Genesis

Genesis 15:2–5

²But Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” ³Abram continued, “Behold, You have given me no offspring, so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

⁴Then the word of the LORD came to Abram, saying, “This one will not be your heir, but one who comes from your own body will be your heir.” ⁵And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.”^a

Footnotes

a 15:5 Cited in Romans 4:18|ROM 4:18

Read all of Genesis 15

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Genesis 15:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But Abram	אַבְרָ֗ם	’aḇ·rām	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H87 Abram
replied	וַיֹּ֣אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
O Lord	אֲדֹנָ֤י	’ă·ḏō·nāy	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H136 lord
GOD	יֱהוִה֙	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3069 Yahweh
what	מַה־	mah-	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
can You give	תִּתֶּן־	tit·ten-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
me	לִ֔י	lî	Preposition; first person common singular
since I	וְאָנֹכִ֖י	wə·’ā·nō·ḵî	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - first person common singular	H595 I
remain	הוֹלֵ֣ךְ	hō·w·lêḵ	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
childless	עֲרִירִ֑י	‘ă·rî·rî	Adjective - masculine singular	H6185 stripped
and the heir	וּבֶן־	ū·ḇen-	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H1121 son
of my house	בֵּיתִ֔י	bê·ṯî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1004 house
is Eliezer	אֱלִיעֶֽזֶר׃	’ĕ·lî·‘e·zer	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H461 Eliezer
of Damascus	דַּמֶּ֥שֶׂק	dam·me·śeq	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H1834 Damascus

Genesis 15:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Abram	אַבְרָ֔ם	’aḇ·rām	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H87 Abram
continued	וַיֹּ֣אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
Behold	הֵ֣ן	hên	Interjection	H2005 lo! behold
You have given	נָתַ֖תָּה	nā·ṯat·tāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
me	לִ֔י	lî	Preposition; first person common singular
no	לֹ֥א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
offspring	זָ֑רַע	zā·ra‘	Noun - masculine singular	H2233 sowing, seed, offspring
so	וְהִנֵּ֥ה	wə·hin·nêh	Conjunctive waw; Interjection	H2009 lo! behold!
a servant	בֶן־	ḇen-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1121 son
in my household	בֵּיתִ֖י	bê·ṯî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1004 house
will be my heir	יוֹרֵ֥שׁ	yō·w·rêš	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H3423 take possession of, inherit, dispossess

Genesis 15:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then	וְהִנֵּ֨ה	wə·hin·nêh	Conjunctive waw; Interjection	H2009 lo! behold!
the word	דְבַר־	ḏə·ḇar-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1697 speech, word
of the LORD	יְהוָ֤ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
came to	אֵלָיו֙	’ê·lāw	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H413 motion to
saying	לֵאמֹ֔ר	lê·mōr	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H559 utter, say
This	זֶ֑ה	zeh	Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
one will not	לֹ֥א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
be your heir	יִֽירָשְׁךָ֖	yî·rā·šə·ḵā	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; second person masculine singular	H3423 take possession of, inherit, dispossess
but	כִּי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
one	ה֖וּא	hū	Pronoun - third person masculine singular	H1931 he, she
who	אֲשֶׁ֣ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
comes from	יֵצֵ֣א	yê·ṣê	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3318 go or come out
your own body	מִמֵּעֶ֔יךָ	mim·mê·‘e·ḵā	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H4578 internal organs, inward parts (intestines, bowels), belly
will be your heir	יִֽירָשֶֽׁךָ׃	yî·rā·še·ḵā	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; second person masculine singular	H3423 take possession of, inherit, dispossess

Genesis 15:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And	וַיּוֹצֵ֨א	way·yō·w·ṣê	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3318 go or come out
him	אֹת֜וֹ	’ō·ṯōw	Direct object marker; third person masculine singular	H853 mark of the accusative
outside	הַח֗וּצָה	ha·ḥū·ṣāh	Article; Noun - masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H2351 the outside
and said	וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
Now	נָ֣א	nā	Interjection	H4994 I (we) pray, now
look	הַבֶּט־	hab·beṭ-	Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular	H5027 look
to the heavens	הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה	haš·šā·may·māh	Article; Noun - masculine plural; third person feminine singular	H8064 sky, aloft
and count	וּסְפֹר֙	ū·sə·p̄ōr	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H5608 count
the stars	הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים	hak·kō·w·ḵā·ḇîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H3556 star
if you	אִם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
are able	תּוּכַ֖ל	tū·ḵal	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H3201 be able, have power, prevail, endure
Then He told	וַיֹּ֣אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
him	ל֔וֹ	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
So	כֹּ֥ה	kōh	Adverb	H3541 thus, here
your offspring	זַרְעֶֽךָ׃	zar·‘e·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H2233 sowing, seed, offspring
be	יִהְיֶ֖ה	yih·yeh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be