The Meaning of Genesis 15:4 Explained

Genesis 15:4

KJV: And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

YLT: And lo, the word of Jehovah is unto him, saying, 'This one doth not heir thee; but he who cometh out from thy bowels, he doth heir thee;'

Darby: And behold, the word of Jehovah came to him, saying, This shall not be thine heir, but he that will come forth out of thy body shall be thine heir.

ASV: And, behold, the word of Jehovah came unto him, saying, This man shall not be thine heir; But he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And, behold, the word  of the LORD  [came] unto him, saying,  This shall not be thine heir;  but he that shall come forth  out of thine own bowels  shall be thine heir. 

What does Genesis 15:4 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Abram assumed that since he was old and childless, and since Lot had not returned to him, the heir God had promised him would be his chief servant, Eliezer (cf. Proverbs 17:2).
". . . under Hurrian law a man"s heir would be either his natural-born Song of Solomon -a direct heir-or, in the absence of any natural-born Song of Solomon , an indirect heir, who was an outsider adopted for the purpose. In the latter case, the adopted heir was required to attend to the physical needs of his "parents" during their lifetime." [1]
God assured Abram that the descendants He had promised would come through a "natural-born Song of Solomon ," not an adopted heir (cf. Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:15-16).

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 15:4 mean?

And behold the word of Yahweh [came] to him saying not shall be your heir this [one] but rather one who will come from your own body he shall be your heir
וְהִנֵּ֨ה דְבַר־ יְהוָ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹ֥א יִֽירָשְׁךָ֖ זֶ֑ה כִּי־ אִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵצֵ֣א מִמֵּעֶ֔יךָ ה֖וּא יִֽירָשֶֽׁךָ

וְהִנֵּ֨ה  And  behold 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
דְבַר־  the  word 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
יְהוָ֤ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֵלָיו֙  [came]  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יִֽירָשְׁךָ֖  shall  be  your  heir 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
זֶ֑ה  this  [one] 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
אִם֙  rather 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  one  who 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יֵצֵ֣א  will  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
מִמֵּעֶ֔יךָ  from  your  own  body 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מֵעֶה  
Sense: internal organs, inward parts, bowels, intestines, belly.
יִֽירָשֶֽׁךָ  shall  be  your  heir 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.