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Commentary on Genesis 15 verses 12–16
We have here a full and particular discovery made to Abram of God's purposes concerning his seed. Observe,
I. The time when God came to him with this discovery: When the sun was going down, or declining, about the time of the evening oblation, Kg1 18:36; Dan 9:21. Early in the morning, before day, while the stars were yet to be seen, God had given him orders concerning the sacrifices (Gen 15:5), and we may suppose it was, at least, his morning's work to prepare them and set them in order; when he had done this, he abode by them, praying and waiting till towards evening. Note, God often keeps his people long in expectation of the comforts he designs them, for the confirmation of their faith; but though the answers of prayer, and the performance of promises, come slowly, yet they come surely. At evening time it shall be light.
II. The preparatives for this discovery. 1. A deep sleep fell upon Abram, not a common sleep through weariness or carelessness, but a divine ecstasy, like that which the Lord God caused to fall upon Adam (Gen 2:21), that, being hereby wholly taken off from the view of things sensible, he might be wholly taken up with the contemplation of things spiritual. The doors of the body were locked up, that the soul might be private and retired, and might act the more freely and like itself. 2. With this sleep, a horror of great darkness fell upon him. How sudden a change! But just before we had him solacing himself in the comforts of God's covenant, and in communion with him; and here a horror of great darkness falls upon him. Note, The children of light do not always walk in the light, but sometimes clouds and darkness are round about them. This great darkness, which brought horror with it, was designed, (1.) To strike an awe upon the spirit of Abram, and to possess him with a holy reverence, that the familiarity to which God was pleased to admit him might not breed contempt. Note, Holy fear prepares the soul for holy joy; the spirit of bondage makes way for the spirit of adoption. God wounds first, and then heals; humbles first, and they lifts up, Isa 6:5, Isa 6:6, etc. (2.) To be a specimen of the methods of God's dealings with his seed. They must first be in the horror and darkness of Egyptian slavery, and then enter with joy into the good land; and therefore he must have the foretaste of their sufferings, before he had the foresight of their happiness. (3.) To be an indication of the nature of that covenant of peculiarity which God was now about to make with Abram. The Old Testament dispensation, which was founded on that covenant, was a dispensation, [1.] Of darkness and obscurity, Co2 3:13, Co2 3:14. [2.] Of dread and horror, Heb 12:18, etc.
III. The prediction itself. Several things are here foretold.
1.The suffering state of Abram's seed for a long time, Gen 15:13. Let not Abram flatter himself with the hopes of nothing but honour and prosperity in his family; no, he must know, of a surety, that which he was loth to believe, that the promised seed should be a persecuted seed. Note, God sends the worst first; we must first suffer, and then reign. He also lets us know the worst before it comes, that when it comes it may not be a surprise to us, Joh 16:4. Now we have here,
(1.)The particulars of their sufferings. [1.] They shall be strangers; so they were, first in Canaan (Psa 105:12) and afterwards in Egypt; before they were lords of their own land they were strangers in a strange land. The inconveniences of an unsettled state make a happy settlement the more welcome. Thus the heirs of heaven are first strangers on earth, a land that is not theirs. [2.] They shall be servants; so they were to the Egyptians, Exo 1:13. See how that which was the doom of the Canaanites (Gen 9:25) proves the distress of Abram's seed: they are made to serve, but with this difference, the Canaanites serve under a curse, the Hebrews under a blessing; and the upright shall have dominion in the morning, Psa 49:14. [3.] They shall be suffers. Those whom they serve shall afflict them; see Exo 1:11. Note, Those that are blessed and beloved of God are often sorely afflicted by wicked men; and God foresees it, and takes cognizance of it.
(2.)The continuance of their sufferings - four hundred years. This persecution began with mocking, when Ishmael, the son of an Egyptian, persecuted Isaac, who was born after the Spirit, Gen 21:9; Gal 4:29. It continued in loathing; for it was an abomination to the Egyptians to eat bread with the Hebrews, Gen 43:32; and it came at last to murder, the basest of murders, that of their new-born children; so that, more or less, it continued 400 years, though, in extremity, not so many. This was a long time, but a limited time.
2.The judgment of the enemies of Abram's seed: That nation whom they shall serve, even the Egyptians, will I judge, Gen 15:14. This points at the plagues of Egypt, by which God not only constrained the Egyptians to release Israel, but punished them for all the hardships they had put upon them. Note, (1.) Though God may suffer persecutors and oppressors to trample upon his people a great while, yet he will certainly reckon with them at last; for his day is coming, Psa 37:12, Psa 37:13. (2.) The punishing of persecutors is the judging of them: it is a righteous thing with God, and a particular act of justice, to recompense tribulations to those that trouble his people. The judging of the church's enemies is God's work: I will judge. God can do it, for he is the Lord; he will do it, for he is his people's God, and he has said, Vengeance is mine, I will repay. To him therefore we must leave it, to be done in his way and time.
3.The deliverance of Abram's seed out of Egypt. That great event is here foretold: Afterwards shall they come out with great substance. It is here promised, (1.) That they should be enlarged: Afterwards they shall come out; that is, either after they have been afflicted 400 years, when the days of their servitude are fulfilled, or after the Egyptians are judged and plagued, then they may expect deliverance. Note, The destruction of oppressors is the redemption of the oppressed; they will not let God's people go till they are forced to it. (2.) That they should be enriched: They shall come out with great substance; this was fulfilled, Exo 12:35, Exo 12:36. God took care they should have, not only a good land to go to, but a good stock to carry with them.
4.Their happy settlement in Canaan, Gen 15:16. They shall not only come out of Egypt, but they shall come hither again, hither to the land of Canaan, wherein thou now art. The discontinuance of their possession shall be no defeasance of their right: we must not reckon those comforts lost for ever that are intermitted for a time. The reason why they must not have the land of promise in possession till the fourth generation was because the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full. Israel cannot be possessed of Canaan till the Amorites be dispossessed; and they are not yet ripe for ruin. The righteous God has determined that they shall not be cut off till they have persisted in sin so long, and arrived at such a pitch of wickedness, that there may appear some equitable proportion between their sin and their ruin; and therefore, till it come to that, the seed of Abram must be kept out of possession. Note, (1.) The measure of sin fills gradually. Those that continue impenitent in wicked ways are treasuring up unto themselves wrath. (2.) Some people's measure of sin fills slowly. The Sodomites, who were sinners before the Lord exceedingly, soon filled their measure; so did the Jews, who were, in profession, near to God. But the iniquity of the Amorites was long in the filling up. (3.) That this is the reason of the prosperity of wicked people; the measure of their sins is not yet full. The wicked live, become old, and are mighty in power, while God is laying up their iniquity for their children, Job 21:7, Job 21:19. See Mat 23:32; Deu 32:34.
5.Abram's peaceful quiet death and burial, before these things should come to pass, Gen 15:15. As he should not live to see that good land in the possession of his family, but must die, as he lived, a stranger in it, so, to balance this, he should not live to see the troubles that should come upon his seed, much less to share in them. This is promised to Josiah, Kg2 22:20. Note, Good men are sometimes greatly favoured by being taken away from the evil to come, Isa 57:1. Let this satisfy Abram, that, for his part,
(1.)He shall go to his fathers in peace. Note, [1.] Even the friends and favourites of Heaven are not exempted from the stroke of death. Are we greater than our father Abram, who is dead? Joh 8:53. [2.] Good men die willingly; they are not fetched, they are not forced, but they go; their soul is not required, as the rich fool's (Luk 12:20), but cheerfully resigned: they would not live always. [3.] At death we go to our fathers, to all our fathers that have gone before us to the state of the dead (Job 21:32, Job 21:33), to our godly fathers that have gone before us to the state of the blessed, Heb 12:23. The former thought helps to take off the terror of death, the latter puts comfort into it. [4.] Whenever a godly man dies, he dies in peace. If the way be piety, the end is peace, Psa 37:37. Outward peace, to the last, is promised to Abram, peace and truth is his days, whatever should come afterwards (Kg2 20:19); peace with God, and everlasting peace, are sure to all the seed.
(2.)He shall be buried in a good old age. Perhaps mention is made of his burial here, where the land of Canaan is promised him, because a burying place was the first possession he had in it. He shall not only die in peace, but die in honour, die, and be buried decently; not only die in peace, but die in season, Job 5:26. Note, [1.] Old age is a blessing. It is promised in the firth commandment; it is pleasing to nature; and it affords a great opportunity for usefulness. [2.] Especially, if it be a good old age. Theirs may be called a good old age, First, That are old and healthful, not loaded with such distempers as make them weary of life. Secondly, That are old and holy, old disciples (Act 21:16), whose hoary head is found in the way of righteousness (Pro 16:31), old and useful, old and exemplary for godliness; theirs is indeed a good old age.
This word anticipates the sojourn of the people in Egypt, for they were to sojourn as it were in a land not their own. They would be reduced to slavery by the Pharaoh and mistreated in many ways by him and by the Egyptians. There is no discrepancy between what is said here and what is written in Exodus. There it is said, “After 430 years, the army of the Lord left the land of Egypt.” Here: “After four hundred years.” It should be noted that it is not said that they left when four hundred years were completed but rather after four hundred years, which leaves room for the thirty years.And the promise “I will judge the nation to which you will be enslaved” was realized in the very way described in Exodus: God afflicted the Egyptians with ten plagues, and in the end “they sank as lead in the mighty waters.” Finally, they were to leave “with much baggage,” as history would show. From this we learn that if God maltreats someone for a time, he does this not as a matter of indifference but only for some good purpose.
Consider too whether this passage might also allude to the sojourn of the saints.
But note what is said to Abraham, “Know of a surety that your seed shall be a stranger in a land not theirs, and they shall reduce them to servitude, and shall afflict them four hundred years.” This is most clearly a prophecy about the people of Israel, who were to be in servitude in Egypt. Not that this people was to be in that servitude under the oppressive Egyptians for four hundred years, but it is foretold that this should take place in the course of those four hundred years. It is written of Terah the father of Abraham, “And the days of Terah in Haran were 205 years,” not because they were all spent there but because they were completed there. So it is said here also, “And they shall reduce them to servitude and shall afflict them four hundred years” … because that number was completed, not because it was all spent in that affliction. The years are said to be four hundred in round numbers, although they were a little more—whether you reckon from this time when these things were promised to Abraham, or from the birth of Isaac, as the seed of Abraham, of which these things are predicted. For, as we have already said above, from the seventy-fifth year of Abraham, when the first promise was made to him, down to the exodus of Israel from Egypt, there are reckoned 430 years, which the apostle thus mentions: “And this I say, that the covenant confirmed by God, the law, which was made 430 years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of no effect.” So then these 430 years might be called four hundred, because they are not much more, especially since part even of that number had already gone by when these things were shown and said to Abraham in vision, or when Isaac was born in his father’s one hundredth year, twenty-five years after the first promise, when of these 430 years there now remained 405, which God was pleased to call four hundred. No one will doubt that the other things that follow in the prophetic words of God pertain to the people of Israel.
And it was said to him: Know for certain that your offspring shall be strangers in a land not their own, and they will enslave them, and oppress them for four hundred years, etc. This was very clearly prophesied about the people of Israel who were to serve in Egypt. Not that this people were to be afflicted for four hundred years in the same servitude under the Egyptians who oppressed them, but it was foretold that this would happen within the four hundred years. For four hundred years are called so because of the fullness of the number, although they are somewhat more; whether computed from the time these promises were made to Abraham, or from when Isaac was born because of the offspring of Abraham of whom these promises are spoken. They are counted from Abraham's seventy-fifth year when the first promise was made to him, to the exodus of Israel from Egypt, four hundred and thirty years, of which the Apostle thus makes mention: Now this I say, says he, the covenant confirmed by God, which was made four hundred and thirty years later, does not nullify the promise (Galatians 3:17). Therefore, these four hundred and thirty years could already be called four hundred, which are not much more; how much more so when a few of this number had already passed when these things were shown and said to Abraham in a vision, or when Isaac was born to his hundred-year-old father twenty-five years after the first promise; when of those four hundred and thirty, four hundred and five remained, which the Lord wished to call four hundred.
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SUMMARY
Genesis 15:13 records a pivotal prophetic declaration from God to Abram, revealing that his descendants would endure a 400-year period of sojourning, servitude, and severe affliction in a foreign land before their eventual deliverance and inheritance of the promised land. This divine foreknowledge underscores God's absolute sovereignty over history, His unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises, and His redemptive purpose, even through foreseen periods of intense hardship for His chosen people.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is situated within the profound covenant-making ceremony between God and Abram in Genesis 15, often referred to as the "Covenant of the Pieces." Immediately preceding this, Abram expresses his concern about his childlessness, and God responds by reaffirming His promise of innumerable descendants, likening them to the stars (Genesis 15:5). God then commands Abram to prepare for a solemn covenant ritual involving divided animals (Genesis 15:9-10). Before the formal ratification of the covenant, while Abram is in a deep sleep, God provides this detailed prophetic insight into the future of his "seed," including a challenging period of foreign oppression. This prophecy serves as a foundational narrative for the entire Exodus account and demonstrates the comprehensive, long-term nature of God's divine plan, which encompasses both blessing and trials.
Historical & Cultural Context: The covenant ceremony described in Genesis 15, involving the cutting of animals and the covenanting parties passing between the pieces, reflects ancient Near Eastern treaty practices. Such rituals symbolized the dire consequences (being cut in pieces) for breaking the covenant. By God alone passing through the pieces (symbolized by the smoking furnace and burning lamp in Genesis 15:17), He unilaterally guarantees the covenant's fulfillment, placing the entire burden of its success upon Himself. The mention of "strangers" and "serving them" would resonate with the concept of resident aliens (gerim) in ancient societies, who lacked full rights and were often vulnerable. The prophecy of a 400-year affliction foreshadows the later Egyptian bondage, a powerful historical event that would define Israel's national identity and their understanding of God as their deliverer.
Key Themes: Genesis 15:13 contributes significantly to several overarching themes in Genesis and the broader biblical narrative. It highlights God's absolute sovereignty and foreknowledge over human history, demonstrating that even periods of suffering are part of His divine plan. It reinforces the theme of God's unwavering covenant faithfulness, showing that His promises will be fulfilled despite immense obstacles and delays. The concept of Abram's "seed" being "strangers" and "afflicted" introduces the theme of Israel's identity as sojourners in the world, distinct from the surrounding nations and often facing opposition, a theme that recurs throughout their history (e.g., Psalm 105:23-25). Furthermore, it lays the groundwork for the powerful theme of divine deliverance and redemption, setting the stage for the Exodus as a monumental act of God's saving power, where He would bring His people out with great substance, as foretold in Genesis 15:14.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Genesis 15:13 employs several potent literary devices. The most prominent is Prophecy, as God directly reveals future events to Abram, providing a detailed outline of his descendants' experience over centuries. This specific foretelling of a period of sojourning, servitude, and affliction, culminating in a precise duration, highlights God's Omniscience and Sovereignty over history. The use of the infinitive absolute with the finite verb in "Know of a surety" (Hebrew: yāḏōaʿ tēḏaʿ) is a powerful form of Emphasis, underscoring the absolute certainty and divine guarantee of the prophecy. Furthermore, the description of Abram's "seed" as "stranger" (ger) functions as Foreshadowing, setting the stage for the entire narrative of the Exodus and establishing a recurring theme of Israel's identity as sojourners and pilgrims, distinct from the nations around them. The specific numerical detail of "four hundred years" provides a concrete element that lends credibility and precision to the divine word, functioning as a marker of divine control over time and history.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Genesis 15:13 is a profound revelation of God's character and His intricate plan for humanity. It demonstrates God's absolute sovereignty over history, showing that even the suffering of His chosen people is not outside His knowledge or control but is woven into His larger redemptive purposes. This prophecy, given within the context of a covenant, powerfully affirms God's unwavering faithfulness to His promises, assuring Abram that despite foreseen hardship, His word will ultimately come to pass. The period of affliction in Egypt served a crucial redemptive purpose: it allowed the Israelites to multiply into a great nation, forged their collective identity under oppression, and prepared them for the unique covenant relationship at Sinai, demonstrating that God uses adversity as a crucible for His people's growth and His glory.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Genesis 15:13 offers profound and enduring lessons for believers today, primarily calling us to cultivate unwavering trust in God's perfect timing and His sovereign control over all circumstances, including periods of deep suffering and apparent delay. Just as God meticulously planned for Israel's deliverance after their long and arduous affliction, we can find profound hope and assurance that our own trials, difficulties, and seasons of waiting are never outside of His divine knowledge or ultimate redemptive purpose. This verse encourages us to endure with steadfast faith, knowing that God uses challenging seasons—which may feel like foreign lands of affliction—to refine our character, deepen our dependence on Him, demonstrate His power, and ultimately fulfill His promises in ways that far exceed our immediate understanding. It reminds us that even in our deepest valleys, God is actively working towards our ultimate good and His glorious redemption, shaping us for His eternal purposes.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did God reveal this future hardship to Abram?
Answer: God revealed this hardship to Abram primarily to demonstrate His absolute foreknowledge and sovereignty over history, assuring Abram that His covenant promises were not contingent on human circumstances but on His divine plan. It also served to prepare Abram and, by extension, his descendants for the long wait and the eventual suffering they would endure, reinforcing the certainty of God's ultimate deliverance and the fulfillment of the land promise. This revelation also highlights that God's plan is comprehensive, encompassing both blessing and the necessary trials that refine His people and set the stage for His greater glory, as seen in the Exodus narrative.
What is the significance of the "four hundred years" of affliction?
Answer: The "four hundred years" signifies a divinely appointed and precise period of testing, growth, and preparation for the Israelite nation. This duration allowed for their demographic growth from a small family into a multitude, fulfilling God's promise of numerous descendants (Genesis 15:5). It also served as a crucible to forge their national identity under oppression, separating them from the idolatry of Egypt and preparing them for the unique covenant relationship at Mount Sinai. This specific timeframe sets the stage for God's spectacular demonstration of power in the Exodus, which would establish His name and covenant with them on a grand scale, proving His faithfulness to Abram's descendants.
How does this prophecy relate to the Exodus from Egypt?
Answer: Genesis 15:13 is a direct and precise prophecy of the events that culminate in the Exodus. The "land [that is] not theirs" is Egypt, where Abram's descendants became "strangers" and were "afflicted" for "four hundred years." The book of Exodus provides the historical fulfillment of this prophecy, detailing how the Israelites multiplied greatly, were enslaved by a new pharaoh who "knew not Joseph" (Exodus 1:8), and suffered severe oppression. God then remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 2:24), and delivered His people from bondage with a mighty hand, precisely as foretold in Genesis 15:14.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Genesis 15:13, while specifically foretelling Israel's sojourn and suffering in Egypt, finds a profound Christ-centered fulfillment through the lens of redemptive history. Just as Israel, God's chosen people, endured a period of alienation and severe affliction before their miraculous deliverance into the promised land, so too does Christ identify with and ultimately fulfill this pattern. He became a "stranger" in His own land, rejected by many (John 1:11), and bore the ultimate affliction on the cross, suffering for the sins of humanity (Isaiah 53:5). His sacrifice is the ultimate act of deliverance, freeing humanity from the bondage of sin and death, a spiritual slavery far more profound than that in Egypt (Romans 6:6). Furthermore, believers in Christ are called "strangers and pilgrims" (1 Peter 2:11) in this world, awaiting their true inheritance in the heavenly city (Hebrews 11:13-16). Christ's redemptive work brings His new covenant people into the glorious freedom of God's kingdom (Galatians 5:1), fulfilling the pattern of suffering leading to glorious salvation established in this early prophecy to Abram.