## Radak on Genesis Chapter 15

###### Radak on Genesis 15:1:1
[Radak on Genesis 15:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:1:1)

**בַּמַּחֲזֶה.** אָמַר הִנֵּה בַּמַּחֲזֶה מַה שֶּׁלֹּא אָמַר בְּכָל דָּבָר אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר עִמּוֹ עַד הֵנָּה, לְפִי שֶׁהֶרְאָהוּ בַּנְּבוּאָה הַזֹּאת מַעֲשֶׂה לֹא דִּבּוּר לְבַד, כְּמוֹ יְצִיאָתוֹ הַחוּצָה וּסְפִירַת הַכּוֹכָבִים וּדְבַר הַבְּתָרִים.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
אחר הדברים האלה....במחזה, the expression במחזה “in a vision,” is one that had not been mentioned previously when the Torah reported G’d as communicating with Avram. The reason is that in this communication Avram did not only “hear something,” i.e. words spoken by G’d, but he saw something with his eyes [whether mental or physical does not matter, the point being that visual images are considered as stronger than aural perceptions. Ed.] Both the look at the stars, and the viewing of the pieces of the sacrifice he had slaughtered were more “real” than merely “hearing” something in a dream.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:1:2
[Radak on Genesis 15:1:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:1:2)

**אַל־תִּירָא.** כְּלוֹמַר אַל תִּירָא מֵהַמְּלָכִים אֲשֶׁר נִצַּחְתָּ שֶׁמָּא יָבֹאוּ אֲחֵרִים עָלֶיךָ אַל תִּירָא מֵהֶם, כִּי **אָנֹכִי מָגֵן לָךְ**, מֵהֶם וּמֵאֲחֵרִים שֶׁלֹּא יוּכְלוּ לְהָרַע לָךְ; וְעַל הַבִּטָּחוֹן הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר בָּטַחְתָּ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
אל תירא, do not fear that kings whom you vanquished will stage a return engagement against you after they have regrouped. אנכי מגן לך, as a reward for your having displayed such trust and faith in Me, I will be your shield not only against these kings in the future, but also against any other adversaries that may attempt to harm you.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:1:3
[Radak on Genesis 15:1:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:1:3)

**שְׂכָרְךָ הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד.** בָּזֶה וּבַבָּא, זֶהוּ הַרְבֵּה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וּמְאֹד לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
שכרך הרבה מאד, the combination of הרבה and מאד, means that Avram’s reward would be both in this life and in the hereafter.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:2:1
[Radak on Genesis 15:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:2:1)

**אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה.** הָרִאשׁוֹן בְּאָלֶ״ף דָּלֶ״ת, שֵׁם הַתֹּאַר, וּבְיוּ״ד הֵ״א הוּא שֵׁם הָעֶצֶם, וּבָא הַתֹּאַר קֹדֶם לַשֵּׁם, כִּי הַתֹּאַר סָמוּךְ לוֹ, וְלֹא הוּא סָמוּךְ לַתֹּאַר, כִּי הוּא אֵינֶנּוּ מִתֹּאָר עַל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת, וּכְשֶׁיָּבוֹא בּוֹ הַשֵּׁם קֹדֶם לַתֹּאַר הוּא עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַעֲבָרָה כִּלְשׁוֹן בְּנֵי אָדָם, וּבִשְׁאָר הַמִּתֹּאָרִים יָבוֹא הַשֵּׁם קֹדֶם לַתֹּאַר בָּרֹב, כִּי קֹדֶם בָּא הָעֶצֶם וְאַחַר בָּא עָלָיו הַמִּקְרֶה שֶׁהוּא מִתֹּאָר בּוֹ, וְלֹא כֵן בָּאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויאמר אברם א-רני ה' מה תתן לי, the first attribute for G’d is spelled with the letter א-ד, an attribute, adjective, whereas the second name of G’d is the name used to describe the Essence of G’d, what we call Hashem for short. The adjective precedes the noun it describes in order to make clear that the adjective (G’d’s attribute) is in a construct mode of the noun (Essence) and not vice versa. It is not possible to convert the name of G’d the Essence into an adjective mode. If, nonetheless, we encounter such formulations on occasions, when it appears as if G’d’s name (the Essence) has been used as if it were an adjective, this merely reflects the way in which human beings use such terms, i.e. the fault is man’s not the Torah’s.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:2:2
[Radak on Genesis 15:2:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:2:2)

**מַה־תִּתֶּן־לִי.** לֹא שְׁאָלוֹ עַל שְׂכַר הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא כִּי יָדַע כִּי שָׂכָר טוֹב יִהְיֶה לַצַּדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם הַנְּשָׁמוֹת שֶׁהוּא הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, אֲבָל שְׁאָלוֹ עַל שְׂכַר הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, כִּי מַה תּוֹעִיל לוֹ כָּל הַטּוֹבָה הַהִיא וְהָעֹשֶׁר הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁנָּתַן לוֹ וּמָחָר יָמוּת וְיֹאכְלוּ זָרִים חֵילוֹ וִיגִיעוֹ, כִּי לֹא הָיָה לוֹ בֵּן לְמִי יַנִּיחֶנּוּ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
?מה תתן לי, Avram’s question did not relate to what G’d would give him as a reward in the hereafter, rather he wondered what meaningful reward there could be for him on earth seeing he had no children. Any reward in this life in the absence of children to leave it to, he considered meaningless. His reward would only be consumed by others, not related to him.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:2:3
[Radak on Genesis 15:2:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:2:3)

**עֲרִירִי.** כְּתַרְגּוּם, וְאִם יִירָשֵׁנִי בֶּן בֵּיתִי מַה תִּהְיֶה תַּקָּנָתִי כִּי הוּא אֵינוֹ זַרְעִי אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא עַבְדִּי וְעוֹשֶׂה מִצְווֹתַי לִרְצוֹנִי, וְאַתָּה אָמַרְתָּ לִי ״לְךָ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אֶתְּנֶנָּה״.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ערירי, “childless,” as rendered by Onkelos. If a member of my household will inherit me, even if it is my servant who is faithful to me, and a willing disciple, You have said to me “to you and to your descendants I will give it.”


###### Radak on Genesis 15:2:4
[Radak on Genesis 15:2:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:2:4)

**וּבֶן־מֶשֶׁק בֵּיתִי.** הַיּוֹצֵא וְנִכְנָס בְּבֵיתִי. **הוּא דַּמֶּשֶׂק אֱלִיעֶזֶר**, וְהוּא יוֹרְשֵׁנִי אִם לֹא יִהְיֶה לִי בֵּן.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ובן משק ביתי, he will become my heir, if I will not have a biological heir. He is, after all, completely at home in my house.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:2:5
[Radak on Genesis 15:2:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:2:5)

**מֶשֶׁק.** שָׁרְשׁוֹ שָׁקַק, כְּשֹׁקֶל מֶכֶס מִן כָּסַס, וְעִנְיָנוֹ מִן שׁוּק, כְּלוֹמַר הוֹלֵךְ וּבָא, כְּמוֹ ״דֹּב שׁוֹקֵק״ (משלי כח:טו), וְהִנֵּה שְׁנֵי שָׁרָשִׁים בְּעִנְיָן אֶחָד.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
משק, the root of the word is שקק, is grammatically parallel to such words as מכס, whose root is כסס, the meaning of the word is מן השוק, i.e. someone who comes and goes, not someone whose roots are in my house. The root occurs in that sense in Proverbs 28,15 דוב שוקק, “a prowling bear.” Both the roots כסס and שקק describe similar activities.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:2:6
[Radak on Genesis 15:2:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:2:6)

**דַּמֶּשֶׂק אֱלִיעֶזֶר.** אֶפְשָׁר כִּי חָסֵר יוֹ״ד הַיִּחוּס, רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר דַּמַּשְׂקִי, כְּמוֹ ״שֵׁבֶט הַיְמִנִי״ (במדבר כו:מד), וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם אֻנְקְלוֹס ״דַּמַּשְׂקָאָה״; אוֹ אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁהָיָה שְׁמוֹ דַּמֶּשֶׂק כְּשֶׁבָּא אֶל אַבְרָם, וְהוּא קָרָא אוֹתוֹ אֱלִיעֶזֶר כִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר לְשׁוֹן עִבְרִי הוּא, וּפַעַם קָרָא אוֹתוֹ בְּשֵׁם אֶחָד וּפַעַם בִּשְׁנֵי הַשֵּׁמוֹת; וְרוֹצֶה לוֹמַר אִלּוּ הָיָה יוֹרְשִׁי אֶחָד מִבְּנֵי מִשְׁפַּחְתִּי לֹא הָיָה רַע כָּל כָּךְ, אֶלָּא אִישׁ מִדַּמֶּשֶׂק יִירַשׁ אוֹתִי – זֶה רַע מְאֹד, לְפִיכָךְ שָׁנָה בַּדָּבָר עוֹד וְאָמַר.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
דמשק אליעזר. It is possible that the letter י at the end of the word דמשק, i.e. דמשקי is missing here. If so, the meaning is “Eliezer, the man from Damascus, etc.” It would be similar to שבט המנשה being described in Deut 29,7 as שבט המנשי. We also have variations such as משפחת הימנה whereas in the same verse we have משפחת הישוי, with the letter י at the end instead of the letter ה. (compare Numbers 26,44) Onkelos also translates it in this sense when writing דמשקאה “from Damascus.” It is also possible that the servant’s name was Damessek when he came to Avram, and that his master changed his name to Eliezer, seeing that this is a Hebrew name. He was referred to by either name on different occasions. In that event, Avram was saying that if my heir were to be at least somebody belonging to my family it would not be so bad, but I will not even have an heir from my family, but a stranger from Damascus. Seeing that Avram felt that badly about such a prospect, he repeated, i.e. he continued harping on this subject still further in verse 3 saying:


###### Radak on Genesis 15:3:1
[Radak on Genesis 15:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:3:1)

**וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם הֵן לִי לֹא נָתַתָּה זָרַע.** וְאַתָּה אָמַרְתָּ לִי ״וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל״ וְ״שַׂמְתִּי אֶת זַרְעֲךָ כַּעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ״ (בראשית יב:ב). וְכַאֲשֶׁר אָמַר אַבְרָם לָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ כָּל זֶה, לֹא שֶׁחָשַׁב שֶׁיְּשַׁקֵּר לוֹ בְּהַבְטָחָתוֹ חָלִילָה, אֶלָּא חָשַׁב אַחַת מִשְּׁתַּיִם: אוֹ שֶׁחָטָא לָאֵל אַחַר הַבְטָחָתוֹ, שֶׁתֹּאבַד מִמֶּנּוּ הַהַבְטָחָה בְּעֹנֶשׁ הַחֵטְא, אוֹ שֶׁחָשַׁב כִּי הַזֶּרַע שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ יִהְיֶה אֶחָד מִבְּנֵי מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ שֶׁהוּא חָשׁוּב כְּזַרְעוֹ, וְכֵן ״וְדֹבֵר שָׁלוֹם לְכָל זַרְעוֹ״ (אסתר י:ג), שֶׁרוֹצֶה לוֹמַר לְכָל בְּנֵי מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ אוֹ הַגָּדֵל עִמּוֹ. **וּבֶן בֵּיתִי**, שֶׁהוּא חָשׁוּב לוֹ כְּזַרְעוֹ כְּמוֹ אֱלִיעֶזֶר שֶׁהָיָה מוֹשֵׁל בְּכָל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ. לְפִיכָךְ אָמַר לוֹ הֵן לִי לֹא נָתַתָּה זָרַע, כְּלוֹמַר: אִם לֹא יִהְיֶה מִגּוּפִי לֹא אֶחְשֹׁב מַתָּנָה זֹאת שֶׁנָּתַתָּ לִי לְטוֹבָה, וּמֵעֵת שֶׁהִבְטַחְתַּנִי לֹא נִפְקְדָה אִשְׁתִּי, וּמַה תִּקְוָתִי בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בֶן בֵּיתִי יוֹרֵשׁ אֹתִי.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
הן לי לא נתת זרע, although You have said to me “I will make you into a great nation and I will make your descendants as numerous as the dust of the earth” (12,2) When Avram said all this to G’d, it did not cross his mind that G’d might have deceived him, lied to him, and that this was why the promise had not come true. He may have thought of one of two reasons being the cause why the promise had not been fulfilled. 1) that he had committed some sin after G’d had made the promise, so that the premise upon which the promise had been based was no longer valid. 2) or, he thought that the seed G’d had spoken of was a reference to some other family member, people carrying many of the same genes. The word זרע does appear in such a sense in Esther 10,3 where Mordechai is described as דובר שלום לכל זרעו, “interceding on behalf of all his seed.” If Mordechai had interceded only on behalf of personal children and grandchildren, this would hardly have been worth mentioning, certainly not worth praising him for. Basically, Avram wanted G’d to know that if G’d had meant that the definition of the word זרעך as mentioned in 12,2 was only in the most general sense, such as in Esther 10,3, then he, Avram, would not consider this reward as something special seeing G’d had not seen fit to make his wife conceive offspring from his seed.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:4:1
[Radak on Genesis 15:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:4:1)

**וְהִנֵּה דְבַר ה׳.** הָיָה לוֹ דְּבַר ה׳ לַעֲנוֹתוֹ עַל אֲשֶׁר שָׁאַל, לֵאמֹר: **לֹא יִירָשְׁךָ זֶה**, בֶּן בֵּיתְךָ, כִּי אִם אֲשֶׁר יֵצֵא מִמֵּעֶיךָ, וְלֹא תִטְעֶה בְּמַה שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי ״לְךָ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ״, כִּי לֹא אָמַרְתִּי אֶלָּא עַל זַרְעֲךָ מַמָּשׁ שֶׁיֵּצְאוּ מִמֵּעֶיךָ. וְכָל אֲשֶׁר בְּתוֹךְ הַגּוּף נִקְרָא מֵעַיִם, וְכָאן כִּוֵּן עַל כְּלִי הַזֶּרַע, וְכֵן ״וְצֶאֱצָאֵי מֵעֶיךָ״ (ישעיה מח:יט).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
'והנה דבר ה, now G’d’s word in response to his concern about who would inherit him, saying: לא יירשך זה, this loyal servant of yours will not inherit you, כי אם אשר יצא ממעיך, do not err in your understanding of the meaning of the words לך ולזרעך, “to you and to your descendants,” I only referred to your biological; offspring. The word מעיים refers to all the organs within the body, in this instance referring to the reproductive organ. The word is used in a similar sense in Isaiah 48,19 וצאצאי מעיך, “your offspring.”


###### Radak on Genesis 15:5:1
[Radak on Genesis 15:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:5:1)

**וַיּוֹצֵא אֹתוֹ הַחוּצָה.** בְּאָהֳלוֹ בָּאָה לוֹ הַנְּבוּאָה וְהוֹצִיאוֹ מֵאָהֳלוֹ בְּמַרְאֵה הַנְּבוּאָה לַחוּץ לִרְאוֹת אֶת הַכּוֹכָבִים, וְכֵן ״וַתָּבֵא אֹתִי יְרוּשָׁלַיְמָה בְּמַרְאוֹת אֱלֹהִים״ (יחזקאל ח:ג). וּמִתְּחִלָּה אָמַר לוֹ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כַּעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ וְעַכְשָׁיו אָמַר לוֹ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כְּכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְהַכֹּל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְלָגָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ, וְגַם כָּתַבְנוּ הַדְּרָשׁ. וְיֵשׁ לוֹמַר עוֹד שֶׁרָמַז לוֹ כִּי בְּסוֹף כְּשֶׁיִּהְיוּ יְמֵי הַמָּשִׁיחַ יִהְיוּ כְּכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם שֶׁלֹּא תִשְׁלֹט בָּהֶם יַד אָדָם עוֹד, וְיִהְיוּ בְּאוֹרָם לְעוֹלָם. וּבְבֵרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה: **וַיּוֹצֵא אֹתוֹ**, אָמַר לוֹ צֵא מֵאִצְטַגְנִינוּת שֶׁלְּךָ, אַבְרָם אֵינוֹ מוֹלִיד אַבְרָהָם מוֹלִיד, שָׂרַי אֵינָהּ יוֹלְדָה שָׂרָה יוֹלְדָה, רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר מֵעֵת שֶׁאֲשַׁנֶּה שִׁמְכֶם תּוֹלִידוּ. וְכֵן הָיָה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויוצא אותו החוצה, he had received the prophetic vision and words of G’d while in the tent. As part of this prophetic insight, Avram felt that G’d took him outside the tent, showing him the stars. This was the מחזה, “the vision.” We have a parallel situation in Ezekiel 8,3 ותבא אתי ירושלמה במראות אלוקים, “He brought me to Jerusalem in visions of G’d;” [the prophet never set foot in Jerusalem, but lived in Babylonia all his life. Ed.] The new element now was that whereas previously G’d had compared Avram’s offspring as being “like the dust of the earth,” now it is described as “as numerous as the stars in heaven.” Both statements, of course, have to be understood as exaggerations, as we pointed out already on 13,16. We also mentioned the allegorical explanations offered on that verse. It is possible, that in messianic times the Jewish people will be comparable to the stars in that just as no one is able to impose his will on the stars in heaven, so no one will be able to impose his will on the Jewish people. They will shine on earth without interruption just as the stars shine in the sky without dimming. In Bereshit Rabbah 44,10 the words ויוצא אותו are understood as G’d telling Avram to free himself from his astrological speculations according to which he was not able to beget children. Once his name would be changed to Avraham, there would be no reason why a person by that name could not beget children. As soon as G’d would change his name he would be able to sire children, something that proved correct.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:6:1
[Radak on Genesis 15:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:6:1)

**וְהֶאֱמִן בַּה׳.** מִתְּחִלָּה הָיָה גַּם כֵּן מַאֲמִין בַּה׳ אֶלָּא שֶׁהָיָה מִסְתַּפֵּק בְּמַה שֶּׁאָמַרְנוּ; וְעַכְשָׁיו כְּשֶׁפֵּרֵשׁ לוֹ וְאָמַר לוֹ ״מִמֵּעֶיךָ״ וְהֶרְאָהוּ הַמָּשָׁל בְּעֵינָיו וְהֶרְאָה לוֹ הַכּוֹכָבִים בְּמַרְאֵה הַנְּבוּאָה, הֶאֱמִין בּוֹ הָאֱמוּנָה גְּמוּרָה בְּלֹא שׁוּם סָפֵק.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
'והאמין בה, he had already believed in G’d at the start of this prophecy, his doubts having concerned only the interpretation of the word זרעך as we have explained on verse 3. Now that G’d had added that the זרעך He had been speaking about meant biological offspring, i.e. ממעיך, and He had shown him the parable with his own eyes by showing him the stars in a prophetic vision, Avram believed in the original promise with even greater certainty, not entertaining any doubt whatsoever.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:6:2
[Radak on Genesis 15:6:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:6:2)

**וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לּוֹ צְדָקָה.** הַהֶאֱמָנָה הַגְּמוּרָה שֶׁהֶאֱמִין חָשְׁבָהּ לוֹ הָאֵל לִצְדָקָה וּלְיֹשֶׁר לֵבָב, כִּי הוּא וְאִשְׁתּוֹ הָיוּ הוֹלְכִים וּמַזְקִינִים וְהַהַבְטָחָה מִתְאַחֶרֶת. וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן הֶאֱמִין.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויחשבה לו צדקה, G’d credited Avram with having performed an act of righteousness by believing so unquestioningly in His promise that he personally would become a father. In view of the fact that both he and his wife were in the process of aging, such faith was even more remarkable.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:7:1
[Radak on Genesis 15:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:7:1)

**וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו.** אָמַר לוֹ עוֹד לְחַזֵּק בְּלִבּוֹ הַהַבְטָחָה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויאמר אליו, G’d continued speaking to him, in order to reinforce his faith that the promises would be fulfilled.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:7:2
[Radak on Genesis 15:7:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:7:2)

וְאָמַר לוֹ **אֲנִי ה׳.** וַעֲדַיִן לֹא זָכַר לוֹ שְׁמוֹ, וְלֹא זְכָרוֹ לוֹ לְהוֹדִיעַ אוֹתוֹ כִּי כְּבָר יוֹדֵעַ שְׁמוֹ מִיּוֹם דַּעְתּוֹ אוֹתוֹ, אֶלָּא זְכָרוֹ לוֹ לְקַיֵּם לוֹ הַבְטָחָתוֹ וּכְאִלּוּ אָמַר לוֹ ״בִּי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי״.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
'אני ה, He had not previously mentioned His name Hashem, the Essence, to Avram. When G’d mentioned this name of His now, it was not to inform Avram that this was His true name, His Essence. Avram had been familiar with that name from the time he had first gotten to know G’d. He only mentioned it now to tell Avram that He would keep His promise in His capacity of Hashem. It is as if G’d had said: “I swear by My name Hashem.”


###### Radak on Genesis 15:7:3
[Radak on Genesis 15:7:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:7:3)

**אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ.** וְלֹא לְחִנָּם הוֹצֵאתִיךָ אֶלָּא לָתֶת לְךָ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת לְרִשְׁתָּהּ, רָצָה לוֹמַר שֶׁיִּירָשׁוּהָ בָּנָיו וְתִהְיֶה הָאָרֶץ לְאַבְרָהָם כְּמוֹ הַיְרֻשָּׁה שֶׁיּוֹרִישֶׁנָּה אָדָם לְבָנָיו.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
אשר הוצאתיך מאור כשדים, it was not for nothing that I have taken you out of that environment, but in order to give you this land to inherit it. G’d meant that Avram’s descendants would inherit the land of Canaan. The relationship between this land and Avram would become comparable to the inheritance a father leaves to his sons.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:8:1
[Radak on Genesis 15:8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:8:1)

**בַּמָּה אֵדַע כִּי אִירָשֶׁנָּה.** פֵּרֵשׁ כִּי יִירָשׁוּהָ בָּנַי, וְכֵן ״אֲשֶׁר לָקַחְתִּי מִיַּד הָאֱמֹרִי״ (בראשית מח:כב). וּפֵרֵשׁ בַּמָּה אֵדַע, כִּי הוּא לֹא נִסְתַּפֵּק לוֹ אִם יִירָשׁוּהָ בָּנָיו שֶׁהֲרֵי אָמַר ״וְהֶאֱמִן בַּה׳״ (בראשית טו:ו), אֶלָּא נִסְתַּפֵּק לוֹ אִם יִירָשׁוּהָ לְעוֹלָם כִּי אוּלַי יֶחֶטְאוּ וְיִגְלוּ מִמֶּנָּה, וְשָׁאַל בְּאֵיזֶה עִנְיָן יֵדַע הַיְרֻשָּׁה, אֵיךְ תִּהְיֶה שֶׁיַּרְאֶה לוֹ בִּנְבוּאָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁהֶרְאָה לוֹ עִנְיַן רִבּוּי זַרְעוֹ כַּכּוֹכָבִים.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
?ויאמר.. במה אדע כי אירשנה, he meant: “how do I know that my son will inherit it?” We have a similar construction in Genesis 48,22 אשר לקחתי מיד האמורי, where Yaakov also does not mean that he, personally, had battled the Emorite, but that his sons had done so successfully. The meaning of the words במה אדע cannot be that the same man who had just been given credit for his utter faith in G’d now has developed doubts, nothing having occurred to cause such doubts. He wanted to know how he could be certain that when his sons, i.e. offspring, would inherit the land that it would remain theirs forever. Perhaps, due to some sin, future generations might forfeit their claim to the land of Canaan, just as the present occupants had forfeited their claim through their sins. Unless they had, why would G’d want to dispossess them? He hoped that just as G’d had shown him the stars as an illustration that his offspring would be people of great substance, so G’d would show him a further illustration of a means by which his offspring would reinforce their title to that land once they had settled in it.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:9:1
[Radak on Genesis 15:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:9:1)

**קְחָה לִי.** פֵּרַשׁ לְהַקְרִיבָם לְפָנָיו, וּבָהֶם אֶרְמֹז לְךָ עִנְיַן יְשִׁיבָתָם בְּאֶרֶץ יְרֻשָּׁתָם וְגָלוּתָם מִמֶּנָּה, וּבָהֶם אֶכְרֹת לְךָ בְּרִית שֶׁלֹּא תָמוּט, כִּי כְּרִיתַת הַבְּרִית הוּא בְּזֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר ״הָעֵגֶל אֲשֶׁר כָּרְתוּ לִשְׁנַיִם וַיַּעַבְרוּ בֵּין בְּתָרָיו״ (ירמיה לד:יח), כִּי אָמַר הִנֵּה ״וַיְבַתֵּר אֹתָם בַּתָּוֶךְ״ (בראשית טו:י).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
'ויאמר אליו קחה לי וגו, the purpose of Avram taking these animals was to offer them to Gd as a sacrifice. G’d would use this sacrifice to illustrate to Avram the future of his descendants, their settlement in the land of Canaan, as well as their exile from that land. By means of these animal sacrifices G’d would conclude a covenant with Avram that was not subject to permanent dissolution, ever. Concluding a covenant is a procedure such as follows in the next verse, ויבתר אותם בתוך. In Jeremiah 34,18 the prophet spells this out more clearly, עגלה אשר כרתו לשנים ויעבר בין בתריו, “(like) the calf which they cut in two so as to pass between the halves”


###### Radak on Genesis 15:9:2
[Radak on Genesis 15:9:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:9:2)

וְזָכַר שְׁלֹשֶׁת הַמִּינִין מֵהַבְּהֵמָה שֶׁבָּהֶם יִכְשַׁר הַקָּרְבָּן, וְרָמַז בָּזֶה שֶׁכָּל זְמַן שֶׁיַּקְרִיבוּ הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת כָּרָאוּי לֹא יִגְלוּ מִן הָאָרֶץ, וְהַשָּׁלֹשׁ שֶׁזָּכַר בָּהֶם רָמַז לִשְׁלֹשָׁה גָּלֻיּוֹת שֶׁעֲתִידִין בָּנָיו לִגְלוֹת מֵאַרְצָם, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר גַּם כֵּן, ״וַתַּשְׁקֵמוֹ בִּדְמָעוֹת שָׁלִישׁ״ (תהלים פ:ו).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
the Torah mentions three species of animals (mammals) which are basically fit to be offered as sacrificial animals, hinting thereby that as long as these kinds of animals would be offered on the altar to G’d in the prescribed manner, the Jewish people, Avram’s descendants, would not be exiled from their land. The reason why 3 of each species were to be offered by Avram at this time was to apprise him of the fact there would indeed occur three exiles when his descendants would be forcefully uprooted from their land. Their first such exile would be to the land of Egypt, also known as עגלה, calf (Jeremiah 46,20) עגלה יפה פיה מצרים, “Egypt is a handsome heifer.” In Psalms 80,6 the psalmist writes: ותשקמו בדמעות שליש, “You have fed them tears three times,” a prophetic prediction by the author that the exile of the Jewish people in Egypt would not be their only one, but that two more were to follow.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:9:3
[Radak on Genesis 15:9:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:9:3)

וּבְאָמְרוֹ **עֶגְלָה.** רָמַז בּוֹ לְגָלוּת רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁהוּא גָּלוּת מִצְרַיִם, שֶׁנִּקְרָא עֶגְלָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״עֶגְלָה יְפֵיפִיָּה מִצְרָיִם״ (ירמיה מו:כ), כִּי מֵאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן שֶׁהוּא אַרְצָם גָּלוּ שָׁם, וּכְבָר הָיוּ בְּאַרְצָם מוֹשְׁלִים, לוּלֵי כִּי לֹא שָׁלֵם עֲוֹן הָאֱמֹרִי.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
עגלה, this word was an allusion to the first exile of the Israelites. Seeing that Yaakov’s sons had already occupied prominent positions in the land of Canaan, the land could have been described as theirs, if not as their inheritance, as G’d said in Genesis 15,16 “for the measure of the Emorites’ sin will not be full until 4 generations from now.” G’d would not have a legal justification for expelling them from their land until after that period of time. [Most Midrashim understand עגלה as a reference to the Babylonian exile, compare Torah Shleymah on our verse. Ed.]


###### Radak on Genesis 15:9:4
[Radak on Genesis 15:9:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:9:4)

**וְעֵז וְאַיִל.** אָמַר עַל גָּלוּת בָּבֶל וְרוֹמִי שֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ בּוֹ הַיּוֹם שֶׁהוּא מַלְכוּת רְבִיעִית, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵצֵרוּ לָהֶם מַלְכוּת יָוָן לֹא הִגְלוּם מֵאַרְצָם, וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם בַּמָּשָׁל הֵם נִכְלָלִים, כִּי הֵם נִקְרָאִים עֵז בַּחֲלוֹם דָּנִיֵּאל, וּלְפִי שֶׁהֵם הָיוּ תְּחִלַּת רָעַת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּבַיִת שֵׁנִי נַעֲשָׂה הַמָּשָׁל בָּהֶם, וְהָרוֹמִיִּים כִּלּוּ וְהִגְלוּם. **וְאַיִל** הֵם מָדַי וּפָרַס, וּלְפִי שֶׁמָּלְכוּ בָּבֶל נִקְרָא מַלְכוּתָם אַיִל, וְהִנֵּה רָמַז מַלְכוּת בָּבֶל וּפָרַס, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁשִּׁלְּחוּ גָּלוּתָם, מְלָכִים מֵהֶם הֶאֱרִיכוּ גָּלוּתָם וְאִחֲרוּ בִּנְיַן הַבַּיִת וְהָעִיר; וְקָרָא הַשְּׁנַיִם נְקֵבוֹת וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי זָכָר כְּנֶגֶד הַטּוֹבָה שֶׁהֵטִיבוּ מָדַי וּפָרַס שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ אַיִל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְעוֹד שֶׁלֹּא נָתְנוּ הַכֹּחַ וְהַתִּפְאֶרֶת לְעַצְמָם אֶלָּא לָאֵל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר כּוֹרֶשׁ מֶלֶךְ פָּרַס, ״כָּל מַמְלְכוֹת הָאָרֶץ נָתַן לִי ה׳ אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״ (דברי הימים ב לו:כג), וּמֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר אָמַר, ״בְּכֹחַ יָדִי עָשִׂיתִי״ (ישעיהו י:יג), וְכֵן טִיטוּס חֵרֵף וְגִדֵּף. וּקְרָאוֹ זָכָר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהַזָּכָר חָשׁוּב מֵהַנְּקֵבָה, וְהַשְּׁנַיִם הֵרֵעוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא הֵטִיבוּ וְהִתְפָּאֲרוּ בְּמַלְכוּתָם לְעַצְמָם וְלֹא נָתְנוּ הַכֹּחַ וְהַתִּפְאֶרֶת לָאֵל, לְפִיכָךְ קְרָאָם נְקֵבָה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ועז ואיל, and a she-goat and a ram; these two species are symbolic of the exile to Babylonia and the exile initiated by the Romans. Even though the Jewish people were badly suppressed by the Greeks, this happened while they were and remained on their own land. They are, however included in the parable shown by G’d to Avram. In Daniel’s dream (Daniel 8,8) the Greeks are referred to as a she-goat. Seeing that they were the first oppressors of the Jews during the period of the second Temple, the parable alluded to them in second place. The Romans completed what the Greeks had started and exiled the Jewish people from their homeland. The איל, ram, is an allusion to the Persian-Medes exile Seeing that their dominion was based on Babylon, they are referred to in the parable as the איל, the ram, even though eventually they allowed the exiles to return to their land. Several kings of the Persian-Medes empire had prolonged the Jews’ stay in captivity before allowing them to return home, so that they were also guilty of “exiling” them in the interval. The allusion to the second exile, that in Babylonia is called in the feminine mode i.e. עז, instead of שעיר, to indicate that the Babylonians never allowed the Jews to return, whereas the third exile is represented by the species איל in the masculine mode, the Persians-Medes being the only ones allowing the exiles to return to their homeland. The Persians-Medes possessed the merit of believing in the existence of the Jewish G’d, Cyrus having had a dream as a result of which he allowed the Jews to return to their homeland and build a new Temple. (Chronicles II 36,23) Among other merits he attributed his glory to the G’d in heaven Who had made him such a mighty ruler This compares favourably with the king of Ashur who had attributed his success to his own efforts (Isaiah 10,13) Similarly, Titus, conqueror of Jerusalem in Roman times, blasphemed against the G’d of the Jews. The Persians and Medes therefore are represented by a female animal in the parable G’d shows Avram here, as opposed to the arrogant kings who are represented by the male specimens of their species.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:9:5
[Radak on Genesis 15:9:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:9:5)

**מְשֻׁלֶּשֶׁת, מְשֻׁלָּשׁ.** כְּתַרְגּוּם ״עֶגְלִין תְּלָת וְדִכְרִין תְּלָתָא״, וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְפָרֵשׁ בְּנֵי שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
משלשת, three of each, as per Onkelos. Alternately, the meaning could be that these animals were to be three years old (Ibn Ezra)


###### Radak on Genesis 15:9:6
[Radak on Genesis 15:9:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:9:6)

**וְתֹר וְגוֹזָל.** וְלֹא יָדַעְנוּ מֵאֵיזֶה מִין מֵהָעוֹפוֹת הָיָה הַגּוֹזָל, כִּי כָּל קְטַנֵּי הָעוֹפוֹת יִקָּרְאוּ גּוֹזָל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר עַל בְּנֵי נֶשֶׁר, ״עַל גּוֹזָלָיו יְרַחֵף״ (דברים לב:יא), וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם ״וּבַר יוֹנָה״, וְכֵן הוּא הָאֱמֶת כִּי הוּא הַכָּשֵׁר לְקָרְבָּן וְהוּא הַנִּדְרָס וְאֵינוֹ דּוֹרֵס, וְכֵן הַתּוֹר, וְיֵשׁ בֵּינֵיהֶם שִׁתּוּף בַּטֶּבַע, וְהַנְּקֵבָה מֵהֶם לֹא תִזָּקֵק לְזָכָר אַחֵר מוֹת בַּעְלָהּ, וְכֵן יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּגָּלוּת, שֶׁהָיְתָה כְּאַלְמָנָה בַּגָּלוּת מִיּוֹם שֶׁנִּפְרַד בַּעְלָהּ מִמֶּנָּה, וְהוּא חַי וְקַיָּם, לֹא עָבְדָה אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים בַּגָּלוּת, וְאַף שֶׁאֹרֶךְ הַגָּלוּת כְּאִלּוּ אֵין תִּקְוָה, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן ״אִם שָׁכַחְנוּ שֵׁם אֱלֹהִים וְנִפְרֹשׂ כַּפֵּינוּ לְאֵל זָר״ (תהלים מד:כא). וְהַתֹּר וְהַגּוֹזָל הָיָה מָשָׁל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיִּהְיוּ דְּרוּסִים בְּרַגְלֵי הָאֻמּוֹת בְּפִשְׁעֵיהֶם בְּרֹב הַזְּמַנִּים עַד יָבוֹא מָשִׁיחַ, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל נִמְשַׁל לְיוֹנָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״עֵינַיִךְ יוֹנִים״ (שיר השירים א:טו) וְנֶאֱמַר ״יוֹנָתִי בְּחַגְוֵי סֶלַע״ (שיר השירים ב:יד), וְכֵן נִמְשְׁלוּ לְתוֹר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״אַל תִּתֵּן לְחַיַּת נֶפֶשׁ תּוֹרֶךָ״ (תהלים עד:יט).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ותר וגוזל, we are not certain what species of bird is called גוזל by the Torah. Basically, all small birds are known by the collective name of גוזל, as for instances in Deuteronomy 32,11 where the Torah describes the eagle, נשר, as carrying its young on its wings, with the words על גוזליו ירחף. Onkelos explains that what is meant here are young turtle doves. This is one of the few birds that are ritually admissible as sacrifices in Jewish law. It is the kind of bird that, while subject to other predators, does not itself make its livelihood by preying on either birds or beasts. The pigeon, תור, is very similar to it, and both species share the distinction of not mating with another male bird after its first sexual partner has died. The Jewish people, while in exile also considers itself as widowed, separated from its husband, although He is alive and well. It refused to serve other deities (alternate husbands) even though the exile has lasted this long and no immediate redemption is in sight. The female pigeons have this loyalty in common with the Jewish people, not giving up hope that their husbands will return to them. The Jewish people are non-aggressive, though downtrodden by the nations while they are in exile; they have not given up hope that in the fullness of time the messiah, and with him the redemption and return to our own land will finally be realised. (Such fond hopes are expressed by Solomon in his Song of Songs, both in 1,15 and 2,14 in poetical terms. The Jewish people are also compared to the תור in Psalms 74,19 אל תתן לחיות נפש תורך, “do not deliver Your dove to the wild beast.”


###### Radak on Genesis 15:10:1
[Radak on Genesis 15:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:10:1)

**וַיְבַתֵּר אֹתָם בַּתָּוֶךְ.** מַה שֶׁבָּתַר וּמַה שֶׁלֹּא בָתַר הַכֹּל הָיָה בְּמִצְוַת הָאֵל, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא זָכַר זֶה, וְטַעַם הַכָּתוּב לְעִנְיַן הַבְּרִית שֶׁכָּרַת עִמּוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ, וְרָמַז לוֹ בָּזֶה שֶׁכָּל הָאֻמּוֹת הָאֵלֶּה שֶׁהֵרֵעוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּם יִהְיוּ מְחֻלָּקִים וּמְבֻתָּרִים, וְיִהְיוּ אֵלֶּה כְּנֶגֶד אֵלֶּה וְיִלָּחֲמוּ זוֹ בָּזוֹ עַד שֶׁיִּכְלוּ, וְכֵן יִהְיוּ מְחֻלָּקִים בְּתוֹרָתָם וּבֶאֱמוּנָתָם כִּי זֶה גּוֹרֵם הַשִּׂנְאָה וְהַתַּחֲרוּת אֲשֶׁר בֵּינֵיהֶם עַד אֲשֶׁר יְכַלּוּ אֵלּוּ אֶת אֵלּוּ, וְלֹא יִהְיֶה כֵּן בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיָה מְעַט זְמַן מִלְחָמָה בֵּין אֶפְרַיִם וִיהוּדָה תּוֹרָתָם וֶאֱמוּנָתָם לֹא נֶחְלְקָה, וְלִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ יִהְיוּ לַאֲחָדִים לֹא יִהְיֶה בֵּינֵיהֶם קִנְאָה וְתַחֲרוּת כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר, ״אֶפְרַיִם לֹא יְקַנֵּא אֶת יְהוּדָה וִיהוּדָה לֹא יָצֵר אֶת אֶפְרָיִם״ (ישעיהו יא:יג) לְפִיכָךְ אָמַר **וְאֶת הַצִּפֹּר לֹא בָתָר**, וּבַצִּפּוֹר הוּא כּוֹלֵל הַתֹּר וְהַגּוֹזָל, כִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל מְפֻזָּרִים בַּגָּלוּת בְּאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְהֵם לְעַם אֶחָד דְּבֵקִים בְּתוֹרָתָם וּבֶאֱמוּנָתָם כֻּלָּם מִמִּזְרָח עַד מַעֲרָב, תּוֹרָה אַחַת לָהֶם, לֹא שִׁנּוּ דָּתָם בְּמֵצַר הַגָּלוּת וְהַגְּזֵרוֹת הַקָּשׁוֹת הָעוֹבְרוֹת עֲלֵיהֶם תָּמִיד.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויבתר אותם בתוך, both what he cut in half and what he did not cut was at the command of G’d, even though the Torah did not mention this specifically, The reason for cutting something in half was to show that G’d was making a covenant with Avram, as we already explained on verse 9. G’d hinted to Avram, by means of these carcasses being cut in half, that all the nations exiling the Jewish people, would suffer a fate as that suffered by these sacrificial animals. They would successively fight wars, the younger one against the older one, one wiping out the other eventually. All those nations represented different cultures, both in their secular outlook as well as in their religious orientation. All of this would be caused due their competitive spirit, each nation trying to achieve dominance over the others. Such behaviour is not typical of the Jewish people, although, for a brief period in our history, the tribe of Ephrayim competed violently with the tribe of Yehudah for pre-eminence among the 12 tribes of the Jewish people. Even during such periods, these tribes would not remain divided culturally or religiously. (compare Isaiah 11,13) אפרים לא יקנא את יהודה ויהודה לא יצר את אפרים, “Ephrayim will not be jealous of Yehudah, nor will Yehudah oppress Ephrayim.” To signify this difference between competition among the gentile nations, and tribal warfare in Israel, G’d told Avram not to cut the bird in half, seeing that it represented the nation that would emerge with Avram as their founding father. Therefore, the Torah reported ואת הצפור לא בתר, that Avram did not cut the bird in half. The word הצפור includes both the pigeon and the turtle dove, תור וגוזל, seeing that the Jewish people are scattered in the four directions of the globe and have yet remained a single people, clinging to their Torah and their faith in spite of being scattered all over the world. The people of Israel did not trade their religion for another in spite of the heavy burden involved in enduring exile.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:11:1
[Radak on Genesis 15:11:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:11:1)

**וַיֵּרֶד הָעַיִט.** הָעַיִט הוּא שֵׁם לָעוֹפוֹת הַדּוֹרְסִים.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
וירד העיט, the word עיט is description of predatory birds generally.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:11:2
[Radak on Genesis 15:11:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:11:2)

**הַפְּגָרִים.** הֵם הַפְּגָרִים הַשְּׁלֵמִים, כִּי לֹא אָמַר עַל הַבְּתָרִים אֶלָּא **עַל־הַפְּגָרִים** וְהֵם הַשְּׁלֵמִים, שֶׁהֵם הַתֹּר וְהַגּוֹזָל, כִּי לֹא יֵאָמֵר פֶּגֶר, גּוּף וּגְוִיָּה, אֶלָּא עַל הַשָּׁלֵם כְּמוֹ, ״כְּפֶגֶר מוּבָס״ (ישעיה יד:יט) ״פְּגָרִים מֵתִים״ (ישעיה כו:יט) ״גְּוִיַּת שָׁאוּל״ (שמואל א לא:יב). וְרָאָה שֶׁהָיוּ יוֹרְדִים הַדּוֹרְסִים עַל הַתֹּר וְהַגּוֹזָל לְאָכְלָם וּלְכַלּוֹתָם, וְאַבְרָם הָיָה מְנַשֵּׁב אוֹתָם וּמַפְרִיחָם מֵעֲלֵיהֶם, רֶמֶז לוֹ בָּזֶה כִּי בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם עוֹמְדִים עָלֵינוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵינוּ וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַצִּילֵנוּ מִיָּדָם בִּזְכוּת אַבְרָהָם כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, ״וְאַף גַּם זֹאת וְגוֹ׳ לֹא מְאַסְתִּים וְלֹא גְעַלְתִּים וְגוֹ׳״ (ויקרא כו:מד) וְנֶאֱמַר ״וְזָכַרְתִּי לָהֶם בְּרִית רִאשֹׁנִים״ (ויקרא כו:מה).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
על הפגרים, the carcasses which are whole. This term is not applied to the animals which had been cut in half as part of the sacrificial procedures, [presumably, the author does not feel comfortable in the Torah describing sacrifices which had been accepted by G’d winding up as the food for vultures. Ed.] The author quotes a number of examples where the word פגר occurs in the Bible, in all of which the reference is to a whole carcass, not to a section of it. (compare Isaiah 14,19; Chronicles I 10,12; Samuel I 31,12) The symbolism in all this is that there would hardly be a generation in which the gentile nations would not attempt to devour the Jewish people, and to annihilate them utterly. Nonetheless, in the final analysis, G’d has always saved us from becoming total victims. This confirms the prediction in Leviticus 26,44 that even during our darkest days when we are being punished collectively for our sins and the sins of our fathers, “I will not despise you and allow you to be wiped out completely.” In the verse following the one we just quoted, the Torah adds verbatim: וזכרתי להם ברית ראשונים, at such a time “I will remember for them the covenant I concluded with the forefathers.”


###### Radak on Genesis 15:12:1
[Radak on Genesis 15:12:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:12:1)

**וַיְהִי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לָבוֹא.** זֶה מוֹכִיחַ כִּי הַכֹּל הָיָה בְּמַרְאֵה הַנְּבוּאָה, שֶׁהֲרֵי הַכֹּל מַרְאֶה אֶחָד הָיָה וּבְעֵת אַחַת הָיְתָה, וְהוֹצִיא אוֹתוֹ חוּצָה לִסְפֹּר הַכּוֹכָבִים מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיָה לַיְלָה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ אָמַר וַיְהִי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לָבֹא מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיָה יוֹם וּבְסוֹף הַיּוֹם שֶׁהָיָה הַיּוֹם לָעֶרֶב, וְאָמַר וַיְהִי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לָבֹא, שֶׁמַּתְחִיל לָבֹא וְלִהְיוֹת עֶרֶב, וְרָמַז לוֹ בָּזֶה גָּלוּת רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁהוּא גָּלוּת מִצְרַיִם, וְזֶהוּ הָעֶרֶב הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ שֶׁהָאוֹר הוֹלֵךְ וּמַחְשִׁיךְ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויהי השמש לבא, this verse proves that this whole paragraph describes a prophetic vision, that the entire sequence is a continuous vision, uninterrupted. Both the story about G’d taking Avraham out of his tent to gaze at the stars (did not have to have occurred at night) and the time frame mentioned here, i.e. the sun setting, did not have to refer to 12 hours having elapsed since the earlier reported part of this vision. The Torah reports matters in the sequence in which they appeared to Avram in the vision. The reason why “evening” “night” and, by implication, the preceding “daylight” is mentioned, is because they symbolise periods in Jewish history. Daylight symbolises when the fortune smiled on the Jewish people, whereas “sunset” symbolises the decline of the fortunes of the Jewish people, and “night, darkness” symbolises the periods during which the Jewish people are in exile. The approaching evening mentioned in our verse refers to the first Jewish exile in Egypt.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:12:2
[Radak on Genesis 15:12:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:12:2)

**וְתַרְדֵּמָה נָפְלָה.** מִכֹּחַ הַנְּבוּאָה בָּאָה הַתַּרְדֵּמָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר דָּנִיֵּאל ״וּבְדַבְּרוֹ עִמִּי נִרְדַּמְתִּי עַל פָּנַי אָרְצָה״ (דניאל ח:יח), וְאָמַר כִּי אַחַר הַתַּרְדֵּמָה נָפְלָה עָלָיו אֵימָה חֲשֵׁכָה, וְכֵן אָמַר דָּנִיֵּאל ״וּבְבֹאוֹ נִבְעַתִּי״ (דניאל ח:יז), כִּי כֵן הוּא דֶּרֶךְ הַנְּבוּאָה פְּעָמִים. וּלְאַבְרָם בִּתְחִלַּת הַנְּבוּאָה לֹא הָיָה לוֹ כָּל זֶה, כִּי בַּתְּחִלָּה אָמַר לוֹ בְּשׂוֹרָה טוֹבָה, אֲבָל עַתָּה כְּשֶׁבָּא לֵאמֹר לוֹ צָרַת הַגָּלוּת שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לְבָנָיו הִפִּיל עָלָיו תַּרְדֵּמָה וְאֵימָה וַחֲשֵׁכָה גְּדוֹלָה, רֶמֶז לוֹ עַל הַצָּרוֹת שֶׁיִּהְיוּ קָשׁוֹת.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ותרדמה נפלה על אברם, this exhaustion was due to the marshalling of all of Avram’s spiritual resources to receive these prophetic visions. We have evidence of these reactions in Daniel 8,18 who describes these physically debilitating reactions when he involuntarily went to sleep on the very ground on which he had been standing. (he did not have time to lie down on a bed) He had to be revived by the angel. He referred to such weakness also in verse 17 of that same chapter. Avram, at least at the beginning of his prophetic vision, did not experience such a weakness. The reason was that at the beginning of the visions G’d showed him there were only positive developments. Now when G’d showed him the downside, he was overcome with the impact of what G’d showed him.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:12:3
[Radak on Genesis 15:12:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:12:3)

**אֵימָה חֲשֵׁכָה.** כְּמוֹ אֵימָה וַחֲשֵׁכָה, וְכֵן ״שֶׁמֶשׁ יָרֵחַ״ (חבקוק ג:יא), ״רְאוּבֵן שִׁמְעוֹן״ (שמות א:ב), וְהַדּוֹמִים לָהֶם.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
אימה חשכה, as if the Torah had written אימה וחשכה, fear and darkness. We have similar constructions where the conjunctive letter ו is simply omitted in Chabakuk 3,11 שמש ירח, and in Exodus 1,2 ראובן שמעון, and many others like it.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:13:1
[Radak on Genesis 15:13:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:13:1)

**בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם.** לֹא שֶׁהָיָה וְלֹא יִהְיֶה לָהֶם, כְּלוֹמַר לֹא יִירַשׁ זַרְעֲךָ הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת, אֲבָל יִהְיוּ גֵּרִים בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם עַד תַּשְׁלוּם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת, מִיּוֹם שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ זֶרַע, כִּי כֵן אָמַר לוֹ **כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ**, וְעוֹד שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה מֵהַיּוֹם, וְכֵן הָיוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם עַד שֶׁשָּׁלְמוּ אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנִים מִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק וּשְׁלוֹשִׁים שָׁנָה מִיּוֹם שֶׁנִּרְאָה לְאַבְרָם בִּבְרִית בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים עַד שֶׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק. וְהִנֵּה אֵין אָנוּ מוֹצְאִים אֶלָּא עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ, כִּי הַמַּרְאֶה הַזֹּאת בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן הָיְתָה, וְאַבְרָם הָיָה בֶּן שִׁבְעִים וְחָמֵשׁ בְּצֵאתוֹ מֵחָרָן וְהָיָה בֶּן מֵאָה כְּשֶׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק, אֶלָּא נֹאמַר כִּי הֶחָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים הַחֲסֵרִים הָיוּ מִשֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר לוֹ בְּאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים לֶךְ לְךָ, אֲבָל לֹא אָמַר לוֹ כַּמָּה יִהְיוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם וְכַמָּה יִהְיוּ יְמֵי הַשִּׁעְבּוּד, אֲבָל רַזַ״ל פֵּרְשׁוּ (בראשית רבה צא) כִּי מָאתַיִם וְעֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים הָיוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם כְּמִנְיַן ״רְדוּ״ שֶׁאָמַר יַעֲקֹב לְבָנָיו ״רְדוּ שָׁמָּה״ (בראשית מב:ב). וְכֵן הָיָה, כִּי יִצְחָק בֶּן שִׁשִּׁים שָׁנָה הָיָה בְּלֶדֶת יַעֲקֹב וְיַעֲקֹב כְּשֶׁיָּרַד לְמִצְרַיִם בֶּן מֵאָה וּשְׁלוֹשִׁים הֲרֵי מֵאָה וְתִשְׁעִים וּמָאתַיִם וְעֶשֶׂר הֲרֵי אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת מִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק. וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר שֶׁאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה הָיוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם, שֶׁהֲרֵי קְהָת הָיָה מִבָּאֵי מִצְרַיִם וְכָל שְׁנוֹתָיו מֵאָה שְׁלֹשִׁים וְשָׁלוֹשׁ וּשְׁנֵי חַיֵּי עַמְרָם בְּנוֹ מֵאָה שְׁלֹשִׁים וְשֶׁבַע וּמֹשֶׁה בֶּן שְׁמוֹנִים בְּדַבְּרוֹ אֶל פַּרְעֹה וְאָז יָצְאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם הִנֵּה בֵּין כֻּלָּם אֵינָם אֶלָּא שְׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת וַחֲמִשִּׁים, כָּל שֶׁאַתָּה צָרִיךְ לְחַסֵּר מֵהֶם שְׁנֵי קְהָת כְּשֶׁנִּכְנַס לְמִצְרַיִם וְהַשָּׁנִים שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ עַד שֶׁנּוֹלַד עַמְרָם, וְהַשָּׁנִים שֶׁהָיוּ לְעַמְרָם עַד שֶׁנּוֹלַד לוֹ מֹשֶׁה, וּמִכָּל זֶה יֶחְסְרוּ הַרְבֵּה מִשְּׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת וַחֲמִשִּׁים שָׁנָה, אֵין לְךָ לוֹמַר אֶלָּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ, וְיִהְיֶה פֵּרוּשׁ **וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה** וּתְחִלָּתָם מִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק, אֲבָל לֹא פֵּרֵשׁ כָּל יְמֵי הָעִנּוּי. וְכֻלָּם גֵּרִים הָיוּ, כִּי יִצְחָק גָּר בְּאֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים, וְיַעֲקֹב גָּר בַּאֲרָם וְאַחַר כֵּן גָּר בְּמִצְרַיִם עִם בָּנָיו.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויאמר...בארץ לא להם, which will never be theirs. G’d describes the lands in which the Israelites will be exiled as countries which were not included among those of which G’d had said that Avram’s descendants would inherit them. They would remain strangers in a country or countries not theirs until the conclusion of the period of 400 years of which G’d speaks here. G’d speaks of 400 years and an additional 30 years commencing now that G’d revealed this to him. [his descendants could not begin to be exiles until Yitzchok was born, 30 years after the date of this vision. Ed.] This prophecy was fulfilled, the Jewish people leaving Egypt at the conclusion of 400 years after the birth of Yitzchok, or 430 years from the date of these revelations. On the face of it, in light of Avram having been 75 years old when he migrated from Charan, we can only account for 425 years from that time until the redemption of the Israelites from Egypt. We need to assume therefore that the vision involving the 400 years was experienced by Avram while in Charan, five years before he moved to Canaan. At any rate, G’d did not elaborate how many of these 400 years would be spent in Egypt, or even if any would be spent in Egypt. Our sages however, (Seder Olam chapter 3) have said that 210 years of the 400 are accounted for by the stay in Egypt, basing themselves on an allusion contained in the numerical value of the word רדו being 210. (compare Genesis 42,2 רדו שמה). The details of the 400 years are as follows: we start with Yizchok’s birth. He was 60 years at the time Yaakov was born, and Yaakov, by his own account was 130 years old when he answered Pharaoh’s question as to his age. We therefore have the first 190 years accounted for as predating the descent of the family to Egypt. It is totally impossible to believe that the 400 years referred to by G’d’s announcement to Avram were all spent in Egypt, seeing that Kehot, a grandson of Yaakov was among those who moved to Egypt with his family, and his age at death is given by the Torah as 133 years. We know that Moses was 80 years at the time when he made his first appearance before Pharaoh, about a year before the Exodus. If the Israelites had stayed in Egypt for 400 years, then Amram, Moses‘ father, even if he had been born during the last year of the life of Kehat would have lived for 187 years assuming that Moses was born during the last year of Amram’s life. Both of these assumptions are highly unlikely, as is the likelihood of Amram living more that 187 years without the Torah mentioning any of this. In fact, the Torah specifically states that Amram lived to the age of 137 (Exodus 6,20) It is most likely therefore, that the count of 400 years does indeed begin with the birth of Yitzchok. As long as Avram’s descendants were so few in number, they most certainly deserved to be described as “strangers” even in the land of Canaan, seeing they did not own even a small part of it. If you add the fact that Yitzchok spent many years in the land of the Philistines, and Yaakov spent 20 years with Lavan in Aram, a land which would never be part of Eretz Yisrael, neither of them could truly be perceived as a resident of the land of Canaan.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:13:2
[Radak on Genesis 15:13:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:13:2)

וּפֵרַשׁ **וַעֲבָדוּם.** וְעָבְדוּ בָּם, כְּלוֹמַר הַמִּצְרִים יַעַבְדוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. וְכֵן **וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם**, וּבָא הַלָּשׁוֹן עַל הַנֶּעֱבָד עִם יִחוּס הַבַּיִת, כְּמוֹ ״לֹא תַעֲבֹד בּוֹ עֲבֹדַת עָבֶד״ (ויקרא כה:לט), ״לְבִלְתִּי עֲבָד בָּם״ (ירמיה לד:י). וְכֵן תַּרְגּוּם אֻנְקְלוֹס ״וְיִשְׁתַּעְבְּדוּן בְּהוֹן״, אוֹ פֵּרוּשׁוֹ בְּלֹא חֶסְרוֹן בֵּי״ת הַשִּׁמּוּשׁ וְיִהְיֶה לְשׁוֹן הָעֲבוֹדָה עַל הָעוֹבֵד, כְּלוֹמַר יִשְׂרָאֵל יַעַבְדוּ הַמִּצְרִים, וְהַמִּצְרִים יְעַנּוּ אוֹתָם בַּעֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ועבדום, the Egyptians will enslave them, and will oppress them. It is not unusual to apply the prefix ב to people who have been enslaved, as we find a similar construction in Leviticus 25,39 לא תעבוד בו עבודת עבד, “do not make him perform the menial duties performed by a slave.” Or Jeremiah 34,10, לבלתי עבד בם, “not to keep them enslaved.” The word עבדם i.e. עבודה is used to describe the status of the person described, whereas the word וענו refers to the manner in which such slaves would be treated.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:14:1
[Radak on Genesis 15:14:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:14:1)

**וְגַם אֶת־הַגּוֹי... דָּן אָנֹכִי.** אֲנִי אֶשְׁפֹּט אוֹתָם אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֲנִי גָּזַרְתִּי אוֹתָם לִהְיוֹת לָהֶם לַעֲבָדִים, הֵם עָשׂוּ יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר עַל בָּבֶל, ״אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי קָצַפְתִּי מְעָט וְהֵמָּה עָזְרוּ לְרָעָה״ (זכריה א:טו), וְאָמַר, ״קָצַפְתִּי עַל עַמִּי חִלַּלְתִּי נַחֲלָתִי וָאֶתְּנֵם בְּיָדֵךְ לֹא שַׂמְתְּ לָהֶם רַחֲמִים עַל זָקֵן הִכְבַּדְתְּ עֻלֵּךְ מְאֹד״ (ישעיה מז:ו). וְהָעֲבוֹדָה הַזֹּאת וְהָעִנּוּי הָיָה עֹנֶשׁ מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם שֶׁחָטְאוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר בִּנְבוּאַת יְחֶזְקֵאל ״וָאֹמַר אֲלֵיהֶם אִישׁ שִׁקּוּצֵי עֵינָיו הַשְׁלִיכוּ וּבְגִלּוּלֵי מִצְרַיִם אַל תִּטַּמָּאוּ אֲנִי ה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם״ (יחזקאל כ:ז), ״וַיַּמְרוּ בִי וְלֹא אָבוּ לִשְׁמֹעַ אֵלַי אִישׁ אֶת שִׁקּוּצֵי עֵינֵיהֶם לֹא הִשְׁלִיכוּ וְאֶת גִּלּוּלֵי מִצְרַיִם לֹא עָזָבוּ וָאֹמַר לִשְׁפֹּךְ חֲמָתִי עֲלֵיהֶם לְכַלּוֹת אַפִּי בָהֶם בְּתוֹךְ אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם״ (יחזקאל כ:ח), וְאוֹמֵר ״וָאַעַשׂ לְמַעַן שְׁמִי הַגָּדוֹל לְבִלְתִּי הֵחֵל וְגוֹ׳״ (יחזקאל כ:ט). הִנֵּה כִּי נִתְחַיְּבוּ כְּלָיָה בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הָרָעִים, לוּלֵי שֶׁהָאֵל עָשָׂה עִמָּהֶם לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁאוֹמֵר שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה מְחֻלָּל שֶׁהֲרֵי אָמַר לְאַבְרָהָם לְהוֹצִיאָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם, וְכֵן אָמַר לְמֹשֶׁה, ״אֲשֶׁר נָשָׂאתִי אֶת יָדִי לָתֵת אֹתָהּ לְאַבְרָהָם וְגוֹ׳״ (שמות ו:ח), וְזֶה הָיָה נוֹדָע, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר ״אֲשֶׁר נוֹדַעְתִּי אֲלֵיהֶם לְעֵינֵיהֶם לְהוֹצִיאָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם״ (יחזקאל כ:ט), כִּי שָׁלַח לָהֶם נְבִיאִים קֹדֶם מֹשֶׁה כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ מֹשֶׁה, ״שְׁלַח נָא בְּיַד תִּשְׁלָח״ (שמות ד:יג), וְכֵן אוֹמֵר זֶה בְּפָרָשַׁת יְחֶזְקֵאל זֹאת.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
וגם את הגוי אשר יעבדו דן אנכי, I will judge the Egyptians even though it was I Who decreed that the Israelites would be enslaved by them. The reason why I will judge them is that they acted with great cruelty toward the Israelites, something which I had not decreed. The prophet Zacharyah 1,15 spelled out this concept in connection with the punishment G’d visited on the Babylonians, who, though entitled to destroy the Temple in Jerusalem, had never been entitled to go about it with such a vengeance. Similar verses justifying G’d punishing those who had carried out part of His plan against the Jewish people, but with needless harshness, are also found in Isaiah 47,6. The harshness of the slavery in Egypt was a punishment for the Israelites having abandoned the traditions of their fathers, having reverted to idolatry, having violated the covenant between G’d and Avraham, and not even having circumcised their male children. According to Ezekiel 20,7-8 and 9, the Israelites in Egypt had actually been guilty of utter annihilation for forsaking this covenant, and if G’d nonetheless redeemed them, this was for the sake of His name, not because they had deserved it. Having sworn to Avraham that He would redeem his offspring from the country in which they would be enslaved, we must view the Exodus as primarily an exercise of preserving G’d’s image. G’d had told Moses already in Exodus 6,8 that He had sworn an oath to Avraham, etc. Such statements are meant to demonstrate that the Israelites while in Egypt had not been forsaken by G’d, that He had not overlooked what was happening to them, but that they had been the architects of their own misfortune, and that if it had not been for G’d’s oath to the patriarchs, they would have perished there. Apparently, G’d had sent prophets to them prior to Moses, warning them of what might happen, but they had turned a deaf ear to such warnings. This is why Moses, aware of this, said to G’d that He should send another prophet, as He had been in the habit of doing, שלח נא ביד תשלח (Exodus 4,13). This is also what the prophet Ezekiel had in mind in the paragraph that we have referred to earlier. [All of this demonstrates that when Avram asked in verse 8 of this chapter במה אדע כי אירשנה, which we explained as his concern that G’d’s promise might not become actual due to some sin of his offspring, he was quite justified in worrying about such a scenario. It also explains still better G’d’s answer and His statement that He gave Avram a lot of credit for believing G’d’s assurance that in spite of his fears the promise would be carried out in due course. G’d’s answer to Avram contained an acknowledgement that He was aware that the Israelites would indeed sin in Egypt, but also the fact that He would punish them there but not annihilate them, so that eventually they would leave from there with great riches. The redemption would occur after their punishment had run its course. Perhaps, in support of our author’s theory, we might add that the word וגם, “and also,” in our verse, which appears strange since we had not been told who else had been judged and punished, refers to the Jewish people, who by that time had received their punishment in full, so that the remnant, the 20% of whom Rashi speaks on Exodus 13,18 (וחמושים) were entitled to redemption after risking their lives by slaughtering the lamb and circumcising themselves. Ed.]


###### Radak on Genesis 15:15:1
[Radak on Genesis 15:15:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:15:1)

**וְאַתָּה תָּבוֹא אֶל אֲבֹתֶיךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם.** תָּמוּת בְּשָׁלוֹם שֶׁלֹּא תִרְאֶינָה עֵינֶיךָ בְּכָל הַצָּרוֹת הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר תִּקְרֶינָה לְבָנֶיךָ. וּמַה שֶּׁאָמַר **אֶל אֲבֹתֶיךָ**, כֵּן הוּא דֶּרֶךְ הַלָּשׁוֹן בְּכִנּוּי הַמִּיתָה, וְכֵן ״וְהֵאָסֵף אֶל עַמֶּיךָ״ (דברים לב:נ) ״וַיֵּאָסֶף אֶל עַמָּיו״ (בראשית מט:לג) כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁהוּא בָּא וְנֶאֱסָף אֶל אֲבוֹתָיו. וְיֵשׁ דְּרָשׁ שֶׁמּוֹכִיחַ מִזֶּה שֶׁעָשָׂה תֶּרַח תְּשׁוּבָה (בראשית רבה לח) וְהִנֵּה מָצָאנוּ שֶׁאָמַר לְיֹאשִׁיָּהוּ, ״הִנְנִי אוֹסִפְךָ אֶל אֲבֹתֶיךָ״ (דברי הימים ב לד:כח) וְאָמוֹן מֵת בְּרִשְׁעוֹ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ואתה תבא אל אבותיך בשלום, you will die in peace, i.e. you will not witness in your lifetime any of the upsetting developments of which I have spoken to you. As far as the word אבותיך is concerned, this is a common expression used by most people as a metaphor making death sound less negative. Expressions such as ויאסף אל עמיו, "he was gathered in to his people" in Genesis 49,33, or והאסף אל עמיך, "be gathered in to your people" in Deuteronomy 32,50 all express similar sentiments. Some commentators (quoted by Rashi) claim that the wording proves that Terach, Avraham's father had discarded idolatry and accepted monotheism prior to his own death. This is problematic, seeing that we find in Chronicles II 34,28 that kind Yoshiyahu is told by G'd הנני אוסיפך אל אבותיך, and we know that his father Amon died as an unrepentant sinner. תקבר בשיבה טובה, you will see sons and grandsons before you die.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:15:2
[Radak on Genesis 15:15:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:15:2)

**תִּקָּבֵר בְּשֵׂיבָה טוֹבָה.** שֶׁתִּרְאֶה לְךָ בָּנִים וּבְנֵי בָנִים. וְדוֹר רְבִיעִי יָשׁוּבוּ הֵנָּה, הַדּוֹר הָרְבִיעִי מִבָּאֵי מִצְרַיִם שֶׁהוּא מִקֶּדֶם הַגָּלוּת יָשׁוּבוּ הֵנָּה בְּאַרְצָם וְיִירָשׁוּהָ. וְכֵן הָיָה, כִּי קְהָת הָיָה מִבָּאֵי מִצְרַיִם וּבְנֵי אַהֲרֹן וּמֹשֶׁה שֶׁהֵם דּוֹר רְבִיעִי הָיוּ מִבָּאֵי הָאָרֶץ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ודור רביעי ישובו הנה, the fourth generation, starting with those who descended to Egypt, which was the place of their exile, will return to this their land that they migrated from. This prediction was fulfilled, seeing that Kehat who was one of Yaakov's grandsons went down to Egypt, and the children of Moses and Aaron who were the fourth generation were among those who entered the land of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:16:1
[Radak on Genesis 15:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:16:1)

**כִּי לֹא־שָׁלֵם עֲוֹן הָאֱמֹרִי עַד־הֵנָּה.** עֹנֶשׁ עֲוֹן הָאֱמֹרִי לֹא הִגִּיעַ עֲדַיִן זְמַנּוֹ שֶׁיְּקַבְּלוּ עָנְשָׁם, כִּי הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ יַאֲרִיךְ אַפּוֹ לָרְשָׁעִים, וּלְכֹל יֵשׁ זְמַן קָצוּב, יֵשׁ שֶׁמַּעֲנִישׁוֹ מִיָּד וְיֵשׁ שֶׁמַּאֲרִיךְ לוֹ זְמַן רַב, וְהַכֹּל לְפִי חָכְמָתוֹ. וְאוֹמֵר כִּי **הָאֱמֹרִי** לֹא נִגְמַר עֲדַיִן זְמַן עָנְשָׁם, וְעֹנֶשׁ הֶעָוֹן יִקָּרֵא עָוֹן, וְכֵן ״גָּדוֹל עֲוֹנִי מִנְּשׂוֹא״ (בראשית ד:יג), וְעֹנֶשׁ הַחַטָּאת חַטָּאת, כְּמוֹ ״זֹאת תִּהְיֶה חַטַּאת מִצְרָיִם״ (זכריה יד:יט). וְזָכַר **הָאֱמֹרִי** לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה הֶחָזָק שֶׁבְּשִׁבְעָה גוֹיִם, וְכֵן אָמַר ״וְאָנֹכִי הִשְׁמַדְתִּי אֶת הָאֱמֹרִי מִפְּנֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר כְּגֹבַהּ אֲרָזִים גָּבְהוֹ״ (עמוס ב:ט).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
כי לא שלם עון האמורי עד הנה, the time when the Emorite is due for punishment will not be until then. G'd is very patient with sinners, giving them a great deal of time to mend their ways. The punishment for sin is called עון, as we know already from Kayin (Genesis 4,13) who said of the punishment for his having murdered Hevel, his brother, גדול עוני מנשוא, "my punishment is too great for me to endure." We also find that the word חטאת is used both as sin and as atonement for sin, just as the word עון sometimes means "sin," and sometimes "punishment." Compare Zecharyah 14,19 זאת תהיה חטאת מצרים. The reason the Torah singled out the tribe of the Emorite among all the Canaanite tribes is because it was the strongest of those seven tribes. The prophet Amos 2,9 also quotes G'd of having destroyed the Emorite on account of the Jewish people, although the same fate overtook the other Canaanite tribes also.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:17:1
[Radak on Genesis 15:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:17:1)

**וַיְהִי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בָּאָה.** מִלְעֵיל, לְפִי שֶׁהוּא פֹּעַל עָבָר.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויהי השמש באה, the word באה is accented on the first syllable, seeing that here it is a verb in the past tense.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:17:2
[Radak on Genesis 15:17:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:17:2)

**וַעֲלָטָה.** הוּא הַחֹשֶׁךְ הֶחָזָק, וְרָמַז בָּזֶה לִשְׁאָר הַגָּלֻיּוֹת שֶׁיִּצָּרְפוּ בָהֶם יִשְׂרָאֵל צֵרוּף אַחַר צֵרוּף, זֶהוּ שֶׁבָּאָה הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְאֵין לָהּ אוֹר כְּלָל, וְאַף אוֹר הַכּוֹכָבִים לֹא נִרְאֶה, וְהָעֲלָטָה רֶמֶז לְצָרוֹת הַגָּלֻיּוֹת שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כְּפוּלוֹת.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ועלטה, a form of intense darkness. G'd hinted by the use of this intense darkness that there would be other exiles, and that the redemption from the exile in Egypt would not be the final redemption of the Jewish people. The description of the sun having set followed by עלטה, implies that there would be no light at all, no moon and no stars would be visible in the sky.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:17:3
[Radak on Genesis 15:17:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:17:3)

**וְהִנֵּה תַנּוּר עָשָׁן וְלַפִּיד אֵשׁ.** עָשָׁן שֵׁם תֹּאַר בְּשֶׁקֶל חָכָם סָכָל. אָמַר שֶׁרָאָה תַנּוּר שֶׁהָיָה עָשָׁן, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁהָיָה מַעֲלֶה עֲשָׁנוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הָעֲלָטָה, זֶהוּ רֶמֶז לְאַף ה׳ שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׁה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאֹרֶךְ הַגָּלוּת הַזֶּה הָאַחֲרוֹן עִם צָרוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת, וְכֵן אָמַר דָּוִד לְאֹרֶךְ זֶה הַגָּלוּת, ״עַד מָתַי עָשַׁנְתָּ בִּתְפִלַּת עַמֶּךָ״ (תהלים פ:ה).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
והנה תנור עשן ולפיד אשת, the word עשן is an adjective used in the same kind of meter as חכם סכל, which means חכם וסכל, "a wise man who acts foolishly." We would translate it here as "a smoking furnace." The point is that within the overall vision, Avram saw another furnace belching smoke, within the general atmosphere of intense darkness. This latter picture was an allusion to G'd's anger which coats Israel with its some during the long years of exile, the final exile which is the worst of them all. This is also what David had to say concerning this long and most difficult exile, when he exclaimed in Psalms 80,5 עד מתי עשנת בתפלת עמך, "for how long will You remain smoking angrily at the prayers of Your people?"


###### Radak on Genesis 15:17:4
[Radak on Genesis 15:17:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:17:4)

**וְלַפִּיד אֵשׁ.** רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר וְרָאָה לַפִּיד אֵשׁ **אֲשֶׁר עָבַר בֵּין הַגְּזָרִים הָאֵלֶּה**, וְהֵם אוֹתָם בְּתָרִים אֲשֶׁר בָּתַר, וְרָמַז בּוֹ לִשְׁנֵי דְבָרִים: רָמַז בּוֹ לִכְרִיתַת הַבְּרִית כְּמוֹ שֶׁעוֹבְרִים בַּעֲלֵי הַבְּרִית בֵּין הַגְּזָרִים וְהַבְּתָרִים אֲשֶׁר נִתְּחוּ לִשְׁנַיִם וְיַעַבְרוּ בֵּין בְּתָרָיו, כֵּן שָׁאַל הָאֵל בִּמְקוֹם כְּבוֹדוֹ לַפִּיד אֵשׁ שֶׁיַּעֲבֹר בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים לְקַיֵּם הַבְּרִית עִם אַבְרָהָם. זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר אַחֲרָיו: ״בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כָּרַת ה׳ אֶת אַבְרָם בְּרִית״ (בראשית טו:יח). רָמַז לוֹ בָּזֶה כִּי כָּל עוֹד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הַצָּרוֹת תְּקֵפוֹת וּתְכוּפוֹת יִזְכֹּר לָהֶם הָאֵל בְּרִית אַבְרָם שֶׁלֹּא לְכַלּוֹתָם. וְרָמַז גַּם כֵּן בְּלַפִּיד אֵשׁ שֶׁיִּכְלוּ הָאֻמּוֹת הָאֵלֶּה שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל גּוֹלִים בֵּינֵיהֶם שֶׁהָיוּ הַבְּהֵמוֹת הַשְּׁלֹשָׁה לְמָשָׁל לָהֶם, אָמַר שֶׁיַּעֲבֹר אֵשׁ ה׳ בֵּינֵיהֶם וִיכַלֶּה אוֹתָם כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר בְּגוֹג וּמָגוֹג לֶעָתִיד (יחזקאל לח:כב) ״אֵשׁ וְגָפְרִית אַמְטִיר עָלָיו וְעַל אֲגַפָּיו״.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ולפיד אש, a reference to the flame of fire traversing between the cut up carcasses of the sacrificial animals. This vision contained two separate allusions. First and foremost it part in concluding this covenant with Avram, a symbol of two humans walking between two parts of something which represents each party's portion of the covenant, treaty, pact. [the mutuality of a covenant could be demonstrated by each party to it keeping as a memento one half of a hundred dollar bil cut in half, ownership of which proves that one is a party to the treaty. Ed.] We find another example of this kind of confir4ming a pact, a covenant in Jeremiah 34,18 העגל רשר כרתו לשנים ויעברו בין בתריו, "the calf which the cut in two so as to pass between the halves." [the occasion was the solemn promise not to enslave again the Jewish slaves whom their owners had agreed to release in response to the prophet's (G'd's) demand with Nevuchadnezzar already at the gates of Jerusalem. Ed.] Following up on this symbolic phenomenon, we read here in verse 18 "on that day G'd had concluded a covenant with Avram, etc." In that verse we have the word לאמור, which introduces a second aspect of this covenant, i.e. that during all the many years that the exiles will last, G'd on His part will remember this covenant with the Jewish people, the descendants of Avram, and not totally abandon them. This same flame of fire which originally signified the concluding of the covenant will eventually consume those who defied the bond between Israel and G'd by cruelly suppressing them and trying to wean them away from their G'd. This will occur during the wars of Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38,22) etc.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:18:1
[Radak on Genesis 15:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:18:1)

**בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא.** בְּאוֹתָהּ הַמַּרְאָה כָּרַת עִמּוֹ בְּרִית לָתֵת לְזַרְעוֹ אֶת הָאָרֶץ כֻּלָּהּ, וְרָמַז לוֹ בָּזֶה שֶׁיִּירְשׁוּ אוֹתָהּ כֻּלָּהּ לְסִבַּת הַגָּלוּת הַזֶּה, כִּי אָמַר לוֹ שֶׁיִּתֵּן לְזַרְעוֹ עֶשֶׂר אֻמּוֹת שֶׁזָּכַר וּבִירֻשָּׁה רִאשׁוֹנָה לֹא יָרְשׁוּ אֶלָּא אֶרֶץ שֶׁבַע אֻמּוֹת וְקֵינִי וּקְנִזִּי וְקַדְמֹנִי לֹא יָרְשׁוּ עֲדַיִן, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהַמַּאֲמָר הַזֶּה לֶעָתִיד הוּא.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ביום ההוא כרת ה' את אברם בריתת, on the occasion of that vision G'd concluded a covenant with Avram to give the entire land of Canaan to his descendants. He hinted to him by means of this vision that they would inherit all of it at the conclusion of the final exile. We know this because now G'd named 10 tribes as being the ones whose lands would all become part of the territory of the Jewish people.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:18:2
[Radak on Genesis 15:18:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:18:2)

**נָתַתִּי.** כְּבָר נָתַתִּי לָהֶם בִּדְבָרִי שֶׁהוּא קַיָּם.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
נתתי, a reference to what G'd had already given to Avram. When G'd makes a promise, it is as if He had already fulfilled it, as He does not renege. Hence the past tense, נתתי. The boundaries of these tribes at that time extended as far as the river Euphrates.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:18:3
[Radak on Genesis 15:18:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:18:3)

**עַד־הַנָּהָר הַגָּדֹל נְהַר־פְּרָת.** אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שבועות ז:ב): אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּאַרְבַּע נְהָרוֹת גָּדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ, קְרָאוֹ גָּדוֹל לְפִי שֶׁהוּא מֵאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ בְּמָשָׁל: ״עֶבֶד מֶלֶךְ מֶלֶךְ״.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
עד הנהר הגדול נהר פרת, our sages (quoted by Rashi in commenting on the word הגדול, "the great one," being applied to the river Euphrates), say that even though among the four rivers listed as emanating from Gan Eden there was a bigger river than Euphrates, this one is called "the great one," as it traverses some parts of the land of Israel (in the future).


###### Radak on Genesis 15:19:1
[Radak on Genesis 15:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:19:1)

**אֶת הַקֵּינִי.** קָרְאוּ עַל שֵׁם הָעִיר שֶׁיָּשְׁבוּ בָּהּ תְּחִלָּה, כִּי שֵׁם הָעִיר הָיָה קַיִן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר ״וְחֶבֶר הַקֵּינִי נִפְרָד מִקַּיִן״ (שופטים ד:יא). אוּלַי הַבּוֹנֶה אוֹתָהּ הָיָה שְׁמוֹ קַיִן וְקָרָא הָעִיר עַל שְׁמוֹ, כְּמוֹ ״כְּשֵׁם בְּנוֹ חֲנוֹךְ״ (בראשית ד:יז), ״כְּשֵׁם דָּן אֲבִיהֶם״ (יהושע יט:מז), שֹׁמְרוֹן עַל שֵׁם שֶׁמֶר אֲדֹנֵי הָהָר. וְהַמִּשְׁפָּחָה הַהִיא נִקְרֵאת קֵינִי, קֵינִים, וְנִתְחַתְּנוּ עִם שֵׁבֶט יְהוּדָה עִם מִשְׁפְּחוֹת רֵכָב, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר ״הֵמָּה הַקֵּינִים הַבָּאִים מֵחַמַּת אֲבִי בֵית רֵכָב״ (דברי הימים א ב:נה). וְאֶפְשָׁר כִּי זֶה **הַקֵּינִי** הַנִּזְכָּר הֵנָּה הָיָה אַחֵר, אֶלָּא שֶׁאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם ״יָת שַׁלְמָאֵי״, כְּמוֹ שֶׁתִּרְגֵּם ״וַיַּרְא אֶת הַקֵּינִי״ (במדבר כד:כא).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
את הקיני, this tribe gets its name from the city in which its members dwelled originally. The name of the city was קין, and the people known as חבר הקיני were descended from Kayin, as per Judges 4,11. Perhaps Kayin himself had built that city. We are told something to that effect in Genesis 4,17. [it is difficult to accept that this city survived the deluge, as it is difficult to accept that identifiable descendants of Kayin survived the deluge. Ed.] It is a fact that such cities as Gilead, or Chavot Yair, and Dan, received their names from their founders, naming them after themselves. (compare Joshua 19,46; Kings I 16,24; Chronicles I 2,55). According to Onkelos, it is clear that he did not accept this meaning of the name קיני, as in Numbers 24,21 he renders the Numbers 24,21 where Bileam prophesied about the Keyni's future as if it were one of the Canaanite tribes.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:20:1
[Radak on Genesis 15:20:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:20:1)

**וְאֶת הַחִתִּי.** וְלֹא זָכַר הַחִוִּי, אוּלַי הוּא **הָרְפָאִים** שֶׁזָּכַר.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ואת החתי, the omission of the חוי may mean that that tribe was identical with the רפאים.


###### Radak on Genesis 15:21:1
[Radak on Genesis 15:21:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20Genesis/r/15:21:1)

**וְאֶת הָאֱמֹרִי וְאֶת הַכְּנַעֲנִי.** וְאֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים בִּכְלַל הַכְּנַעֲנִי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר בְּסֵפֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ: ״לַכְּנַעֲנִי תֵּחָשֵׁב״ (יהושע יג:ג).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ואת האמרי ואת הכנעני, the land of the Philistines is included under the heading of "the Canaanite," as we know from Joshua 13,3 לכנעני תחשב וגו'.