The Meaning of Genesis 15:17 Explained

Genesis 15:17

KJV: 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.

YLT: And it cometh to pass -- the sun hath gone in, and thick darkness hath been -- and lo, a furnace of smoke, and a lamp of fire, which hath passed over between those pieces.

Darby: And it came to pass when the sun had gone down, and it was dark, that behold, there was a smoking furnace, and a flame of fire which passed between those pieces.

ASV: And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Genesis 15:17 Mean?

Verse Meaning

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. Genesis 26:3; Genesis 26:24; Genesis 28:15; Genesis 31:3; Genesis 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 ( Exodus 19:18; Exodus 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 ( Leviticus 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 ( Genesis 12:10; cf. chs42-46). He escaped after God had plagued Pharaoh ( Genesis 12:17; cf. Exodus 7-12), enriched by his stay in Egypt ( Genesis 13:2; cf. Exodus 12:35-38) and journeyed by stages ( Genesis 13:3; cf. Exodus 17:1; etc.) back to Canaan. In Genesis 22Abraham goes on a three-day journey to a mountain, offers a sacrifice in place of his only Song of Solomon , God appears to him and reaffirms his promises. Sinai is of course a three-day journey from Egypt ( Exodus 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 Genesis 15:9-11; Genesis 15:17, that I am proposing on the basis of other ritual texts in the Pentateuch is congruent with Genesis 15:13-16, which explain that Abraham"s descendants would be oppressed for400 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 . . . ." [1]
Another writer argued that this verse does not picture a covenant-making ritual for a unilateral, wholly unconditional covenant (cf. Genesis 17:1-2; Genesis 17:9-14; Genesis 18:18-19; Genesis 22:16; Genesis 22:18; Genesis 26:5). He believed the covenant is unconditional, but it did not become unconditional until chapter22. [2]

Context Summary

Genesis 15:1-21 - Abram's Vision Of The Future
Abram had good reason to fear the vengeance of the defeated kings; but the divine voice reassured him. For all of us there is need of a shield, because the world hates us; and for each God will be our compensation for every sacrifice we have made. Refuse to take even the shoe-latchets of Sodom, and God will be your exceeding great reward. The patriarch addressed God as Adonai Jehovah, which occurs only twice more in the Pentateuch. While he was pouring out the bitterness of his soul, the stars came out. Count these, said his Almighty Friend; and he believed. For the first time that mighty word occurs in Scripture, and the Apostle makes much of it. See Romans 4:9; Galatians 3:6. It was as good as done. Henceforth the patriarch reckoned on God's faithfulness. In olden times covenants were ratified by the parties passing between the pieces of the sacrifice. To give strong consolation, the Almighty confirmed His word with an oath. See Hebrews 6:18. But God must wait until the hour for interposition is fully come. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 15

1  God encourages Abram, who asks for an heir
4  God promises him a son, and a multiplying of his seed
6  Abram is justified by faith
7  Canaan is promised again,
9  and confirmed by a sign, and a vision,
18  prophetic of the condition of his posterity till brought out of Egypt

What do the individual words in Genesis 15:17 mean?

And it came to pass when the sun went [down] and dark it was that behold there appeared a firepot smoking and a torch burning that passed between pieces these
וַיְהִ֤י הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ בָּ֔אָה וַעֲלָטָ֖ה הָיָ֑ה וְהִנֵּ֨ה תַנּ֤וּר עָשָׁן֙ וְלַפִּ֣יד אֵ֔שׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָבַ֔ר בֵּ֖ין הַגְּזָרִ֥ים הָאֵֽלֶּה

וַיְהִ֤י  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙  when  the  sun 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: שֶׁמֶשׁ  
Sense: sun.
בָּ֔אָה  went  [down] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וַעֲלָטָ֖ה  and  dark 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲלָטָה  
Sense: thick darkness.
הָיָ֑ה  it  was 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
וְהִנֵּ֨ה  that  behold  there  appeared 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
תַנּ֤וּר  a  firepot 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: תַּנּוּר  
Sense: furnace, oven, fire-pot, (portable) stove.
עָשָׁן֙  smoking 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׁן  
Sense: smoke.
וְלַפִּ֣יד  and  a  torch 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: לַפִּיד  
Sense: torch.
אֵ֔שׁ  burning 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עָבַ֔ר  passed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
בֵּ֖ין  between 
Parse: Preposition
Root: בַּיִן 
Sense: between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between.
הַגְּזָרִ֥ים  pieces 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֶּזֶר  
Sense: part.
הָאֵֽלֶּה  these 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.