Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. New Living Translation Some vultures swooped down to eat the carcasses, but Abram chased them away. English Standard Version And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. Berean Standard Bible And the birds of prey descended on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. King James Bible And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away. New King James Version And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. New American Standard Bible And birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. NASB 1995 The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. NASB 1977 And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. Legacy Standard Bible Then the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. Amplified Bible The birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. Christian Standard Bible Birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. Holman Christian Standard Bible Birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. American Standard Version And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. Contemporary English Version And when birds came down to eat the animals, Abram chased them away. English Revised Version And the birds of prey came down upon the carcases, and Abram drove them away. GOD'S WORD® Translation When birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. Good News Translation Vultures came down on the bodies, but Abram drove them off. International Standard Version When birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. Majority Standard Bible And the birds of prey descended on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. NET Bible When birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. New Heart English Bible And the birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. Webster's Bible Translation And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away. World English Bible The birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionand the ravenous birds come down on the carcasses, and Abram causes them to turn back. Young's Literal Translation and the ravenous birds come down upon the carcases, and Abram causeth them to turn back. Smith's Literal Translation And the birds will come down upon the dead carcases, and Abram will drive them together. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd the fowls came down upon carcasses, and Abram drove them away. Catholic Public Domain Version And birds descended upon the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. New American Bible Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram scared them away. New Revised Standard Version And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd when the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And a bird of prey was descending on the carcasses and Abram was driving it off. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. Brenton Septuagint Translation And birds came down upon the bodies, even upon the divided parts of them, and Abram sat down by them. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context God Confirms His Promise…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. 12As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly great terror and darkness overwhelmed him.… Cross References Matthew 13:4 And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Mark 4:4 And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Luke 8:5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, where it was trampled, and the birds of the air devoured it. Jeremiah 34:18-20 And those who have transgressed My covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before Me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two in order to pass between its pieces. / The officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the pieces of the calf, / I will deliver into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth. 1 Samuel 17:44-46 “Come here,” he called to David, “and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” / But David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. / This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the creatures of the earth. Then the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. Ezekiel 39:17-20 And as for you, son of man, this is what the Lord GOD says: Call out to every kind of bird and to every beast of the field: ‘Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great feast on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood. / You will eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth as though they were rams, lambs, goats, and bulls—all the fattened animals of Bashan. / At the sacrifice I am preparing, you will eat fat until you are gorged and drink blood until you are drunk. ... Deuteronomy 28:26 Your corpses will be food for all the birds of the air and beasts of the earth, with no one to scare them away. Isaiah 18:5-6 For before the harvest, when the blossom is gone and the flower becomes a ripening grape, He will cut off the shoots with a pruning knife and remove and discard the branches. / They will all be left to the mountain birds of prey, and to the beasts of the land. The birds will feed on them in summer, and all the wild animals in winter. Revelation 19:17-18 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, / so that you may eat the flesh of kings and commanders and mighty men, of horses and riders, of everyone slave and free, small and great.” Hosea 9:11-13 Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird, with no birth, no pregnancy, and no conception. / Even if they raise their children, I will bereave them of each one. Yes, woe be to them when I turn away from them! / I have seen Ephraim, like Tyre, planted in a meadow. But Ephraim will bring out his children for slaughter. 1 Kings 14:11 Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the field will be eaten by the birds of the air.’ For the LORD has spoken. 2 Kings 9:36-37 So they went back and told Jehu, who replied, “This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke through His servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘On the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour the flesh of Jezebel. / And Jezebel’s body will lie like dung in the field on the plot of ground at Jezreel, so that no one can say: This is Jezebel.’” Job 39:30 His young ones feast on blood; and where the slain are, there he is.” Psalm 79:2 They have given the corpses of Your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth. Isaiah 56:9 Come, all you beasts of the field; eat greedily, all you beasts of the forest. Treasury of Scripture And when the fowls came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. fowls. Ezekiel 17:3,7 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar: … Matthew 13:4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Abram. Psalm 119:13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. Jump to Previous Abram Birds Bodies Carcases Carcasses Causeth Drove Evil Fowls Prey Ravenous Scared TurnJump to Next Abram Birds Bodies Carcases Carcasses Causeth Drove Evil Fowls Prey Ravenous Scared TurnGenesis 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. And the birds of prey The phrase "birds of prey" in Hebrew is "עַיִט" (ayit), which refers to birds that feed on carrion, such as vultures or hawks. In the ancient Near Eastern context, these birds were often seen as symbols of death and destruction. Their presence in this narrative can be interpreted as a representation of obstacles or challenges that threaten to disrupt God's covenant with Abram. Spiritually, these birds can symbolize the forces of evil or doubt that attempt to interfere with God's promises. Abram's vigilance in driving them away reflects the believer's duty to guard against spiritual attacks and maintain faith in God's promises. descended on the carcasses but Abram drove them away Persons / Places / Events 1. Abram (Abraham)The central figure in this passage, Abram is later renamed Abraham by God. He is a key patriarch in the Bible, known for his faith and obedience to God. In this context, he is in the midst of a covenant ceremony with God. 2. Birds of Prey These represent obstacles or threats to the covenant ceremony. In the ancient Near East, birds of prey often symbolized evil or demonic forces. 3. The Carcasses These are the animal sacrifices that Abram prepared as part of the covenant ritual with God. The animals were cut in half, a common practice in ancient covenant-making. 4. Covenant Ceremony This event is a pivotal moment where God makes a covenant with Abram, promising him numerous descendants and land. 5. The Land of Canaan Although not directly mentioned in this verse, the land is part of the promise God makes to Abram in this chapter. Teaching Points Faith in ActionAbram's act of driving away the birds of prey demonstrates his active participation in God's covenant. Faith often requires us to take action to protect and nurture what God has promised us. Spiritual Warfare The birds of prey symbolize spiritual attacks or distractions that can threaten our relationship with God. Like Abram, we must be vigilant and proactive in defending our spiritual commitments. Covenant Commitment The preparation and protection of the sacrifices highlight the seriousness of covenant relationships. Our commitments to God should be treated with reverence and dedication. Divine Promises God's promises to Abram remind us of His faithfulness. We can trust that God will fulfill His promises, even when obstacles arise. Perseverance in Faith Abram's perseverance in the face of potential disruption teaches us the importance of steadfastness in our faith journey.(11) And when the fowls . . . --Heb., And the birds of prey came down upon the carcases, and Abram scared them away. Had there been a sacrifice the fire would have kept the vultures from approaching; but the bodies lay exposed, and Abram therefore kept guard over them, lest the purpose of the ceremonial should be frustrated by any want of respect shown to the outward symbols.Verse 11. - And when the fowls - literally, and the bird of prey, a collective singular with the article, as in Genesis 14:13, symbolizing the Egyptians and other adversaries of Israel, as in Ezekiel 17:3, 7, 12; Ezekiel 39:4, 17; Revelation 19:17, 18 (Knobel, Rosenmüller, Lunge, Keil, Kalisch), which may be regarded as probable if the divided victims represented Israel in affliction, which is doubtful (vide supra). It does not appear necessary to attach any special significance to the descent of the vultures, which are always attracted towards carrion, and the introduction of which here completes the naturalness of the scene - came down upon the caresses (the LXX. interpolates, ἐπὶ τὰ διχοτομήματα), Abram drove them away. Literally, caused them to be blown away, i.e. by blowing. "Though Abram is here represented as the instrument, yet the effect is to be ascribed primarily to the tutelar agency of omnipotence" (Bush; cf. Exodus 15:10; Ezekiel 21:31). The act of scaring the voracious birds has been taken to represent the ease with which Abram or Israel would ward off his enemies (Jonathan, Targums, Rosenmüller, Bush); the averting of destruction from the Israelites through Abram's merit (Kalisch, Keil); Abram's religious regard for and observance of God's treaty (Wordsworth); the patriarch's expectation that God was about to employ the sacrificial victims for some holy purpose (Alford); simply his anxiety to preserve the victims pure and un-mutilated for whatever end they might have to serve (Murphy). Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew And the birds of preyהָעַ֖יִט (hā·‘a·yiṭ) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 5861: A hawk, other bird of prey descended וַיֵּ֥רֶד (way·yê·reḏ) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend on עַל־ (‘al-) Preposition Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against the carcasses, הַפְּגָרִ֑ים (hap·pə·ḡā·rîm) Article | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 6297: A carcase, an idolatrous image but Abram אַבְרָֽם׃ (’aḇ·rām) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 87: Abram -- 'exalted father', the original name of Abraham drove them away. וַיַּשֵּׁ֥ב (way·yaš·šêḇ) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 5380: To blow, to disperse Links Genesis 15:11 NIVGenesis 15:11 NLT Genesis 15:11 ESV Genesis 15:11 NASB Genesis 15:11 KJV Genesis 15:11 BibleApps.com Genesis 15:11 Biblia Paralela Genesis 15:11 Chinese Bible Genesis 15:11 French Bible Genesis 15:11 Catholic Bible OT Law: Genesis 15:11 The birds of prey came down (Gen. 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