Genesis 15 · Verse 9

Genesis 15:9

And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.

Genesis 15:9, King James Version

Genesis 15:9 in other translations

BSB	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.”
WEB	He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
ASV	And he said unto him, Take me a heifer three years old, and a she-goat three years old, and a ram three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.
YLT	And He saith unto him, ‘Take for Me a heifer of three years, and a she-goat of three years, and a ram of three years, and a turtle-dove, and a young bird;'
DARBY	And he said to him, Take me a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.
BBE	And he said, Take a young cow of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a sheep of three years old, and a dove and a young pigeon.
Webster	And he said to him, Take me a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.

What does Genesis 15:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 15:9-21

9-21. Take me an heifer, &c.--On occasions of great importance, when two or more parties join in a compact, they either observe precisely the same rites as Abram did, or, where they do not, they invoke the lamp as their witness. According to these ideas, which have been from time immemorial engraven on the minds of Eastern people, the Lord Himself condescended to enter into covenant with Abram. The patriarch did not pass between the sacrifice and the reason was that in this transaction he was bound to nothing. He asked a sign, and God was pleased to give him a sign, by which, according to Eastern ideas, He bound Himself. In like manner God has entered into covenant with us; and in the glory of the only-begotten Son, who passed through between God and us, all who believe have, like Abram, a sign or pledge in the gift of the Spirit, whereby they may know that they shall inherit the heavenly Canaan.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 9 Take me a heifer - עגלה eglah, a she-calf; a she-goat, עז ez, a goat, male or female, but distinguished here by the feminine adjective; משלשת meshullesheth, a three-yearling; a ram, איל ayil; a turtle-dove, תר tor, from which come turtur and turtle; young pigeon, גוזל gozal, a word signifying the young of pigeons and eagles. See Deu 32:11. It is worthy of remark, that every animal allowed or commanded to be sacrificed under the Mosaic law is to be found in this list. And is it not a proof that God was now giving to Abram an epitome of that law and its sacrifices which he intended more fully to reveal to Moses; the essence of which consisted in its sacrifices, which typified the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world? On the several animals which God ordered Abram to take, Jarchi remarks: "The idolatrous nations are compared in the Scriptures to bulls, rams, and goats; for it is written, Psa 22:12 : Many bulls have compassed me about. Dan 8:20 : The ram which thou hast seen is the king of Persia. The rough goat is the king of Greece. Dan 8:21. But the Israelites are compared to doves, etc.; Sol 2:14 : "O my dove, that art in the cleft of the rock. The division of the above carcasses denotes the division and extermination of the idolatrous nations; but the birds not being divided, shows that the Israelites are to abide for ever." See Jarchi on the place.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 15:7-11

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 did as God commanded him. He divided the beasts in the midst, according to the ceremony used in confirming covenants, Jer 34:18, 19. Having prepared according to God's appointment, he set himself to wait for the sign God might give him. A watch must be kept upon our…

Read the full comment on Genesis 15:7-11 →

Genesis 15:9 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559

אֵלָ֗יו'e.Lavto himH413

קְחָ֥הke.Chahbring !H3947

לִי֙lito <the> me

עֶגְלָ֣ה'eg.Laha heiferH5697

מְשֻׁלֶּ֔שֶׁתme.shu.Le.shetthree years oldH8027

וְעֵ֥זve.'Ezand a goatH5795

מְשֻׁלֶּ֖שֶׁתme.shu.Le.shetthree years oldH8027

וְאַ֣יִלve.'A.yiland a ramH352

מְשֻׁלָּ֑שׁme.shu.Lashthree years oldH8027

וְתֹ֖רve.Torand a turtle-doveH8449

וְגוֹזָֽל\׃ve.go.Zaland a young pigeonH1469

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 15:9

Leviticus 14:22
And two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, such as he is able to get; and the one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering.
Leviticus 14:30
And he shall offer the one of the turtledoves, or of the young pigeons, such as he can get;
Luke 2:24
And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
Leviticus 3:6
And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering unto the Lord be of the flock; male or female, he shall offer it without blemish.
Leviticus 3:1
And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the Lord.
Leviticus 1:14
And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the Lord be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons.
Leviticus 9:2
And he said unto Aaron, Take thee a young calf for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the Lord.
Leviticus 1:10
And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish.
Genesis 22:13
And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
Leviticus 12:8
And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.
Leviticus 1:3
If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord.
Isaiah 15:5
My heart shall cry out for Moab; his fugitives shall flee unto Zoar, an heifer of three years old: for by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go it up; for in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of destruction.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

22:13; Le 1:3,10,14; 3:1,6; 9:2,4; 12:8; 14:22,30; Ps 50:5; Isa 15:5
Lu 2:24

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Genesis 15:8
And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
Genesis 15:9
And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
Genesis 15:10
And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.

Read all of Genesis 15

Genesis 15:9 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y le dijo: Apártame una becerra de tres años, y una cabra de tres años, y un carnero de tres años, una tórtola también, y un palomino.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et il lui dit: Prends une génisse de trois ans, et une chèvre de trois ans, et un bélier de trois ans, et une tourterelle, et un jeune pigeon.
German Elberfelder 1871	Da sprach er zu ihm: Hole mir eine dreijährige Färse und eine dreijährige Ziege und einen dreijährigen Widder und eine Turteltaube und eine junge Taube.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Et respondens Dominus: Sume, inquit, mihi vaccam triennem, et capram trimam, et arietem annorum trium, turturem quoque et columbam.