your offering of ardent prayer, or self-sacrificing deed of service or of suffering, may seem for long unanswered and in vain. Yet, though the vision tarry long, still wait for it; the day may slowly die, the night may gather round before the gladdening light shall come, but it shall come, and turn the darkness back again to dawn.
2. Note, further, that from every offering to God–the song of praise, the fervent prayer, the submissive will, the good deeds, or the consecrated life–we need to drive, with watchful hand and eye, the vultures of evilthoughts and selfish aims and worldly motives and Satanic temptations away. Now, as then, mans extremity is Gods opportunity, and still the unclean spirits which haunt and harass the Christian, even at his devotions as well as otherwise, are scared off just as they circle round for a final swoop, and wing their baffled flight away!
3. Note, further, that the mysterious furnace and the supernatural lamp were seen in direct connection with the chosen sacrifice. They moved to and fro upon the altar and among the consecrated offerings, and were seen nowhere else. Now, see how this applies to the seed of Abraham, the Israelitish race. They were a chosen people, selected and set apart out of all the tribes of men to be, in a sense, absolutely singular–Gods own people. This choice on Gods part, and this consecration on theirs, was symbolized and ratified by altar sacrifices and the fire from heaven. Their consecration to God brought the furnace of purification and the lamp of illumination, in order to fit them for the high and glorious destiny to which they were called. In the life and death of Jesus Christ, too, Abrams glorious seed, the vision was fulfilled. How clearly we can see the smoking furnace in the sore affliction through which He passed! Yet, ever amid all, through the whole of His sharp pilgrimage, He had ever the light and the comfort, the cheer and the guidance, of the burning lamp. By His conscious sinlessness, His secret mountain intercourse with God, by the baptism of the Brooding Dove, by the Fathers voice and presence, by saintly messengers from heaven, by perpetual gift of gracious power, the burning lamp of light and love moved along through all His life of sacrifice, up the hill of Calvary, through the sepulchre, and from Mount Olivet up to the hills of God! The patriarchs vision is fulfilled, too, in the history and experience of the Church of God, the true Israel, the spiritual seed of Abraham. The Church of Christ, the guild and family of true believers throughout all the world, is also, like Abrams sacrifice, the elect of God. It is a chosen nation, a royal priesthood, a peculiar people, elect, precious. By holy dedication the Church lays itself on the altar of its Lord, and offers perpetual sacrifice through the blood of the Atoning Lamb; and God says of it, I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Here, again, we see how consecration is linked with purification and illumination–here, again, the Chosen Sacrifice is subjected to the smoking furnaceand burning lamp. The smoke of the one and the gleam of the other can be traced all along the line of the Churchs march. You can see the reek of the furnace in the rage of Herod, in the cruelty of Domitian, in the savagery of Nero, the passion of the English Mary, the atrocities of papal Rome. You can catch the reflection of the furnace glow in the sword of Mahomet, the rocks of Madagascar, the dungeons of Naples, the stakes of Smithfield, and the Inquisition of Spain. In some form or other, today, the smoking furnace moves through the pilgrim and militant Church of Christ. But, as with Israel of old, as with Jesus, the Churchs Head, so the Church itself has never been without the glow of the burning lamp. Gods Church has never lost the light of truth, never been robbed of the divinely-kindled lamp of Love! I want to extract one more lesson for personal application. The singular vision of Abram is equally fulfilled in the life and lot of every Christian believer. Like Abrams offered victims, the Christian, too, is the chosen and consecrated possession of the Lord. He hath presented himself a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, and in return, the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for Himself. And here, again, in the individual, consecration is attended by purification and illumination. The living sacrifice goes hand in hand with the smoking furnace and the burning lamp. In the Christian life the smoking furnace is full often seen and felt. The path of suffering, test, and trial must be trodden by every child of God. This Christian must carry along a painful bodily ailment. That one must go mourning because of an absent face, a silent voice, a vacant chair. Another must struggle, baffled and perplexed with temporal and financial cares, half worsted in the fight. And still another weeps over a blighted hope, a thankless child, or an unfaithful friend. Everywhere, and with everyone, the smoking furnace moves in and out along the consecrated life. But still, in the Christians lot the burning lamp holds precious and abiding place. The word of promise, grace, and guidance is with him all the way. The candle of the Lord burns in his heart; the lamp of eternal truth and love burns with a quenchless fire, casts a guiding light on his heavenward path, sweeps away the mists even from deaths deep river, expels the shadows from the very grave, and is reflected by the jasper walls that gleam on the hills of God! Is Abram afraid of the smoking furnace? In the light of the burning lamp he reads, Fear not, Abraham, I am thy shield, thy exceeding great reward. Does Pauls thorn rankle so deep that he pleads thrice with tears and sighs to be delivered? The burning lamp flings the promise on the smoke cloud–My grace is sufficient for thee, and at once the apostle glories in his infirmities and praises God in the fire! So with thee, O Christian! In thy trials thou shalt have triumphs, in thy sorrows thou shalt have solace. For thy trouble thou shalt have double; in tribulation shall come compensation, and always and ever the smoking furnace shall be held in check by the gleam of the burning lamp! Do you ask in doubtful wonder why a consecrated life should be so closely linked with affliction? I answer that the furnace is the purifying agent making the sanctification perfect and the sacrifice more precious and complete. The furnace, too, endows the consecrated soul with the properties of steel, gives the tempered hardness and solidity of character which enables the Christian to fulfil the Apostolic counsel–Quit you like men; be strong! That was the end of Israels sore distresses. Behold I have refined thee, says Jehovah–I have chosen thee out of the furnace of affliction. Even of Jesus it is said that He learned obedience by the things that He suffered, and that by suffering He was made perfect as the Captain of our salvation. Take heart, then, O thou follower of the Captain. If that is the way the Master trod, should not the servant tread it still? Make thy sacrifice thorough, willing, constant, and entire. (J. J. Wray.)
Ratification of a covenant by a burning lamp
In illustration of this very ancient mode of ratifying a covenant, Roberts says–It is an interesting fact that the burning lamp or tire is still used in the East in confirmation of a covenant. Should a person in the evening make a solemn promise to perform something for another, and should the latter doubt his word, the former will say, pointing to the flame of the lamp, That is the witness. On occasions of greater importance, when two or more join in a covenant, should the fidelity of any be questioned, they will say, We invoke the lamp of the temple. When an agreement of this kind is broken, it will be said, Who would have thought this, for the lamp of the temple was invoked?
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 17. Smoking furnace and a burning lamp] Probably the smoking furnace might be designed as an emblem of the sore afflictions of the Israelites in Egypt; but the burning lamp was certainly the symbol of the Divine presence, which, passing between the pieces, ratified the covenant with Abram, as the following verse immediately states.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
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. His own presence; for God is called a consuming fire, Heb 12:29; and both smoke and fire are elsewhere mentioned as the signs and means of God’s appearance. See Exo 3:2; 19:9,16,18; 20:18. And this sense seems to be favoured by the following words, it being the custom of persons entering into covenant to pass between such pieces as hath been said; and because God hath no body which could visibly do so, therefore he doth it in this type or shadow.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And it came to pass, when the sun went down,…. It was going down when the deep sleep fell on Abram, and now it was quite gone or set:
and it was dark; which is not always the case as soon as the sun is set, there is a twilight for a while, and if a clear night the stars appear; but, as Aben Ezra observes, this was a dark and cloudy night; so it was a dark night, a time of great affliction and distress to the posterity of Abram, when their sun was set, or after the death of Joseph:
behold a smoking furnace; or the likeness of one, as Aben Ezra notes; for all this was represented in a visionary way to Abram, and was an emblem of the great troubles and afflictions of the children of Israel in Egypt, called the iron furnace, De 4:20, and may have respect to the furnaces in which they burnt the bricks they made, see Ex 9:8; the Jewish paraphrases make this to be a representation of hell, which is prepared for the wicked in the world to come, as a furnace surrounded with sparks and flames of fire; and Jarchi says, it intimated to Abram, that the kingdoms would fall into hell:
and a burning lamp, that passed between those pieces; or a lamp of fire o; an emblem of the Shechinah, or majesty of God, who afterwards appeared in a pillar of fire before the Israelites in the wilderness, after their deliverance out of Egypt, and when their salvation went forth as a lamp that burneth, of which this was a token: this burning lamp passed between the pieces of the heifer, goat, and ram, that Abram had divided in the midst, as was usually done when covenants were made, see Jer 34:18; and here God made a covenant with Abram, as appears from Ge 15:18; and, as a confirmation of it, passed between the pieces in a lamp of fire, showing that he was and would be the light and salvation of his people, Abram’s seed, and an avenger of their enemies; only God passed between the pieces, not Abram, this covenant being as others God makes with men, only on one side; God, in covenanting with men, promises and gives something unto them, but men give nothing to him, but receive from him, as was the case between God and Abram: however, it is very probable, that this lamp of fire consumed the pieces, in like manner as fire from heaven used to fall upon and consume the sacrifices, in token of God’s acceptance of them.
o “lampas ignis”, V. L. Pagninus, Montanus; so Vatablus, Schmidt.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
When the sun had gone down, and thick darkness had come on ( impersonal), “ behold a smoking furnace, and (with) a fiery torch, which passed between those pieces, ” – a description of what Abram saw in his deep prophetic sleep, corresponding to the mysterious character of the whole proceeding. , a stove, is a cylindrical fire-pot, such as is used in the dwelling-houses of the East. The phenomenon, which passed through the pieces as they lay opposite to one another, resembled such a smoking stove, from which a fiery torch, i.e., a brilliant flame, was streaming forth. In this symbol Jehovah manifested Himself to Abram, just as He afterwards did to the people of Israel in the pillar of cloud and fire. Passing through the pieces, He ratified the covenant which He made with Abram. His glory was enveloped in fire and smoke, the produce of the consuming fire, – both symbols of the wrath of God (cf. Psa 18:9, and Hengstenberg in loc.), whose fiery zeal consumes whatever opposes it (vid., Exo 3:2). – To establish and give reality to the covenant to be concluded with Abram, Jehovah would have to pass through the seed of Abram when oppressed by the Egyptians and threatened with destruction, and to execute judgment upon their oppressors (Exo 7:4; Exo 12:12). In this symbol, the passing of the Lord between the pieces meant something altogether different from the oath of the Lord by Himself in Gen 22:16, or by His life in Deu 32:40, or by His soul in Amo 6:8 and Jer 51:14. It set before Abram the condescension of the Lord to his seed, in the fearful glory of His majesty as the judge of their foes. Hence the pieces were not consumed by the fire; for the transaction had reference not to a sacrifice, which God accepted, and in which the soul of the offerer was to ascend in the smoke to God, but to a covenant in which God came down to man. From the nature of this covenant, it followed, however, that God alone went through the pieces in a symbolical representation of Himself, and not Abram also. For although a covenant always establishes a reciprocal relation between two individuals, yet in that covenant which God concluded with a man, the man did not stand on an equality with God, but God established the relation of fellowship by His promise and His gracious condescension to the man, who was at first purely a recipient, and was only qualified and bound to fulfil the obligations consequent upon the covenant by the reception of gifts of grace.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. 18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: 19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, 20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, 21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
Here is, I. The covenant ratified (v. 17); the sign which Abram desired was given, at length, when the sun had gone down, so that it was dark; for that was a dark dispensation.
1. The smoking furnace signified the affliction of his seed in Egypt. They were there in the iron furnace (Deut. iv. 20), the furnace of affliction (Isa. xlviii. 10), labouring in the very fire. They were there in the smoke, their eyes darkened, that they could not see to the end of their troubles, and themselves at a loss to conceive what God would do with them. Clouds and darkness were round about them.
2. The burning lamp denotes comfort in this affliction; and this God showed to Abram, at the same time that he showed him the smoking furnace. (1.) Light denotes deliverance out of the furnace; their salvation was as a lamp that burneth, Isa. lxii. 1. When God came down to deliver them, he appeared in a bush that burned, and was not consumed, Exod. iii. 2. (2.) The lamp denotes direction in the smoke. God’s word was their lamp: this word to Abram was so, it was a light shining in a dark place. Perhaps this burning lamp prefigured the pillar of cloud and fire, which led them out of Egypt, in which God was. (3.) The burning lamp denotes the destruction of their enemies who kept them so long in the furnace. See Zech. xii. 6. The same cloud that enlightened the Israelites troubled and burned the Egyptians.
3. The passing of these between the pieces was the confirming of the covenant God now made with him, that he might have strong consolation, being fully persuaded that what God promised he would certainly perform. It is probable that the furnace and lamp, which passed between the pieces, burnt and consumed them, and so completed the sacrifice, and testified God’s acceptance of it, as of Gideon’s (Judg. vi. 21), Manoah’s (Jdg 13:19; Jdg 13:20), and Solomon’s, 2 Chron. vii. 1. So it intimates, (1.) That God’s covenants with man are made by sacrifice (Ps. l. 5), by Christ, the great sacrifice: no agreement without atonement. (2.) God’s acceptance of our spiritual sacrifices is a token for good and an earnest of further favours. See Judg. xiii. 23. And by this we may know that he accepts our sacrifices if he kindle in our souls a holy fire of pious and devout affections in them.
II. The covenant repeated and explained: In that same day, that day never to be forgotten, the Lord made a covenant with Abram, that is, gave a promise to Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, v. 18. Here is,
1. A rehearsal of the grant. He had said before, To thy seed will I give this land,Gen 12:7; Gen 13:15. But here he says, I have given it; that is, (1.) I have given the promise of it, the charter is sealed and delivered, and cannot be disannulled. Note, God’s promises are God’s gifts, and are so to be accounted. (2.) The possession is as sure, in due time, as if it were now actually delivered to them. What God has promised is as sure as if it were already done; hence, it is said, He that believes hath everlasting life (John iii. 36), for he shall as surely go to heaven as if he were there already.
2. A recital of the particulars granted, such as is usual in the grants of lands. He specifies the boundaries of the land intended hereby to be granted, v. 18. And then, for the greater certainty, as is usual in such cases, he mentions in whose tenure and occupation these lands now were. Ten several nations, or tribes, are here spoken of (v. 19-21) that must be cast out, to make room for the seed of Abram. They were not possessed of all these countries when God brought them into Canaan. The bounds are fixed much narrower, Num. xxxiv. 2, 3. &c. But, (1.) In David’s time, and Solomon’s, their jurisdiction extended to the utmost of these limits, 2 Chron. ix. 26. (2.) It was their own fault that they were not sooner and longer in possession of all these territories. They forfeited their right by their sins, and by their own sloth and cowardice kept themselves out of possession. (3.) The land granted is here described in its utmost extent because it was to be a type of the heavenly inheritance, where there is room enough: in our father’s house are many mansions. The present occupants are named, because their number, and strength, and long prescription, should be no hindrance to the accomplishment of this promise in its season, and to magnify God’s love to Abram and his seed, in giving to that one nation the possessions of many nations, so precious were they in his sight, and so honourable, Isa. xliii. 4.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
17. Behold, a smoking furnace. Again a new vision was added, to confirm his faith in the oracle. At first, Abram was horror-struck with the thick darkness; now, in the midst of a smoking furnace, he sees a burning lamp. Many suppose that a sacrifice was consumed with this fire; but I rather interpret it as a symbol of future deliverance, which would well agree with the fact itself. For there are two things contrary to each other in appearance; the obscurity of smoke, and the shining of a lamp. Hence Abram knew that light would, at length, emerge out of darkness. An analogy is always to be sought for between signs, and the things signified, that there may be a mutual correspondence between them. Then, since the symbol, in itself, is but a lifeless carcass, reference ought always to be made to the word which is annexed to it. But here, by the word, liberty was promised to Abram’s seed, in the midst of servitude. Now the condition of the Church could not be painted more to the life, than when God causes a burning torch to proceed out of the smoke, in order that the darkness of afflictions may not overwhelm us, but that we may cherish a good hope of life even in death; because the Lord will, at length, shine upon us, if only we offer up ourselves in sacrifice to Him.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(17) A smoking furnace.The word really means the circular firepot which Orientals use in their houses to sit round for purposes of warmth. This one was wreathed in smoke, out of which shot a burning lamp (Heb., a torch of flame). For not two symbols, but only one, passed between the divided carcases. Abram had probably passed between them immediately after arranging them, and now Jehovah does the same. Fire is the recognised symbol of the Deity, as in the burning bush, the pillar of fire, the lightnings on Mount Sinai, &c.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
17. When the sun went down, and it was dark The progress of time is marked; in Gen 15:12, when the sun was going down; here when it went down, and darkness was on all things. The Hebrew word for darkness in this verse is different from that so rendered in Gen 15:12. There it means soul darkness; here night’s darkness.
A smoking furnace Hebrews, an oven of smoke. According to Jahn, the tannur, here rendered furnace, was a moveable oven, constructed of brick, and plastered within and without with clay. The burning lamp is not to be regarded as another and distinct object, separate from the furnace. A better version is, flames of fire. The thing seen was a moving oven, from the top of which issued a flame of fire in the midst of a cloud of smoke. Like the pillar of cloud and fire, (Exo 13:21,) this smoke and flame were symbols of the presence and power of Jehovah; not solely “symbols of the wrath of God,” (Keil,) nor yet to be construed as “the smoke of destruction, and the light of salvation . ” Murphy . All these thoughts lie in the background, but the great thought is, that Jehovah himself, by these symbols of his personal presence and manifestation, condescends to covenant with Abram, and passed between those pieces. God’s penal judgments may well be symbolized by a smoking furnace, (comp . Gen 19:28; Mal 4:1,) and flaming fire may denote either the consuming wrath (Psa 89:46; Lam 2:3) or the salvation of God, (Isa 62:1🙂 and Jehovah’s presence and power among his covenant people would be displayed in both these ways avenging them on their enemies when they were injured, and chastening and smiting them when they sinned .
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And it about that when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a flaming furnace and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces.’
The covenant is finalised and sealed. As elsewhere the flaming furnace and the flaming torch represent Yahweh Himself, although not directly. The mention of two signifies a twofold divine witness. We can compare the two angels who will be witnesses to the judgment of Sodom (Genesis 19) as Yahweh’s representatives. Abram is not involved. This is a gift of God’s grace.
The writer now summarises the covenant. The special nature of what has occurred is clear. Nowhere else is such a comment made on a theophany as ‘know of a surety’. He recognises the solemnity and totally unbreakable nature of what has happened. This can only indicate the end of the original tablet recording the covenant, finalising the extent of the promised land.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Gen 15:17. It came to pass, that when the sun went down, &c. As in Gen 15:12 according to our interpretation, mention is made of the rising, so here of the setting sun; nor does it seem probable, that both passages speak of the latter. If any one, however, shall be tenacious of this opinion, we must suppose, that the first appearance to Abram was made in the night, when the command for the sacrifice was given; and great part of the following day being employed in preparing it, the deep ecstasy or sleep, towards sun-setting, fell upon Abram; and after the sun had set, God was pleased, by a symbolical representation, to pass through the divided victims, and to ratify the covenant with Abram, in great condescension, after the manner of men. We have before offered it as a conjecture, that the smoking furnace and burning lamp were significative of what happened afterwards in AEgypt: certain, however, it is, that they were declarative of God’s presence, who generally, if not always, appeared in fire, light, and smoke, under the law: and, from the next verse, it seems evidently to follow, that they were, on God’s part, a ratification of the covenant which he made, or, according to the original, cut or struck with Abram; which alludes, no doubt, to the ceremony of cutting or dividing the victim, which was so customary with all nations, that the same phrase generally prevailed. The Greeks say, , and the Latins, foedus icere, to cut the victim: which all amounts to the same thing. And most probably there was, in all this, an allusion to the grand covenant, and the victim to be cut off for the redemption of the world. It is most probable, that the fire and light which passed between, consumed the sacrifice.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Gen 15:17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
Ver. 17. A smoking furnace, and a burning lamp. ] Figuring out either God (who is a consuming fire) cutting covenant, Gen 15:10 per condescensum ; or else, the furnace of Israel’s affliction, and then the lamp of their salvation.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Gen 15:17-21
17It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. 18On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying,
“To your descendants I have given this land,
From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:
19the Kenite and the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite 20and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim 21and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Girgashite and the Jebusite.”
Gen 15:17 “there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between the pieces” YHWH appeared to Abram in a form which he would have understood culturally. A smoking oven seems to be
1. a means of hiding YHWH’s presence (i.e., the Shekinah Cloud of Glory of the Exodus)
2. a symbol of deity which provided protection in the Akkadian curse tablets
3. a symbol of both judgment and protection (cf. Zec 12:6)
4. in Mesopotamia this symbolism represented divine purification.
Inside the oven was fire. God is often associated with fire, not only in the biblical account, but also in Zoroastrianism. I personally believe that this oven is connected with the fact that most covenants are ratified by a covenant meal and this oven symbolized that meal. Also, it is theologically significant to notice that Abram does not pass between the pieces; only God does. This is another inference that the covenant is from God’s resources and not human effort, merit, and resources. This was a God-initiated, God-performed covenant (cf. 2Sa 7:8-16; Psa 89:20-37).
SPECIAL TOPIC: FIRE (BDB 77)
Gen 15:18 “On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram” The term “to make” literally means “to cut” (BDB 503, KB 500, Qal PERFECT). This term cut is not etymologically related to the word in Gen 15:10 (BDB 144, KB 167), but it does become a standard, biblical metaphor for “making a covenant.”
SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT PROMISES TO PATRIARCHS
“covenant” “Covenant” (BDB 136) becomes a central motif of biblical literature. It speaks of both promises and obligations on the part of both God and humanity. There is a unique combination of conditional and unconditional aspects to covenants in the biblical material. Are the covenants conditional or unconditional? Yes! It seems that God’s unconditional love is dependent on mankind’s faith and repentant response (cf. Gen 15:6; Romans 4; Mar 1:15; Act 3:16; Act 3:19; Act 20:21). This seems somewhat paradoxical, but it is God’s way of working with sinful mankind. See Special Topic: Covenant .
“From the river of Egypt” Usually, this refers to the Nile River, but in the context of other biblical promises of the boundaries of the Promised Land, it must mean the “wadi El-arish” (cf. Num 34:5 and Jos 15:4). These dimensions of the Promised Land were partially fulfilled in David’s day, but more completely in Solomon’s (cf. 1Ki 4:21).
Gen 15:19-21 We find the listing here of ten tribes which made up the Canaanite population. Sometimes the number of these tribes varies: (1) Jos 24:11 has 7 tribes; (2) Exo 3:17 has 6 tribes; and (3) Exo 23:28 lists 3 tribes. The exact number is uncertain, but it is obvious that the term “Amorite,” which means “highlander,” or the term “Canaanite,” which means “lowlander,” becomes a corporate term for all of the tribes. See Special Topic: PRE-ISRAELITE INHABITANTS OF PALESTINE at Gen 12:6.
Gen 15:20 “Hittite” From Gen 10:15 we see that these people came from Heth (BDB 366). They later formed a major empire in central Turkey.
“the Rephaim” These seem to be very tall human beings (BDB 952, cf. Jos 12:4; Jos 17:15; 1Ch 20:4) like the Anakim (cf. Deu 2:11; Deu 3:11) and possibly the Nephilim (cf. Genesis 6 and Num 13:33). See Special Topic: Terms Used for Tall/Powerful Warriors or People Groups .
Gen 15:21 “the Jebusite” These are the inhabitants of Jerusalem who will remain unconquered until David’s day (BDB 101, cf. Jdg 1:21; Jdg 19:11; 2Sa 5:6 ff). See Special Topic: Salem, Jebus, Jerusalem .
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.
1. Explain and define in your terms the significant words used in Gen 15:6. Relate this to Romans 4 and Galatians 3.
2. Why do so many people allegorize Gen 15:11?
3. What is the significance of God appearing to Abraham as a smoking oven and a flaming torch (Gen 15:17)?
4. Why are the tribes of Canaan listed differently (cf. Gen 15:19-21)?
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
furnace. Symbolic of the affliction of Israel (Deu 4:20. 1Ki 8:51. Isa 31:9. Eze 22:18-22. Jer 11:4).
lamp. Symbolic of Israel’s deliverance (1Ki 11:36; 1Ki 15:4. Isa 62:1. 2Sa 21:17).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
smoking: Exo 3:2, Exo 3:3, Deu 4:20, Jdg 6:21, Jdg 13:20, 1Ch 21:26, Isa 62:1, Jer 11:4
a burning lamp: Heb. a lamp of fire, 2Sa 22:9
passed: Jer 34:18, Jer 34:19
Reciprocal: Gen 4:4 – had Exo 19:18 – as the smoke Lev 9:24 – there came a fire 1Ki 18:38 – Then the 1Ki 19:12 – a fire 2Ch 7:1 – the fire Eze 1:13 – General Rev 9:2 – there
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 15:17. Behold a smoking furnace This signified the affliction of his seed in Egypt: they were there in the furnace of affliction, and labouring in the very fire. They were there in the smoke, their eyes darkened that they could not see to the end of their troubles. And a burning lamp This speaks comfort in this affliction: and this God showed Abram at the same time with the smoking furnace. The lamp notes direction in the smoke; Gods word was their lamp, a light shining in a dark place. Perhaps, too, this burning lamp prefigured the pillar of a cloud and fire which led them out of Egypt. The passing of these between the pieces was the confirming of the covenant God now made with him.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The smoking oven and flaming torch were one. This was an intensely bright, hot flame symbolic of God in His holiness. The flame is a good symbol of God in that it is pure, purges in judgment, and provides light and warmth.
"This act is . . . a promise that God will be with Abraham’s descendants (e.g. Gen 26:3; Gen 26:24; Gen 28:15; Gen 31:3; Gen 46:4, etc.). Indeed the description of the theophany as a furnace of smoke and ’a torch of fire’ invites comparison with the pillar of cloud and fire that was a feature of the wilderness wanderings, and especially with the smoke, fire and torches (Exo 19:18; Exo 20:18) that marked the law-giving at Sinai. These were visible tokens of God’s presence with his people, that he was walking among them and that they were his people (Lev 26:12).
"In this episode then Abram’s experience in a sense foreshadows that of his descendants. He sees them under attack from foreign powers but protected and enjoying the immediate presence of God. Elsewhere in the Abraham cycle, his life prefigures episodes in the history of Israel. Famine drove him to settle in Egypt (Gen 12:10; cf. chs. 42-46). He escaped after God had plagued Pharaoh (Gen 12:17; cf. Exodus 7-12), enriched by his stay in Egypt (Gen 13:2; cf. Exo 12:35-38) and journeyed by stages (Gen 13:3; cf. Exo 17:1; etc.) back to Canaan. In Genesis 22 Abraham goes on a three-day journey to a mountain, offers a sacrifice in place of his only son, God appears to him and reaffirms his promises. Sinai is of course a three-day journey from Egypt (Exo 8:27), where Israel’s first-born sons had been passed over (Exodus 12). There too sacrifice was offered, God appeared and reaffirmed his promises (Exodus 19-24).
"Finally, it may be observed, the interpretation of Gen 15:9-11; Gen 15:17, that I am proposing on the basis of other ritual texts in the Pentateuch is congruent with Gen 15:13-16, which explain that Abraham’s descendants would be oppressed for 400 years in Egypt before they come out with great possessions. Whether these verses are a later addition to the narrative as is generally held, or integral to it as van Seters asserts . . ., they do confirm that at a very early stage in the history of the tradition this rite was interpreted as a dramatic representation of the divine promises to Abraham. It is not a dramatized curse that would come into play should the covenant be broken, but a solemn and visual reaffirmation of the covenant that is essentially a promise . . . ." [Note: Wenham, "The Symbolism . . .," p. 136.]
Another writer argued that this verse does not picture a covenant-making ritual for a unilateral, wholly unconditional covenant (cf. Gen 17:1-2; Gen 17:9-14; Gen 18:18-19; Gen 22:16; Gen 22:18; Gen 26:5). He believed the covenant is unconditional, but it did not become unconditional until chapter 22. [Note: Gordon H. Johnston, "Torch and Brazier Passing between the Pieces (Genesis 15:17): Does It Really Symbolize an Unconditional Covenant?" and "God’s Covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15 : A Contingently-Unconditional Royal Grant?" papers presented at the 56th annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, San Antonio, Tex., 18 November 2004.]