Gen 15:9, 18 | Clarke | e4.org | Verse 9. Take me a heifer] eglah , a she-calf ; a she-goat , ez , a goat, male or female, but distinguished here by the feminine adjective ; meshullesheth , a three-yearling ; a ram , ayil ; a turtle-dove , tor , from which come turtur and turtle; young pigeon , gozal , a word signifying the young of pigeons and eagles . See . It is worthy of remark, that every animal allowed or commanded to be sacrificed under the Mosaic law is to be found in this list. And is it not a proof that God was now giving to Abram an epitome of that law and its sacrifices which he intended more fully to reveal to Moses; the essence of which consisted in its sacrifices , which typified the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world? On the several animals which God ordered Abram to take, Jarchi remarks: "The idolatrous nations are compared in the Scriptures to bulls , rams , and goats ; for it is written, : Many bulls have compassed me about . : The ram which thou hast seen is the king of Persia . The rough goat is the king of Greece . . But the Israelites are compared to doves, &c. ; : O my dove, that art in the cleft of the rock . The division of the above carcasses denotes the division and extermination of the idolatrous nations; but the birds not being divided , shows that the Israelites are to abide for ever ." See Jarchi on the place.

‏ Genesis 15:9

Verse 9. Take me a heifer] eglah, a she-calf; a she-goat, ez, a goat, male or female, but distinguished here by the feminine adjective; meshullesheth, a three-yearling; a ram, ayil; a turtle-dove, tor, from which come turtur and turtle; young pigeon, gozal, a word signifying the young of pigeons and eagles. See De 32:11. It is worthy of remark, that every animal allowed or commanded to be sacrificed under the Mosaic law is to be found in this list. And is it not a proof that God was now giving to Abram an epitome of that law and its sacrifices which he intended more fully to reveal to Moses; the essence of which consisted in its sacrifices, which typified the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world?

On the several animals which God ordered Abram to take, Jarchi remarks: "The idolatrous nations are compared in the Scriptures to bulls, rams, and goats; for it is written, Ps 22:12: Many bulls have compassed me about. Da 8:20: The ram which thou hast seen is the king of Persia. The rough goat is the king of Greece. Da 8:21. But the Israelites are compared to doves, &c.; So 2:14: O my dove, that art in the cleft of the rock. The division of the above carcasses denotes the division and extermination of the idolatrous nations; but the birds not being divided, shows that the Israelites are to abide for ever." See Jarchi on the place.

‏ Genesis 15:18

Verse 18. The Lord made a covenant] carath berith signifies to cut a covenant, or rather the covenant sacrifice; for as no covenant was made without one, and the creature was cut in two that the contracting parties might pass between the pieces, hence cutting the covenant signified making the covenant. The same form of speech obtained among the Romans; and because, in making their covenants they always slew an animal, either by cutting its throat, or knocking it down with a stone or axe, after which they divided the parts as we have already seen, hence among the percutere faedus, to smite a covenant, and scindere faedus, to cleave a covenant, were terms which signified simply to make or enter into a covenant.

From the river of Egypt] Not the Nile, but the river called Sichor, which was before or on the border of Egypt, near to the isthmus of Suez; see Jos 13:3; though some think that by this a branch of the Nile is meant. This promise was fully accomplished in the days of David and Solomon. See 2Sa 8:3, &c., and 2Ch 9:26.