What is the meaning of Genesis 15:15? You, however – The Lord speaks personally to Abram, setting him apart from the judgment to fall on the Amorites (Genesis 15:16). – This “you” underscores God’s intimate covenant relationship first announced in Genesis 12:1-3 and affirmed again in Genesis 15:6, 18. – By addressing Abram directly, God reassures him that the promised heir (15:4-5) and the land (15:7) are certain, regardless of the centuries-long delay his descendants will experience (15:13-14). will go to your fathers – A Hebrew idiom for death that pictures reunion with believing ancestors. • Genesis 25:8 records the fulfillment: “Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and he was gathered to his people”. • Similar wording appears with Jacob (Genesis 49:29, 33) and David (2 Samuel 7:12), showing continuity of covenant believers beyond the grave (cf. Luke 20:37-38). – The phrase affirms conscious existence after death and anticipates resurrection hope later revealed more fully (Job 19:25-27). in peace – God promises Abram a tranquil departure rather than a violent or premature end. • Isaiah 57:2: “Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death”. • 2 Chronicles 34:28 offers similar comfort to King Josiah. – This peace flows from covenant fellowship (Psalm 4:8) and foreshadows the “peace with God” enjoyed by all who share Abram’s faith (Romans 5:1). and be buried at a ripe old age – Longevity is a tangible blessing of the covenant (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:2). – Abram lives 175 years (Genesis 25:7), illustrating Proverbs 3:1-2: “For they will add length of days and years of life and peace to you”. – The burial note stresses dignity and honor; contrast the abrupt deaths of the wicked (Psalm 55:23). summary Genesis 15:15 assures Abram of a peaceful, honored, and long life, underscoring God’s fidelity to His covenant servant while judgment awaits the Canaanites. The verse previews the believer’s hope: reunion with the faithful who have gone before, rest in God’s peace, and the sure confidence that every promise—temporal and eternal—will be fulfilled. |
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