GEN 15:2 Parallel View

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The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

OET (OET-RV) “My master Yahweh,” replied Abram, “what will you give me, since we have no children and it’s Eliezer (my chief slave from Damascus) who’ll inherit all my possessions?”

Key: yellow:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT But Abram said, “My Lord Yahweh, what will you give to me, since I go childless, and the son of the inheritance of my house is the Damascan, Eliezer?”

UST But Abram said to him, “Yahweh my Master, even if you reward me greatly, that will not benefit me, since I still have no children. So when I die, the one who will inherit all that I have is my servant Eliezer who is a foreigner from the city of Damascus.”

BSB § But Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”

OEB But Abram said, ‘Lord God, what can you give me? I am childless, and the person who will be possessor of my house is Eliezer of Damascus,

WEB Abram said, “Lord[fn] Yahweh, what will you give me, since I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”

15:2 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai”.

WMB Abram said, “Lord[fn] GOD, what will you give me, since I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”

15:2 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai”.

NET But Abram said, “O sovereign Lord, what will you give me since I continue to be childless, and my heir is Eliezer of Damascus?”

LSV And Abram says, “Lord YHWH, what do You give to me, and I am going childless? And an acquired son in my house is Demmesek Eliezer.”

FBV But Abram replied, “Lord God, what good is whatever you give me? I don't have any children, and the heir to all that I have is Eliezer of Damascus.”[fn]

15:2 It was the practice of the time for childless couples to appoint their most trusted servant as their heir.

T4T But Abram replied, “Yahweh God, how can you give me what I truly want, because I have no children, and the one who will be like a son and inherit all my possessions is my servant Eliezer from Damascus!”

LEB Then[fn] Abram said, “O Yahweh, my Lord, what will you give me?I continue to be[fn] childless, andmy heir[fn] is Eliezer of Damascus.”

?:? Or “And”

?:? Literally “I am going”

?:? Literally “the son of the inheritance of my house”

BBE And Abram said, What will you give me? for I have no child and this Eliezer of Damascus will have all my wealth after me.

MOF No MOF GEN book available

JPS And Abram said: 'O Lord GOD, what wilt Thou give me, seeing I go hence childless, and he that shall be possessor of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?'

ASV And Abram said, O Lord Jehovah, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and he that shall be possessor of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?

DRA And Abram said: Lord God, what wilt thou give me? I shall go without children: and the son of the steward of my house is this Damascus Eliezer.

YLT And Abram saith, 'Lord Jehovah, what dost Thou give to me, and I am going childless? and an acquired son in my house is Demmesek Eliezer.'

DBY And Abram said, Lord Jehovah, what wilt thou give me? seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus.

RV And Abram said, O Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and he that shall be possessor of my house is Dammesek Eliezer?

WBS And Abram said, LORD God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?

KJB And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
(And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt/will thou/you give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Elye/Elijahzer of Damascus? )

BB And Abram sayde: Lorde God what wylt thou geue me when I go chyldelesse, the chylde of the stewardship of my house is this Eleazer of Damasco?
(And Abram said: Lord God what wilt/will thou/you give me when I go chyldelesse, the chylde of the stewardship of my house is this Eleazer of Damasco?)

GNV And Abram said, O Lord God, what wilt thou giue me, seeing I goe childlesse, and the steward of mine house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
(And Abram said, O Lord God, what wilt/will thou/you give me, seeing I go childlesse, and the steward of mine house is this Elye/Elijahzer of Damascus? )

CB But Abram sayde: LORDE LORDE, what wilt thou geue me? I go childles, and the seruaunt of my house (this Eleasar of Damascos) hath a sonne.
(But Abram said: LORD LORD, what wilt/will thou/you give me? I go childles, and the servant of my house (this Eleasar of Damascos) hath/has a sonne.)

WYC And Abram seide, Lord God, what schalt thou yyue to me? Y schal go with oute fre children, and this Damask, sone of Elieser, the procuratour of myn hous, schal be myn eir.
(And Abram said, Lord God, what shalt thou/you give to me? I shall go with oute free children, and this Damask, son of Elye/Elijahser, the procuratour of mine house, shall be mine eir.)

LUT Abram aber sprach: HErr HErr, was willst du mir geben? Ich gehe dahin ohne Kinder; und mein Hausvogt hat einen Sohn, dieser Elieser von Damaskus.
(Abram but spoke: LORD HErr, was willst you to_me geben? I go dahin without Kinder; and my Hausvogt has a son, dieser Elieser from Damaskus.)

CLV Dixitque Abram: Domine Deus, quid dabis mihi? ego vadam absque liberis, et filius procuratoris domus meæ iste Damascus Eliezer.[fn]
(And_he_said Abram: Domine God, quid dabis mihi? I vadam without liberis, and filius procuratoris domus my iste Damascus Eliezer.)

15.2 Dixitque Abram. HIERON. in Q. Hebr. Ego vado sine liberis, etc. usque ad ab hoc aiunt Damascum et nominatam, et conditam.

15.2 And_he_said Abram. HIERON. in Q. Hebr. I vado without liberis, etc. usque to away hoc aiunt Damascum and nominatam, and conditam.

BRN And Abram said, Master and Lord, what wilt thou give me? whereas I am departing without a child, but the son of Masek my home-born female slave, this Eliezer of Damascus is mine heir.

BrLXX Δέγει δὲ Ἅβραμ, Δέσποτα Κύριε, τί μοι δώσεις; ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπολύομαι ἄτεκνος· ὁ δὲ υἱὸς Μασὲκ τῆς οἰκογενοῦς μου, οὗτος Δαμασκὸς Ἐλιέζερ.
(Degei de Habram, Despota Kurie, ti moi dōseis? egō de apoluomai ateknos; ho de huios Masek taʸs oikogenous mou, houtos Damaskos Eliezer. )

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

God’s Covenant with Abraham

The Lord had already established a relationship with Abraham (Gen 12:1-9) before he made a formal covenant with him (ch Gen 15). God took all the initiative: He approached Abraham and spoke to him in a vision. God presented the impossible promise that the old man would have a son through whom his descendants would eventually be as numerous as the stars of heaven. Abraham believed God (15:6), and his faith proved to be an act of righteousness (see Hab 2:4; Rom 1:17; 4:3, 17; Gal 3:6, 11; Heb 10:37-38).

In the ancient Near East, kings sometimes granted land or other gifts to loyal subjects. The covenant of Genesis 15 includes a royal grant (15:18-21) in which God, the king, gave land to Abraham, his subject, as a possession and an inheritance. At the end of that day, Abraham knew that his future—and that of his descendants—was firmly in the hands of the covenant God. Later, the grant would be transferred to his descendants.

God later ratified his covenant with Abraham (17:1-22), giving him circumcision as its sign (17:10) and condition (17:9). The almighty God once again took the initiative (17:1-2) in granting Abraham an extraordinary privilege. The covenant was not a relationship between equals, yet both partners in the covenant assumed responsibilities. God committed himself voluntarily to Abraham and his descendants, while requiring faithfulness from Abraham (17:1, 9-14). The blessing Abraham received as God’s covenant partner was embodied in the new name that God gave him (17:5-6).

God’s covenant with Abraham also applied to his descendants (13:15-16; 15:3-5; 17:6-10). It pointed to blessing in the relatively near future when his descendants would possess the land (15:12-16). Much later, Abraham’s faith became a blessing to all through his descendant, Jesus Christ, through whom all the families of the earth can share in God’s blessing on Abraham (12:3; see Rom 4:11-25; Gal 3:8-9, 16).

Passages for Further Study

Gen 12:1-3; 15:1-21; 17:1-14; 21:1-2; 22:15-18; Exod 2:24; Deut 1:8; Neh 9:7-8; Ps 105:7-45; Luke 3:7-9; Acts 3:24-26; 7:2-8; Rom 4:11-25; 9:7-8; 11:16-17; Gal 3:6-9, 29; Heb 6:13-15

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-quotations

וַ⁠יֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְרָ֗ם

and=he/it_said Avram

The way you translate this quote margin may depend on how you translate the following rhetorical question. Alternate translation: “Then Abram said to him,” or “Then Abram asked him,”

Note 2 topic: translate-key-terms

אֲדֹנָ֤⁠י יֱהוִה֙

my=master/master GOD

The phrase My Lord means that Yahweh owns Abram and has complete authority over him, just as a master (at that time) had complete authority over his servant. Alternate translation: “My Master Yahweh,” or “Yahweh my Lord”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

מַה תִּתֶּן לִ֔⁠י

what? give to=me

Abram uses this rhetorical question to show that he is lamenting that he has no children. Make sure in your translation that he does not sound rude. Alternate translation: “what reward can you give to me that would benefit me,” or “even if you reward me greatly, that will not help me,”

וְ⁠אָנֹכִ֖י הוֹלֵ֣ךְ עֲרִירִ֑י

and,I continue childless

Alternate translation: “since I remain childless”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

וּ⁠בֶן מֶ֣שֶׁק

and,one inherit

The phrase son of the inheritance is used here as an idiom that means “inheritor” or “heir”; it does not refer to an actual son. Consider whether or not your language has a similar idiom. Also consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: “so that after I die, the heir of” or “So when I die, the one who will own”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

בֵּיתִ֔⁠י

house,my

This phrase refers here to all Abram’s belongings. Alternate translation: “my estate” or “all that I own”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

דַּמֶּ֥שֶׂק אֱלִיעֶֽזֶר

Dammeseq ʼElīˊezer

In the Hebrew text, Abram emphasizes the fact that Eliezer was from Damascus, which means he was a foreigner from a foreign city, not a blood relative. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language. Also, be consistent here with how you translated “the city of Damascus” in Gen 14:15. Alternate translation: “is my foreign servant Eliezer from Damascus”

Parallel GEN 15:2