Genesis 15:14

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Genesis 15:14 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
Genesis 15:14 — American Standard Version

Context — Genesis 15

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
14and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And also that nation whom they shall serve will I judge, etc.] It is not said “the land” in which they were strangers, though God did judge, condemn, and punish the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, and drove them out of it, to make way for Israel; but the “nation” they should “serve”, meaning the Egyptians, to whom they became servants, and were very hardly and severely used by them; those the Lord threatens to enter into judgment with, and take vengeance upon them, as he did by inflicting the ten plagues on them, which brought them at last to be willing to let Israel go: and afterward shall they come out with great substance; as they did after the four hundred years were ended, and after…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“- The Faith of Abram 1. דבר dābār, “a word, a thing;” the word being the sign of the thing. 2. אדני 'ǎdonāy, “Adonai, the Lord;” related: “bring down, lay down.” This is the name usually read in place of Yahweh; but when, as in the present case, יהוה yehovâh and אדני 'ǎdonāy are in apposition, אלהים 'ĕlohı̂ym is read instead of the former. The Jews from a feeling of reverence avoided the utterance of this sacred name except on the most solemn occasions. This is said to have arisen from a stringent interpretation of Leviticus 24:16. According to some, this name was pronounced only once a year by the high priest, on the day of atonement, in the Holy of Holies, and according to others…”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification