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 אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה הָיָה דְבַר־יְהוָה אֶל־אַבְרָם בַּמַּחֲזֶה לֵאמֹר אַל־תִּירָא אַבְרָם אָנֹכִי מָגֵן לָךְ שְׂכָרְךָ הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד׃ 2 וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם אֲדֹנָי יֱהוִה מַה־תִּתֶּן־לִי וְאָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ עֲרִירִי וּבֶן־מֶשֶׁק בֵּיתִי הוּא דַּמֶּשֶׂק אֱלִיעֶזֶר׃ 3 וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם הֵן לִי לֹא נָתַתָּה זָרַע וְהִנֵּה בֶן־בֵּיתִי יוֹרֵשׁ אֹתִי׃ 4 וְהִנֵּה דְבַר־יְהוָה אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר לֹא יִירָשְׁךָ זֶה כִּי־אִם אֲשֶׁר יֵצֵא מִמֵּעֶיךָ הוּא יִירָשֶׁךָ׃ 5 וַיּוֹצֵא אֹתוֹ הַחוּצָה וַיֹּאמֶר הַבֶּט־נָא הַשָּׁמַיְמָה וּסְפֹר הַכּוֹכָבִים אִם־תּוּכַל לִסְפֹּר אֹתָם וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ כֹּה יִהְיֶה זַרְעֶךָ׃ 6 וְהֶאֱמִן בַּיהוָה וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לּוֹ צְדָקָה׃

Vocabulary

Verse 1

            אחר  preposition/adverb: “after, afterwards”

            מחזה  noun: “vision” (BDB, 303)

            מגן  “shield”

            שכר  noun: “reward” (BDB, 969)

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• The negation, אַל, is used with the jussive modality.
• The verbless clause, אָנֹכִי מָגֵן לָךְ, is an epexegetical remark.

Vocabulary

Verse 2

            ערירי  “childless” (BDB, 792)

            בן־משׁק  “acquisition, possession” (BDB, 606); idiomatic “heir” (GKC, 128v)

            דמשק  name: “Damascus”

            אליעזר  name: “Eliezer” (meaning: “God is my helper”)

Verse 3

            הֵן  shortened form of הנּה

Verse 4

            מעה  “inward parts” (BDB, 588)

Verse 5

            כוכב  “star” (BDB, 456)

            חוץ  “outside”

Verse 6

            חשׁב  verb (Qal waw-consecutive imperfect 3fs): “account”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 2

• The noun phrase, אֲדֹנָי יֱהוִה, is a vocative of address.
• The pointing of the Divine Name indicates that the reading, i.e. Qere, used the word, אלהים, and not the normal substitution, אדני, for this perpetual Kethib-Qere; lest, the word, אדני “lord,” would be repetitious.
• The clause connector waw can be a simple conjunctive (i.e. “and”) or a conditional/circumstantial clause indicator (e.g. “since”).
• The verb, הוֹלֵךְ, is periphrastic and spelled plene.
• The noun phrase, דַּמֶּשֶׂק אֱלִיעֶזֶר, is left fronted and replaced by the 3ms suffix, הוּא, functioning as the predicate nominative of the clause.

Verse 3

• The final two words make up a substantival, participial phrase (participle and object of the participle, יוֹרֵשׁ אֹתִי), possibly best rendered as “my heir.”

Verse 4

• The combination of particles, כי־אם, is a limiting factor—“but, but rather.”

Verse 5

• The particle, אִם, initiates an indirect question (GKC 150i).

Verse 6

• The subject (3fs) of the final clause is צְדָקָה “righteousness.”

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