Genesis 15:17
And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
a. NLT: After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]
b. NIV: When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]
c. YLT: And it cometh to pass -- the sun hath gone in, and thick darkness hath been -- and lo, a furnace of smoke, and a lamp of fire, which hath passed over between those pieces. [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]
d. Amplified Bible: When the sun had gone down and a [thick] darkness had come on, behold, a smoking oven and a flaming torch passed between those pieces. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]
e. Septuagint: And when the sun was about to set, there was a flame, and behold a smoking furnace and lamps of fire, which passed between these divided pieces.
f. Stone Edition Chumash: So it happened: The sun set, and it was very dark. Behold, there was a smoky furnace and a torch of fire which passed between these pieces. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE CHUMASH Copyright 1998, 2000 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ldt.]
1. “And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark…”
a. And it came to pass [Strong: 1961 ah haw-yaw a primitive root (Compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-)self, require, X use.]
b. [that when the] sun [Strong: 8121 shemesh, sheh'-mesh; from an unused root meaning to be brilliant; the sun; by implication, the east; figuratively, a ray, i.e. (architectural) a notched battlement:— east side(-ward), sun (rising), west(-ward), window.]
c. went down [Strong: 935 bôwʼ, bo; a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications):—abide, apply, attain, × be, befall, besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, × certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, × doubtless again, eat, employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, have, × indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, × (well) stricken (in age), × surely, take (in), way.
d. [and it] was [Strong: 1961 ah haw-yaw a primitive root (Compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-)self, require, X use.]
e. dark [Strong: 5939 ʻălâṭâh, al-aw-taw'; feminine from an unused root meaning to cover; dusk:—dark, twilight.]
1). An interesting fact previously covered in Genesis 15:12 of this encounter between Almighty God and Abram is that in verse 5, it appears to be night and yet in verse 12 the sun begins to go down. I have trouble believing that it took Abram the rest of the evening, the next morning and all day the next day to cut up the animals and finish right before the sun went down the next day. Now there may be a simple explanation for this, but because God is in the picture I don’t believe it is simple. Jewish tradition says that God took Abram outside the realm of reason and nature. (Stone Edition of the Chumash. Note under Genesis 15:5). I don’t think it is out of the question to believe that God brought Abram to a place where he could see the stars in the daytime. Supernatural travel has happened to more than a few individuals in Scripture. Elijah, Enoch, Phillip, Jesus, Paul, John. If God can bring a person to heaven such as John and Paul why not to a place where he can see the stars in the daytime.
2. “…behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.”
a. behold [Strong: 2009 hinneh hin-nay' prolongation for 2005; lo!:--behold, lo, see.]
b. a smoking [Strong: 6227 ʻâshân, aw-shawn'; from H6225; smoke, literally or figuratively (vapor, dust, anger):—smoke(-ing).]
c. furnace [Strong: 8574 tannûwr, tan-noor'; from H5216; a fire-pot:—furnace, oven.]
1). Significant uses of this Hebrew word.
a). Psalm 21:9 Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.
b). 2 Samuel 22:7-9 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.
22:8 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.
22:9 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
c). Isaiah 31:9 And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.
d). Malachi 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
d. [and a] burning [Strong: 784 ʼêsh, aysh; a primitive word; fire (literally or figuratively):—burning, fiery, fire, flaming, hot.]
e. lamp [Strong: 3940 lappîyd, lap-peed'; or לַפִּד lappid; from an unused root probably meaning to shine; a flambeau, lamp or flame:—(fire-) brand, (burning) lamp, lightning, torch.
1). Significant uses of this Hebrew word.
a). Exodus 20:18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
b). Isaiah 62:1 For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.
2). Other descriptions of God using comparable words.
a). Hebrews 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.
b). Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
c). Exodus 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire; to give them light; to go by day and night.
f. that [Strong: 834 'aher ash-er' a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number); who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:--X after, X alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), X if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(- soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.]
g. passed [Strong: 5674 ‘âbar, aw-bar'; a primitive root; to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in copulation):—alienate, alter, × at all, beyond, bring (over, through), carry over, (over-) come (on, over), conduct (over), convey over, current, deliver, do away, enter, escape, fail, gender, get over, (make) go (away, beyond, by, forth, his way, in, on, over, through), have away (more), lay, meddle, overrun, make partition, (cause to, give, make to, over) pass(-age, along, away, beyond, by, -enger, on, out, over, through), (cause to, make) proclaim(-amation), perish, provoke to anger, put away, rage, raiser of taxes, remove, send over, set apart, shave, cause to (make) sound, × speedily, × sweet smelling, take (away), (make to) transgress(-or), translate, turn away, (way-) faring man, be wrath.]
h. between [Strong: 996 bêyn, bane; (sometimes in the plural masculine or feminine); properly, the constructive form of an otherwise unused noun from H995; a distinction; but used only as a preposition, between (repeated before each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction, either...or:—among, asunder, at, between (-twixt...and), + from (the widest), × in, out of, whether (it be...or), within.]
i. those [Strong: 428 'el-leh ale'-leh prolonged from 411; these or those:--an- (the) other; one sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those, thus, which, who(-m).]
j. pieces [Strong: 1506 gezer, gheh'-zer; from H1504; something cut off; a portion:—part, piece.]
1). The participants who walked in between the pieces in this case were “a smoking furnace and a burning lamp”. Abram did not participate because he was in a deep sleep. So who were these two participants? There are many times in Scripture where the Presence of the Lord is shown by fire. I personally believe they were two of the Persons of Godhead, the LORD God and the LORD God, the pre-incarnate Christ and the Father God. Previous to the Incarnation, which occurred almost 2000 years later, these two participants were the LORD God and the LORD God. Though Judaism has known for thousands of years that the LORD was who passed between the pieces, the full revelation was not given to them. In the book of Galatians the Apostle Paul wrote about this Covenant. The promises uttered in the Covenant were promised by God to the pre-incarnate Christ, who was “the seed”, and to Abraham.
a). Galatians 3:16, 17 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
2). According to Jeremiah 34:18, the participants of the covenant walked between the animal parts and spoke the words of the covenant.
a). Jeremiah 34:18 And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof,
3). Remember, Abram did not participate, he did not walk through the parts. According to the Scriptures, Abram was in a deep sleep.
a). Genesis 15:12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
b). Old Testament Bible History, Alfred Edersheim, p.64. “Then it was that the covenant was made; not, as usually, by both parties passing between the divided sacrifice, but by Jehovah alone, God, undertook all the obligations, while the other received all the benefits.”
4). An added element that is not mentioned in this passage is one of the actions on the behalf of the participants in covenants, and most assuredly happened here. It is the lifting up of the hand. It is mentioned in Genesis 14:22 where Abram, speaking to the King of Sodom says, “I have lift up my hand unto the most high God.” Although the writing down of the following particular element of this covenant did not occur until centuries later, when Ezekiel wrote it under the inspiration of God, it no doubt reflects what happened centuries earlier when this covenant was cut. When the persons of the Godhead were passing through the covenant pieces, they were swearing with uplifted hands to fulfill their responsibilities of the covenant.
a). Ezekiel 47:14 And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another: concerning the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance.
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