Genesis 15
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Genesis chapter 15 is given here in full, verse by verse, in Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), with the Greek text of the Septuagint set beneath each verse. The text follows the Septuagint tradition received throughout the Orthodox Church.
2 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from 2 Fathers — Saint Methodius of Olympus and Julius Africanus. The translator's notes for this chapter (4) follow the text.
Genesis 15
1And after these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I shield you, your reward shall be very great.Μετὰ δὲ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα ἐγενήθη ῥῆμα Κυρίου πρὸς Ἅβραμ ἐν ὁράματι, λέγων, μὴ φοβοῦ Ἅβραμ· ἐγὼ ὑπερασπίζω σου· ὁ μισθός σου πολὺς ἔσται σφόδρα.
2And Abram said, Master and Lord, what will you give me? whereas I am departing without a child, but the son of Masek my home-born female slave, this Eliezer of Damascus is my heir.Δέγει δὲ Ἅβραμ, Δέσποτα Κύριε, τί μοι δώσεις; ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπολύομαι ἄτεκνος· ὁ δὲ υἱὸς Μασὲκ τῆς οἰκογενοῦς μου, οὗτος Δαμασκὸς Ἐλιέζερ.
3And Abram said, I am grieved since you have given me no seed, but my home-born servant shall succeed me.Καὶ εἶπεν Ἅβραμ, ἐπειδὴ ἐμοὶ οὐκ ἔδωκας σπέρμα, ὁ δὲ οἰκογενής μου κληρονομήσει με.
4And immediately there was a voice of the Lord to him, saying, This shall not be your heir; but he that shall come out of you shall be your heir.Καὶ εὐθὺς φωνὴ Κυρίου ἐγένετο πρὸς αὐτὸν, λέγουσα, οὐ κληρονομήσει σε οὗτος· ἀλλʼ ὃς ἐξελεύσεται ἐκ σοῦ, οὗτος κληρονομήσει σε.
5And he brought him out and said to him, Look up now to heaven, and count the stars, if you shall be able to number them fully, and he said, ✡ Thus shall your seed be.Ἐξήγαγε δὲ αὐτὸν ἔξω, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, ἀνάβλεψον δὴ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ ἀρίθμησον τοὺς ἀστέρας, εἰ δυνήσῃ ἐξαριθμῆσαι αὐτούς· καὶ εἶπεν, οὕτως ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα σου.
6✡ And Abram believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.Καὶ ἐπίστευσεν Ἅβραμ τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην.
7And he said to him, I am God that brought you out of the land of the Chaldeans, so as to give you this land to inherit.Εἶπε δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἐγὼ ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ἐξαγαγών σε ἐκ χώρας Χαλδαίων, ὥστε δοῦναί σοι τὴν γῆν ταύτην κληρονομῆσαι.
8And he said, Master and Lord, how shall I know that I shall inherit it?Εἶπε δέ, Δέσποτα Κύριε, κατὰ τί γνώσομαι, ὅτι κληρονομήσω αὐτήν;
9And he said to him, Take for me an heifer in her third year, and a she-goat in her third year, and a ram in his third year, and a dove and a pigeon.Εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ, λάβε μοι δάμαλιν τριετίζουσαν, καὶ αἶγα τριετίζουσαν, καὶ κριὸν τριετίζοντα, καὶ τρυγόνα, καὶ περιστεράν.
10So he took to him all these, and divided them in the midst, and set them opposite to each other, but the birds he did not divide.Ἔλαβε δὲ αὐτῷ πάντα ταῦτα, καὶ διεῖλεν αὐτὰ μέσα, καὶ ἔθηκεν αὐτὰ ἀντιπρόσωπα ἀλλήλοις· τὰ δὲ ὄρνεα οὐ διεῖλε.
11And birds came down upon the bodies, even upon the divided parts of them, and Abram * sat down by them.Κατέβη δὲ ὄρνεα ἐπὶ τὰ σώματα, ἐπὶ τὰ διχοτομήματα αὐτῶν· καὶ συνεκάθισεν αὐτοῖς Ἅβραμ.
12And about sunset a trance fell upon Abram, and behold! a great gloomy terror falls upon him.Περὶ δὲ ἡλίου δυσμὰς ἔκστασις ἐπέπεσε τῷ Ἅβραμ, καὶ ἰδοὺ φόβος σκοτεινὸς μέγας ἐπιπίπτει αὐτῷ.
13And it was said to Abram, You shall surely know that your seed shall be a sojourner in a land not their own, and they shall enslave them, and afflict them, and humble them four hundred years.Καὶ ἐῤῥέθη πρὸς Ἅβραμ· γινώσκων γνώσῃ ὅτι πάροικον ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα σου ἐν γῇ οὐκ ἰδίᾳ, καὶ δουλώσουσιν αὐτοὺς, καὶ κακώσουσιν αὐτοὺς, καὶ ταπεινώσουσιν αὐτοὺς, τετρακόσια ἔτη.
14And the nation whoever they shall serve I will judge; and after this, they shall come forth hither with much † property.Τὸ δὲ ἔθνος, ᾧ ἐὰν δουλεύσωσι, κρινῶ ἐγώ· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα, ἐξελεύσονται ὧδε μετὰ ἀποσκευῆς πολλῆς.
15But you shall depart to your fathers in peace, nourished in a good old age.Σὺ δὲ ἀπελεύσῃ πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ, τραφεὶς ἐν γήρᾳ καλῷ.
16And in the fourth generation they shall return hither, for the sins of the Amorites are not yet filled up, even until now.Τετάρτῃ δὲ γενεᾷ ἀποστραφήσονται ὧδε· οὔπω γὰρ ἀναπεπλήρωνται αἱ ἁμαρτίαι τῶν Ἀμοῤῥαίων ἕως τοῦ νῦν.
17And when the sun was about to set, there was a flame, and behold a smoking furnace and lamps of fire, which passed between these divided pieces.Ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ ἥλιος ἐγένετο πρὸς δυσμὰς, φλὸξ ἐγένετο· καὶ ἰδοὺ κλίβανος καπνιζόμενος καὶ λαμπάδες πυρός, αἳ διῆλθον ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν διχοτομημάτων τούτων.
18In that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, To your seed I will give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates.Ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ διέθετο Κύριος τῷ Ἅβραμ διαθήκην, λέγων, τῷ σπέρματί σου δώσω τὴν γῆν ταύτην, ἀπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ Αἰγύπτου ἕως τοῦ ποταμοῦ τοῦ μεγάλου Εὐφράτου·
19The Kenites, and the Kenezites, and the Kedmoneans,Τοὺς Κεναίους, καὶ τοὺς Κενεζαίους, καὶ τοὺς Κεδμωναίους,
20and the Chettites, and the Pherezites, and the Raphaim,καὶ τοὺς Χετταίους, καὶ τοὺς Φερεζαίους, καὶ τοὺς ʼΡαφαεὶν,
21and the Amorites, and the Chananites, and the Evites, and the Gergesites, and the Jebusites.καὶ τοὺς Ἀμοῤῥαίους, καὶ τοὺς Χαναναίους, καὶ τοὺς Εὐαίους, καὶ τοὺς Γεργεσαίους, καὶ τοὺς Ἰεβουσαίους.
Translator's Notes
These notes come from the printed edition of Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), and record where the Greek differs from the English rendering or admits more than one reading.
- v. 5✡Rom 4:18
- v. 6✡Rom 4:3
- v. 11*Or, drove them away. The LXX. seem to have read ישנ for שינ
- v. 14†Lit. baggage.
The Fathers on Genesis 15
Saint Methodius of Olympus and Julius Africanus comment on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On Genesis 15:9–10Saint Methodius of OlympusAbraham's Sacrifice of a Heifer Three Years Old, of a Goat, and of a Ram Also Three Years Old: Its Meaning; Every Age to Be Consecrated to God; The Threefold Watch and Our Age. Chapter II.—Abraham’s Sacrifice of a Heifer Three Years Old, of a Goat, and of a Ram Also Three Years Old: Its Meaning; Every Age to Be Consecrated to God; The Threefold Watch and…
Read The Banquet of the Ten Virgins →
On Genesis 15Open Genesis 15 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Julius AfricanusPart VII. VII. In the year of the world 3277, Abraham entered the promised land of Canaan. Of Abraham. VIII. Of Abraham. From this rises the appellation of the Hebrews. For the word Hebrews is interpreted to mean 132those who migrate across, viz., who crossed the Euphrates with Abraham; and it is not derived, as some think, from the fore-mentioned Heber.…
Read Fragments of the Chronography →