Genesis 15:11 BSB — MannaFest

Genesis 15:11

And the birds of prey descended on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

KJV

And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.

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Commentary

3 voices

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

And when the fowls - העיט haayit, birds of prey, came down upon the carcasses to devour them, Abram, who stood by his sacrifice waiting for the manifestation of God, who had ordered him to prepare for the ratification of the covenant, drove them away, that they might neither pollute nor devour what had been thus consecrated to God.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Note, A very watchful eye must be kept upon our spiritual sacrifices, that nothing be suffered to prey upon them and render them unfit for God's acceptance. When vain thoughts, like these fowls, come down upon our sacrifices, we must drive them away, and not suffer them to lodge within us, but attend on God without distraction.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Charles Spurgeon

1834–1892

The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 420: “Abram And The Ravenous Birds” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) (1861)

WE might use this text, if we chose, as a picture of the ease with which faith repels all attacks that are made upon Christ, the great sacrifice of the new Covenant. Ainsworth tells us that the original word which we translate "drove" has in it the force of "puffed" them away. As if with a very puff of breath these kites and vultures and eagles, were at once driven away from the bodies of the victims.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

7 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
וַיֵּ֥רֶד	vai.Ye.red	and it came down	H3381 →
הָעַ֖יִט	ha.'A.yit	the bird[s] of prey	H5861 →
עַל־	'al-	on	H5921 →
הַפְּגָרִ֑ים	ha.pe.ga.Rim	the carcasses	H6297 →
וַיַּשֵּׁ֥ב	vai.ya.Shev	and he drove away	H5380 →
אֹתָ֖ם	'o.Tam	<obj.> them	H853 →
אַבְרָֽם׃	'av.Ram	Abram	H87 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Psalms 119:13
With my lips I proclaim all the judgments of Your mouth.
leads to
- Psalms 71:15–18
  My mouth will declare Your righteousness and Your salvation all day long, though I cannot know their full measure.
- Psalms 37:30
  The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
- Psalms 40:9–10
  I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; behold, I do not seal my lips, as You, O LORD, do know.
- Psalms 118:17
  I will not die, but I will live and proclaim what the LORD has done.
- Psalms 34:11
  Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Through
Matthew 13:4
And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
leads to
- Matthew 13:18–19
  Consider, then, the parable of the sower:
Through
Ezekiel 17:3
and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers of many colors, came to Lebanon and took away the top…
leads to
- Hosea 8:1
  Put the ram’s horn to your lips! An eagle looms over the house of the LORD, because the people have transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My law.
- Jeremiah 48:40
  For this is what the LORD says: “Behold, an eagle swoops down and spreads his wings against Moab.

Featured studies on this passage

On Genesis 15:11

The Abrahamic Covenant: Genesis 12 · 15 · 17, MannaFest

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On Genesis 15:11

The Covenants

Six covenants in succession, cumulative rather than replacing. Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, New. Each narrowing the line of promise while widening the scope of fulfillment.

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Walks through Genesis 15

The Armor of God

Roman legionary equipment surveyed by Paul as Christian discipline (Eph 6:10–18). Six pieces of armor and a seventh element — prayer — that is posture, not armor. Every piece carries an OT echo.

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Abraham Goes to the Land of Canaan — engraving by Gustave Doré

Walks through Genesis 15

Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism, MannaFest

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Walks through Genesis 15

Faith and Works, James and Paul on the Same Abraham, MannaFest

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Walks through Genesis 15

Fire

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About Genesis

The Creation of Light — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

Genesis: the study guide →Read chapter 15 →The featured study →

Continue: Genesis 15 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Genesis

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Genesis