Genesis 15:10

Genesis 15:10

And he took him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.

a. NLT: So Abram presented all these to him and killed them. Then he cut each animal down the middle and laid the halves side by side; he did not, however, cut the birds in half.

b. NIV: Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half.

c. YLT: and he taketh to him all these, and separateth them in the midst, and putteth each piece over against its fellow, but the bird he hath not divided;

d. Amplified Bible: And he brought Him all these and cut them down the middle [into halves] and laid each half opposite the other; but the birds he did not divide.

e. Septuagint: So he took to him all these, and divided them in the midst, and set them opposite to each other, but the birds he did not divide.

f. Stone Edition Chumash: He took all these to Him: He cut them in the center, and placed each piece opposite its counterpart. The birds, however, he did not cut up.

1. “And he took him all these…”

a. and he took [3947 * laqach] [Strong: a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications):--accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.]

2. “…and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another...”

a. and divided [1334 * bather] [Strong: a primitive root, to chop up:--divide.]

b. in the midst [8432 * tavek] [Strong: from an unused root meaning to sever; a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the centre:--among(-st), X between, half, X (there- ,where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night), midst (among), X out (of), X through, X with(-in).]

c. and laid [5414 * Nathan] [Strong: a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, + cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander, strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to) God, yield.]

d. each [376 * ‘iysh] [Strong: contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation):--also, another, any (man), a certain, + champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-)man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), + none, one, people, person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy.]

e. piece [1335 * bether] [Strong: from 1334; a section:--part, piece.]

f. one against [7125 * qir’ah] [Strong: from 7122; an encountering, accidental, friendly or hostile (also adverbially, opposite):--X against (he come), help, meet, seek, X to, X in the way.]

g. another [7453 * rea’] [Strong: from 7462; an associate (more or less close):--brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbour, X (an-)other.]

3. “…but the birds divided he not.”

a. the birds [6833 * tsippowr] [Strong: from 6852; a little bird (as hopping):--bird, fowl, sparrow.]

b. he divided [1334 * bather] [Strong: a primitive root, to chop up:--divide.]

1). There is no Hebrew word in the text for “not”. I trust the scholars.

2). Old Testament Bible History, Alfred Edersheim, pp. 63, 64. “To confirm Abram’s faith, Jehovah now gave Abram a sign and a seal, He entered into a covenant with him. For this purpose the Lord directed Abram to bring an heifer, a she-goat, and a ram, each of three years old, also a turtle-dove and a young pigeon. These sacrifices…were to be divided, and the pieces laid one against the other, as the custom was in making a covenant, the covenanting parties always passing between them, as it were to show that now there was no longer to be division, but that what had been divided was to be considered as one between them.

3). Unger’s Bible Dictionary, p.224. “Covenants were not only concluded with an oath, but after an ancient custom, confirmed by slaughtering and cutting a victim into two halfs, between which the parties passed, to intimate that if either of them broke the covenant it would fare with him as with the slain and divided beast.”