Genesis 15:8
New International Version
But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”

New Living Translation
But Abram replied, “O Sovereign LORD, how can I be sure that I will actually possess it?”

English Standard Version
But he said, “O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?”

Berean Standard Bible
But Abram replied, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess it?”

King James Bible
And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?

New King James Version
And he said, “Lord GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit it?”

New American Standard Bible
But he said, “Lord GOD, how may I know that I will possess it?”

NASB 1995
He said, “O Lord GOD, how may I know that I will possess it?”

NASB 1977
And he said, “O Lord GOD, how may I know that I shall possess it?”

Legacy Standard Bible
And he said, “O Lord Yahweh, how may I know that I will possess it?”

Amplified Bible
But Abram said, “Lord GOD, by what [proof] will I know that I will inherit it?”

Christian Standard Bible
But he said, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess it? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But he said, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess it?”

American Standard Version
And he said, O Lord Jehovah, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Abram said, “LORD JEHOVAH, God, by what shall I know that I am heir to it”?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he said, Master and Lord, how shall I know that I shall inherit it?

Contemporary English Version
Abram asked, "LORD God, how can I know the land will be mine?"

Douay-Rheims Bible
But he said: Lord God, whereby may I know that I shall possess it?

English Revised Version
And he said, O Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Abram asked, "Almighty LORD, how can I be certain that I will take possession of it?"

Good News Translation
But Abram asked, "Sovereign LORD, how can I know that it will be mine?"

International Standard Version
But he replied, "Lord GOD, how will I know that I will inherit it?"

JPS Tanakh 1917
And he said: 'O Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?'

Literal Standard Version
and he says, “Lord YHWH, whereby do I know that I possess it?”

Majority Standard Bible
But Abram replied, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess it?”

New American Bible
“Lord GOD,” he asked, “how will I know that I will possess it?”

NET Bible
But Abram said, "O sovereign LORD, by what can I know that I am to possess it?"

New Revised Standard Version
But he said, “O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?”

New Heart English Bible
But he said, "Lord, how can I know that I will possess it?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, Lord GOD, by what shall I know that I shall inherit it?

World English Bible
He said, “Lord Yahweh, how will I know that I will inherit it?”

Young's Literal Translation
and he saith, 'Lord Jehovah, whereby do I know that I possess it?'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God Confirms His Promise
8But Abram replied, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess it?” 9And the LORD said to him, “Bring Me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a turtledove and a young pigeon.”…

Cross References
Luke 1:18
"How can I be sure of this?" Zechariah asked the angel. "I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years."

Genesis 15:9
And the LORD said to him, "Bring Me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a turtledove and a young pigeon."

Genesis 28:4
And may He give the blessing of Abraham to you and your descendants, so that you may possess the land where you dwell as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham."

Genesis 50:24
Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

Judges 6:36
Then Gideon said to God, "If You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said,


Treasury of Scripture

And he said, LORD God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?

Genesis 24:2-4,13,14
And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: …

Judges 6:17-24,36-40
And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me…

1 Samuel 14:9,10
If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them…

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Abram Gain Inherit Possess Possession Sovereign Whereby
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Abram Gain Inherit Possess Possession Sovereign Whereby
Genesis 15
1. God encourages Abram, who asks for an heir.
4. God promises him a son, and a multiplying of his seed.
6. Abram is justified by faith.
7. Canaan is promised again,
9. and confirmed by a sign, and a vision,
18. prophetic of the condition of his posterity till brought out of Egypt.














(8) Lord God.--Heb., Lord Jehovah, as in Genesis 15:2.

Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?--Jehovah had required Abram to leave his home in Ur of the Chaldees on a general promise of future endowment with the land of Canaan. Abram now asks this question, not from want of faith, but from a desire for a more direct confirmation of the promise and fuller knowledge of the details. What Abram, therefore, receives is an exact and circumstantial prophecy, made in the form of a solemn covenant.

Verse 8. - And he said, Lord God (Adonai Jehovah; vide Ver. 2), whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? Not the language of doubt, though slight misgivings are not incompatible with faith (cf. Judges 6:17; 2 Kings 20:8; Luke 1:34), and questioning with God "is rather a proof of faith than a sign of incredulity" (Calvin); but of desire for a sign in confirmation of the grant (Luther), either for the strengthening of his own faith (Chrysostom, Augustine, Keil, 'Speaker's Commentary'), or for the sake of his posterity (Jarchi, Michaelis), or for some intimation as to the time and mode of taking possession (Murphy). Rosenmüller conceives the question put in Abram's mouth to be only a device of the narrator's to lead up to the subject following.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But [Abram] replied,
וַיֹּאמַ֑ר (way·yō·mar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Lord
אֲדֹנָ֣י (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

GOD,
יֱהוִ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

how
בַּמָּ֥ה (bam·māh)
Preposition-b | Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

can I know
אֵדַ֖ע (’ê·ḏa‘)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3045: To know

that
כִּ֥י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I will possess it?”
אִֽירָשֶֽׁנָּה׃ (’î·rā·šen·nāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3423: To occupy, to seize, to rob, to inherit, to expel, to impoverish, to ruin


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OT Law: Genesis 15:8 He said Lord Yahweh how will (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 15:7
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