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He said to him, "Take me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon."
Verse Takeaways
1
A Solemn, Binding Promise
Commentators explain that God was instructing Abram in a formal, culturally understood ceremony for making a binding agreement. Known as "cutting a covenant," the act of dividing animals signified the severe penalty—a similar fate—for breaking the pact. This was God's tangible and solemn answer to Abram's request for assurance.
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Genesis
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6
18th Century
Presbyterian
19th Century
Anglican
Take me an heifer ... — This form of making a covenant was probably the usual form in Babylonia, and thus Abram received …
Baptist
Here is a lesson for us. Perhaps you have some of these unclean birds coming down upon your sacrifice right now. That raven that you did not lock u…
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16th Century
Protestant
Take me an heifer of three years old. Some, instead of a heifer of three years old, translate the passage as ‘three heifers’ and, in each …
17th Century
Reformed Baptist
And he said unto him, take me an heifer of three years old , &c.] This, with what follows, is the sign by which Abra…
Assurance was given to Abram of the land of Canaan for an inheritance. God never promises more than he is able to perform, as men often do. Abram d…
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