Abram doubting and lamenting that he should have no child, God promiseth him much issue, 6. who believing is justified, 9. offereth Sacrifice prescribed by God, 13. and is forewarned that his seed shall be in strange land 400 years. 14. shall be delivered from servitude 18. and possess Chanaan.Abram doubting and lamenting that he should haue no childe, God promiseth him much issue, 6. who beleuing is iustified, 9. offereth Sacrifice prescribed by God, 13. and is forwarned that his seede shal be in strange land 400. yeares. 14. shal be deliuered from seruitude 18. and possesse Chanaan.
When these things therefore were done, the word of our Lord was made to Abram by a vision saying: Fear not Abram, I am thy protector, and thy reward exceeding great.WHEN these things therfore were done, the word of our Lord was made to Abram by a vision saying: Feare not Abram, I am thy protector, & thy reward exceeding great.His itaque transactis, factus est sermo Domini ad Abram per visionem dicens : Noli timere, Abram : ego protector tuus sum, et merces tua magna nimis.
2And 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.And Abram said: Lord God, what wilt thou geue me? I shal goe without children: and the sonne of the steuard of my house is this Damascus Eliezer.Dixitque Abram : Domine Deus, quid dabis mihi ? ego vadam absque liberis, et filius procuratoris domus meæ iste Damascus Eliezer.
3And Abram added: But to me thou hast not given seed: and lo my servant born in my house, shall be mine heir.And Abram added: But to me thou hast not geuen seede: and loe my seruant borne in my house, shal be myn heire.Addiditque Abram : Mihi autem non dedisti semen, et ecce vernaculus meus, hæres meus erit.
4And immediately the word of our Lord came to him saying: He shall not be thy heir: but he that shall come out of thy Vulgate: utero: here belly, inward parts, him shalt thou have for thy heir.And immediatly the word of our Lord came to him saying: He shal not be thy heyre: but he that shal come out of thy wombe, him shalt thou haue for thy heyre.Statimque sermo Domini factus est ad eum, dicens : Non erit hic hæres tuus, sed qui egredietur de utero tuo, ipsum habebis hæredem.
5And he brought him forth outside · Vulgate: foras, and said to him: Look up to heaven, and number the stars if thou canst. And he said to him: So shall thy seed be.And he brought him forth abroad, and said to him: Looke vp to heauen, and number the starres if thou canst. And he said to him: So shal thy seede be.Eduxitque eum foras, et ait illi : Suspice cælum, et numera stellas, si potes. Et dixit ei : Sic erit semen tuum.
6Abram believed God, and it was accounted, credited · Vulgate: reputatum to him unto justice.Abram beleued God, and it was reputed to him vnto iustice.Credidit Abram Deo, et reputatum est illi ad justitiam.
7And he said to him: I am the Lord who brought thee out from Ur of the Chaldees, for to give thee this land, and that thou mightest possess it.And he said to him: I am the Lord who brought thee out from Vr of the Chaldees, for to giue thee this land, and that thou mightest possesse it.Dixitque ad eum : Ego Dominus qui eduxi te de Ur Chaldæorum ut darem tibi terram istam, et possideres eam.
8But he said: Lord God, how may I know that I shall possess it?But he said: Lord God, how may I know that I shal possesse it?At ille ait : Domine Deus, unde scire possum quod possessurus sim eam ?
9And our Lord answered, and said: Take me a cow of three years old, and a she goat of three years, and a ram of three years, a turtledove · Vulgate: turturem also, and a pigeon.And our Lord answered, and said: Take me a cowe of three yeares old, and a shee goat of three yeares, and a ramme of three yeares, a turtle also, and a pigeon.Et respondens Dominus : Sume, inquit, mihi vaccam triennem, et capram trimam, et arietem annorum trium, turturem quoque et columbam.
10Who taking all these, divided them by the the middle · Vulgate: per medium, and laid each two pieces a row one against the other: but the birds he divided not.Who taking al these, diuided them by the mydes, and laid ech two peeces arowe one against the other: but the birdes he diuided not.Qui tollens universa hæc, divisit ea per medium, et utrasque partes contra se altrinsecus posuit ; aves autem non divisit.
11And the fowls lighted upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.And the foules lighted vpon the carcasses, and Abram droue them away.Descenderuntque volucres super cadavera, et abigebat eas Abram.
12And when the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a great and dark, gloomy · Vulgate: tenebrosus horror came over, seized · Vulgate: invasit him.And when the sunne was setting, a deepe sleepe fel vpon Abram, and a great and darkesome horrour inuaded him.Cumque sol occumberet, sopor irruit super Abram, et horror magnus et tenebrosus invasit eum.
13And it was said unto him: Know and foreknow that thy seed shall be in a land not their own (and they shall bring them under bondage, and afflict them) four hundred years.And it was said vnto him: Know and foreknow that thy seede shal be in a land not their owne (and they shal bring them vnder bondage, and afflict them) foure hundred yeares.Dictumque est ad eum : Scito prænoscens quod peregrinum futurum sit semen tuum in terra non sua, et subjicient eos servituti, et affligent quadringentis annis.
14But the nation, whom they shall serve, I will judge: and after this they shall go forth with great possessions, wealth · Vulgate: substantia.But the nation, whom they shal serue, I wil iudge: and after this they shal goe forth with great substance.Verumtamen gentem, cui servituri sunt, ego judicabo : et post hæc egredientur cum magna substantia.
15And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace, buried in a good old age.And thou shalt goe to thy fathers in peace, buried in a good old age.Tu autem ibis ad patres tuos in pace, sepultus in senectute bona.
16But in the fourth generation they shall return hither: for as yet the iniquities of the Amorrheanes are not at the full until this present time.But in the fourth generation they shal returne hither: for as yet the iniquities of the Amorrheanes are not at the ful vntil this present time.Generatione autem quarta revertentur huc : necdum enim completæ sunt iniquitates Amorrhæorum usque ad præsens tempus.
17Therefore when the sun was set, there arose a dark mist, and there appeared a furnace smoking, and a a flame, a blazing torch · Vulgate: lampas ignis of fire passing between those divisions.Therfore when the sunne was set, there arose a darke mist, and there appeared a fornace smoking, and a flake of fire passing betwene those diuisions.Cum ergo occubuisset sol, facta est caligo tenebrosa, et apparuit clibanus fumans, et lampas ignis transiens inter divisiones illas.
18That day God made a covenant with Abram, saying: To thy seed will I give this land from the river of Egypt even to the great river Euphrates,That day God made a couenant with Abram, saying: To thy seede wil I geue this land from the riuer of Ægypt euen to the great riuer Euphrates,In illo die pepigit Dominus fœdus cum Abram, dicens : Semini tuo dabo terram hanc a fluvio Ægypti usque ad fluvium magnum Euphraten,
19the Cineans, and Cenezites, the Cedmonites,the Cineans, & Cenezites, the Cedmonites,Cinæos, et Cenezæos, Cedmonæos,
20and the Hethites, and the Pherezites, the Raphaims also,and the Hethites, & the Pherezites, the Raphaims also,et Hethæos, et Pherezæos, Raphaim quoque,
21and the Amorreans and the Cananites, and the Gargasites, and the Jebusites.and the Amorreans & the Cananites, and the Gargasites, and the Iebusites.et Amorrhæos, et Chananæos, et Gergesæos, et Jebusæos.
Annotations
15:6Believed God. St. Hilary (li. 9. de Trin.) and St. Ambrose (li. 1. de Abraham. c. 3.) by this example teach us, what manner of faith is reputed to justice. to wit, such a faith as without tergiversation, or requiring of proof or reason, doth simply believe that which God once saith, because he is omnipotent, how far soever the thing that is said surmounteth our understanding. For so heroical was the act of Abraham's faith, promptly believing God's word in a matter most hard to his former conceit, that for the same he received singular praise: and for the like afterwards was called the father of many nations (c. 17. v. 5.) and by St. Paul the father of all that believe (Rom. 4. v. 11.) where the Apostle teacheth that Abraham had no justice, nor estimation of justice before God, until he believed in Christ (c. 18. 19, 20.) because all works before that faith are insufficient. Neither was this a sole faith but had other necessary virtues of hope, and charity, humility, reverence, obedience, and the like joined with it. wherefore St. James testifieth that Abraham was justified by works (that is by works following not going before faith. For Faith (saith he) if it have not works, is dead in itself (c. 2. v. 17.) And by works Abraham's faith was consummate. v. 22.) And concludeth thus: Do ye see, that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. v. 24.