Genesis 13:15 kjv
For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
Genesis 13:15 nkjv
for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever.
Genesis 13:15 niv
All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.
Genesis 13:15 esv
for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.
Genesis 13:15 nlt
I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession.
Genesis 13 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:7 | Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." | First promise of the land to Abram. |
| Gen 15:7 | And he said to him, "I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess." | God's explicit intent to give the land. |
| Gen 15:18-21 | On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river... | Defines the full geographical scope of the land. |
| Gen 17:8 | I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession... | Reaffirmation of land promise, "everlasting possession." |
| Gen 26:3 | Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you and will give all these lands to you and to your offspring... | Reaffirmation of land promise to Isaac. |
| Gen 28:13 | The Lord stood above it and said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give... | Reaffirmation of land promise to Jacob. |
| Ex 6:4 | I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. | God's faithfulness in remembering the covenant. |
| Num 34:1-12 | The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Command the people of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall... | Detailed boundaries for the promised land. |
| Deut 1:8 | See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac... | Moses reiterates the promise before entering Canaan. |
| Deut 9:28 | ...lest the land from which you brought us out say, 'Because the Lord was not able to bring them into the land that he promised them... | Recalls God's promise and ability to fulfill it. |
| Josh 1:3 | Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. | Fulfillment begins with Joshua leading Israel. |
| Ps 105:8-11 | He remembers his covenant forever...which he made with Abraham...saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan..." | God's eternal remembrance of the promise. |
| Neh 9:8 | You found his heart faithful before you, and made with him a covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanites... | Acknowledgment of God's faithfulness and fulfillment. |
| Rom 4:13 | For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness... | The promise is through faith, encompassing spiritual inheritance. |
| Rom 4:16 | That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring... | Promise depends on grace and applies to all who believe. |
| Gal 3:16 | Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many, but referring to one... | Christ as the ultimate "offspring" and heir of promises. |
| Gal 3:29 | And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. | Believers in Christ are spiritual offspring. |
| Heb 6:13-14 | For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, "Surely I will bless you..." | God's unchangeable promise to Abraham, sealed by oath. |
| Heb 6:17-18 | So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an... | God's promise is sure and steadfast. |
| Heb 11:8-10 | By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called...he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise... | Abraham's faith in waiting for the promised land. |
| Acts 7:5 | Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot's length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring... | Stephen's summary of God's land promise. |
| Luke 1:55 | as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever." | God's promise to Abraham remembered in NT. |
Genesis 13 verses
Genesis 13 15 Meaning
This verse declares God's unconditional covenant promise to Abram, guaranteeing the entirety of the land visible to him, which is the land of Canaan, as a perpetual inheritance for Abram himself and his innumerable descendants. It reassures Abram of his destined portion after Lot's departure and reinforces God's divine sovereignty in bestowing gifts.
Genesis 13 15 Context
Genesis 13 recounts the amicable separation of Abram and his nephew Lot due to the inability of their combined flocks and herds to find sufficient pasturage in the same area. Abram, showing magnanimity, allows Lot to choose his preferred destination first. Lot, looking with human eyes and material focus, chose the well-watered plain of the Jordan, moving towards Sodom. After Lot's departure, God directly intervenes and speaks to Abram, who is now alone in the land. This divine reaffirmation of the land promise, first made in Gen 12:7, is thus a direct response to Abram's trusting obedience and stands in stark contrast to Lot's worldly choice. It confirms God's covenant with Abram personally and ensures the permanence of this foundational promise.
Genesis 13 15 Word analysis
"For" (כִּי - ki): This conjunction introduces the divine explanation or consequence of what follows. It links God's promise directly to Abram's preceding action of separating from Lot and remaining in the land. It implies that because Abram acted rightly and Lot has departed, this promise is now firmly established.
"all" (כָּל - kol): Signifies completeness and totality. There are no reservations or limitations on the extent of the promised land. It underscores the magnanimity and expansiveness of God's gift.
"the land" (הָאָ֗רֶץ - ha'aretz): Refers to a specific and significant piece of geography—the land of Canaan, which Israel would later inhabit. The definite article "the" indicates its uniqueness and importance. This land is central to the Abrahamic covenant and forms the basis for the identity and future of his descendants.
"which you see" (אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתָּ֣ה רֹאֶ֑ה - asher attah ro'eh): This phrase ties the promise to Abram's immediate vantage point. From his elevated position near Bethel and Ai (v.14), Abram could physically survey a significant portion of the land. This sensory detail makes the promise tangible and personal. The act of "seeing" here is a concrete witness to the spiritual reality of God's gift, reinforcing its truth.
"I will give" (אֶתְּנֶ֖נָּה - ettenennah): Emphasizes divine initiative and unilateral action. God is the active giver, bestowing a gift that is not earned or deserved. This verb signifies a sure, future, yet certain endowment, underlining God's sovereignty and faithfulness in fulfilling His promises.
"to you" (לְךָ֤ - lekha): Refers directly to Abram, highlighting his personal election and status as the initial recipient of God's covenant. Even though he did not possess any land at the time (Acts 7:5), the promise was specifically to him.
"and to your offspring" (וּלְזַרְעֲךָ֖ - ulezar'akha): The term "offspring" (זֶרַע - zera', meaning 'seed' or 'descendants'), ensures the perpetuity and multiplication of the covenant promise. It extends the land inheritance beyond Abram's lifetime to his future generations. This forms the basis for the later nation of Israel's claim to the land and, ultimately, for the spiritual lineage extending to all who are "of Christ" (Gal 3:16, 29).
"forever" (עַד־עוֹלָֽם - ad-olam): Signifies eternal duration, permanence, and a never-ending possession. This emphasizes the unconditional and immutable nature of God's covenant. It suggests that this land promise is an everlasting component of the Abrahamic covenant.
"all the land which you see": This phrase underlines the vastness of the promise as perceived by Abram, emphasizing God's generosity and the physical scope of the future inheritance. It serves as a visual confirmation of an immense future gift, contrasting with Lot's self-selected, limited view.
"I will give to you and to your offspring forever": This whole clause powerfully communicates the divine, gracious, and unconditional nature of the covenant. It is God's active decision ("I will give"), bestowed upon a specific person ("to you") and his multitude of future descendants ("and to your offspring"), with an enduring and unchanging commitment ("forever"). This promise underscores the concept of inherited blessing and the eternal reliability of God's word.
Genesis 13 15 Bonus section
The land promise in this verse functions as a subtle polemic against the pagan ideologies prevalent in Canaan. Unlike the surrounding polytheistic cultures where land tenure was often at the whims of numerous, localized, and frequently capricious deities, or achieved through human conquest, Genesis presents the land as an unconditional, sovereign gift from the one true God (Yahweh) directly to His chosen people. Abram's nomadic existence at this point, possessing no actual territory, starkly contrasts with the vast "forever" promise, illustrating that divine favor and future inheritance are based solely on God's word and not human accomplishments or temporary circumstances. The "seeing" by Abram's eyes here contrasts sharply with Lot's worldly "seeing" and choosing; Lot sees the immediate, green plain, while Abram, though surrounded by perceived emptiness after Lot's departure, is encouraged to "lift his eyes" (v. 14) and "see" the much vaster, divinely promised, enduring inheritance. This points to a reliance on God's perspective rather than human immediate gratification.
Genesis 13 15 Commentary
Genesis 13:15 is a pivotal reaffirmation and expansion of God's land promise to Abram. Immediately following Abram's selfless act of letting Lot choose the prime grazing land, God appears directly to Abram to solidify and elaborate on His prior covenant commitment. The specificity of "all the land which you see" ties the grand, future inheritance to a present, tangible visual, providing immediate reassurance to a still-landless nomadic patriarch. The promise extends unconditionally "to you and to your offspring forever," ensuring an eternal heritage for his literal descendants and, prophetically, for the spiritual heirs in Christ. This declaration highlights God's sovereignty, generosity, and the eternal, unchanging nature of His covenantal faithfulness, assuring Abram that his act of yielding to Lot did not diminish his promised inheritance; rather, it affirmed God's greater plan.