Genesis 15:10

He brought him all these, and divided them in the middle, and laid each half opposite the other; but he didn’t divide the birds.

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

He brought him all these, and divided them in the middle, and laid each half opposite the other; but he didn’t divide the birds.

BSB

So Abram brought all these to Him, split each of them down the middle, and laid the halves opposite each other. The birds, however, he did not cut in half.

KJV

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.

ASV

And he took him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each half over against the other: but the birds divided he not.

BBE

All these he took, cutting them in two and putting one half opposite the other, but not cutting the birds in two.

Original Hebrew

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וַיִּקַּח־ vai·yi·kach- and he brought H3947 לוֹ lo to (the) him H9033 אֶת־ 'et- (marks the object) H853 כָּל־ kol- all H3605 אֵלֶּה 'e·leh these H428 וַיְבַתֵּר vay·va·ter and he cut in pieces H1334 אֹתָם 'o·tam (marks the object) them H853 בַּתָּוֶךְ ba·ta·vekh in the middle H8432 וַיִּתֵּן vai·yi·ten and he set H5414 אִישׁ־ 'ish- each H376 בִּתְרוֹ bit·ro piece its H1335 לִקְרַאת lik·rat to meet H7122 רֵעֵהוּ re·'e·hu neighbor its H7453 וְאֶת־ ve·'et and (marks the object) H853 הַצִפֹּר ha·tzi·por the bird[s] H6833 לֹא lo' not H3808 בָתָר va·tar he cut in two H1334

The early church

And it is said, "But the birds divided he not," because carnal people are divided among themselves. But those who are spiritual are not divided at all, whether they seclude themselves from the busy conversation of humankind, like the turtledove, or dwell among them, like the pigeon. For both birds are simple and harmless, signifying that even in the Israelite people, to which that land was to be given, there would be individuals who were children of the promise and heirs of the kingdom that is to remain in eternal felicity.
Augustine of Hippo · d. 430City of God

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 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 spiritual sacrifices. When vain thoughts, like these fowls, come down upon our sacrifices, we must drive them away, and seek to attend on God without distraction.

Read Matthew Henry on Genesis 15 →

Cross-references

4

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.