Genesis

Genesis 15:8–11

⁸But Abram replied, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess it?”

⁹And the LORD said to him, “Bring Me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a turtledove and a young pigeon.”

¹⁰So Abram brought all these to Him, split each of them down the middle, and laid the halves opposite each other. The birds, however, he did not cut in half. ¹¹And the birds of prey descended on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

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 15:8

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But	וַיֹּאמַ֑ר	way·yō·mar	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
Lord	אֲדֹנָ֣י	’ă·ḏō·nāy	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H136 lord
GOD	יֱהוִ֔ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3069 Yahweh
how	בַּמָּ֥ה	bam·māh	Preposition-b; Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
can I know	אֵדַ֖ע	’ê·ḏa‘	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H3045 know
that	כִּ֥י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
I will possess it	אִֽירָשֶֽׁנָּה׃	’î·rā·šen·nāh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular; third person feminine singular	H3423 take possession of, inherit, dispossess

Genesis 15:9

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And	וַיֹּ֣אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to him	אֵלָ֗יו	’ê·lāw	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H413 motion to
Bring	קְחָ֥ה	qə·ḥāh	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H3947 take
Me	לִי֙	lî	Preposition; first person common singular
a heifer	עֶגְלָ֣ה	‘eḡ·lāh	Noun - feminine singular	H5697 heifer
a goat	וְעֵ֥ז	wə·‘êz	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular	H5795 she-goat
and a ram	וְאַ֣יִל	wə·’a·yil	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H352 ram
three years old	מְשֻׁלָּ֑שׁ	mə·šul·lāš	Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine singular	H8027 do a third time, devide into three parts
along with a turtledove	וְתֹ֖ר	wə·ṯōr	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular	H8449 turtle-dove
and a young pigeon	וְגוֹזָֽל׃	wə·ḡō·w·zāl	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H1469 young of birds

Genesis 15:10

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So	וַיִּֽקַּֽח־	way·yiq·qaḥ-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3947 take
all	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
these	אֵ֗לֶּה	’êl·leh	Pronoun - common plural	H428 these
to Him	ל֣וֹ	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
split	וַיְבַתֵּ֤ר	way·ḇat·têr	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1334 cut in two
each of them	אֹתָם֙	’ō·ṯām	Direct object marker; third person masculine plural	H853 mark of the accusative
down the middle	בַּתָּ֔וֶךְ	bat·tā·weḵ	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H8432 midst
and laid	וַיִּתֵּ֥ן	way·yit·tên	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
the halves	בִּתְר֖וֹ	biṯ·rōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H1335 part, piece
opposite	לִקְרַ֣את	liq·raṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H7122 encounter, befall
each	אִישׁ־	’îš-	Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
other	רֵעֵ֑הוּ	rê·‘ê·hū	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H7453 shouting, roar
The birds	הַצִפֹּ֖ר	ha·ṣip·pōr	Article; Noun - common singular	H6833 bird
however	וְאֶת־	wə·’eṯ-	Conjunctive waw; Direct object marker	H853 mark of the accusative
he did not	לֹ֥א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
cut in half	בָתָֽר׃	ḇā·ṯār	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1334 cut in two

Genesis 15:11

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And the birds of prey	הָעַ֖יִט	hā·‘a·yiṭ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5861 bird(s) of prey
descended	וַיֵּ֥רֶד	way·yê·reḏ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3381 come or go down, descend
on	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the carcasses	הַפְּגָרִ֑ים	hap·pə·ḡā·rîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H6297 corpse, carcass
but Abram	אַבְרָֽם׃	’aḇ·rām	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H87 Abram
drove them away	וַיַּשֵּׁ֥ב	way·yaš·šêḇ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5380 blow