1778# 经文
1这事以后，耶和华的话语在异象中临到亚伯兰：“亚伯兰，你不要惧怕！我是你的盾牌，必大大地赏赐你。”2亚伯兰说：“主雅威啊，我将无后而走，你还赐我什么呢？并且我家的管家人，他是大马士革人以利以谢。”3亚伯兰说：“看哪，你没有赐给我种子；看吧，我家中的男儿就要继承我了。”4看哪，耶和华的话临到他，说：“这个不会继承你，但从你腹中出来的，那个将继承你。”5于是领他走到外边，说：“你向天观看，数算众星，能数得过来吗？”又对他说：“你的种将要如此。”6亚伯兰信耶和华，耶和华就以此为他的义。7耶和华又对他说：“我是耶和华，曾领你出了迦勒底的吾珥，为要将这地赐给你，让你继承它。”8 亚伯兰说：“主耶和华啊，我怎能知道我会继承它呢？” 9他就对他说：“你为我取一只三年的小母牛，一只三年的母山羊，一只三年的公绵羊，一只斑鸠，一只雏鸽。” 10亚伯兰就取了这些来，每样劈开，分成两半，一半对着一半地摆列，只有鸟没有劈开。11有鸷鸟下来，落在那些尸体上，亚伯兰就把它赶走了。12日头正落的时候，沉睡降临在亚伯兰身上；看哪，大黑暗的恐惧落在他身上。13他对亚伯兰说：“你要确实知道，你的种将在不是自己的地上成为寄居的人，服侍他们，受他们苦待四百年。”14并且他们所要服侍的那个民族，我要审判，后来他们必带着丰厚的收获从那里出来。 15至于你，要平安地归到你列祖那里；你将在美好的晚年被埋葬。16到了第四代，他们必回到这里，因为亚摩利人的罪孽还没有满盈。”17日落时，天色幽暗，忽然有冒烟的炉并烧着的火把从那些部分之间穿过。18当那日，耶和华与亚伯兰立约，说：“我要将这地赐给你的种，从埃及河直到大河，（即）伯拉河。19就是基尼人、基尼洗人、甲摩尼人、20赫人、比利洗人、利乏音人、21亚摩利人、迦南人、革迦撒人、耶布斯人（之地）。”
概览
就内在意义而言，这里继续讨论主在童年期间承受了最严重的试探之战，这些争战是针对的是全人类，尤其是对教会的爱。由于对教会未来状态的忧虑，主获得了一个承诺。同时也向他展示了，当教会开始走向衰落时，它在末期将会呈现的状态。然而，新的教会将会复苏，接替旧教会的位置，并使天堂的领域得到极大的扩展。
1778、此处在内义上继续论述关于主的事，就是祂在童年时期经历了最严厉的试探争战之后的事；这些争战针对的是祂对整个人类，尤其对教会所怀的爱；因此，祂对他们将来的状态忧心忡忡，所以得到一个应许。但祂同时被指示，当教会开始咽下最后一口气，也就是开始死亡时，它在末日的状态将是什么样。然而，一个新教会必积蓄力量复兴起来，以取代之前的教会，天国必大大增长。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1778. Genesis 15
1. After these words,{*1} the word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram; I am a shield to you, your very ample reward."
2. And Abram said, "Lord Jehovih, what will you give me? For I am walking childless, and my ‘child,' the steward of my household, is the Damascene Eliezer."
3. And Abram said, "Here, you have not given me seed, and indeed the ‘child' of my household is my heir."
4. And see, now: the word of Jehovah to him, saying, "This one will not be your heir; but one who will issue from your belly will be your heir."
5. And leading him outside he said, "Look, please, toward the sky and count the stars, if you can count them." And he said to him, "This is how your seed will be."
6. And he believed in Jehovah, and [Jehovah] credited it to him as uprightness.
7. And [Jehovah] said to him, "I am Jehovah, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit."
8. And [Abram] said, "Lord Jehovih, how will I know that I will inherit it?"
9. And [Jehovah] said to him, "Take yourself a three-year-old heifer, and a three-year-old she-goat, and a three-year-old ram, and a turtledove, and a chick."
10. And he took himself all these things and split them in half and set each of the parts across from its other [half]; but the fowl he did not split.
11. And winged creatures swooped down onto the bodies, and Abram drove them away.
12. And the sun was about to set, and slumber fell on Abram, and look — terror of immense shadows was falling on him!
13. And [Jehovah] said to Abram, "You must know beyond doubt that your seed will be immigrants in a land not theirs; and they will serve [the people of that land], and these will afflict them four hundred years.
14. And also the nation they serve I will judge. And after this happens, they will depart with a great deal of property.
15. And you will come to your ancestors in peace; you will be buried at a good old age.
16. And in the fourth generation they will come back here, because the wickedness of the Amorites will not be complete until that time."
17. And it happened that the sun set, and darkness occurred, and see? A furnace of smoke and a torch of fire that passed between those pieces!
18. On that day Jehovah struck a pact with Abram, saying, "To your seed will I give this land, from the river of Egypt all the way to the great river, the river Phrath:{*2} 19. the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite;
20. and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim;
21. and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite."
Footnotes:
{*1} (in the text of Genesis 15:1). The Latin expression here translated "after these words" is a literal translation of the Hebrew, which in a more extended sense means "after these events." For more on the Hebrew locution, see note 4 in 1400. [LHC]
{*2} (in the text of Genesis 15:18). The Phrath is the Euphrates. [LHC]
1778. Summary
THE inner sense here continues to speak of the Lord, in the period after he endured the battles and spiritual trials of his youth. These battles were severe assaults on the love he cherished for the whole human race and in particular for the church. Therefore, since he was anxious about what was in store, he received a promise. At the same time he was shown what the condition of the church would be toward the end, when it would begin to die. Still, a new church would be revived to take the place of the former one, and the heavenly kingdom would increase beyond measure.
Potts(1905-1910) 1778
1778. THE CONTENTS Here in the internal sense are continued the things concerning the Lord after He had endured in childhood the most severe combats of temptations, which were directed against the love which He cherished toward the whole human race, and in particular toward the church; and therefore being anxious concerning their future state a promise was made Him; but it was shown at the same time what the state of the church would become toward its end when it would begin to expire; but that still a new church should revive, which would take the place of the former, and the heavenly kingdom would be immensely increased.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1778
1778.
Continued here in the internal sense are matters concerning the Lord after He had undergone in childhood the very severe conflicts brought about by temptations - conflicts directed against the love He cherished towards the entire human race, and in particular towards the Church. As He was therefore anxious about the future state of these, a promise was made to Him. But at the same time He was shown what the state of the Church was to become in its final days, when it was beginning to breathe its last, but nevertheless that a new Church would gather strength to take the place of the previous one; and the heavenly kingdom would be vastly increased.
Latin(1748-1756) 1778
1778. CONTENTACONTINUANTUR hic de Domino in sensu interno postquam in pueritia sustinuit gravissimas pugnas tentationum, et illas contra amorem quem fovit erga universum genus humanum, in specie erga Ecclesiam; quare anxius de futuro statu, Ipsi promissio facta; at una ostensum qualis status Ecclesiae fieret circa fines cum exspirare inciperet, sed usque quod nova Ecclesia revivisceret quae subitura loco prioris, et regnum caeleste immensum augeretur.