Genèse 15

¹ After these events, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

² 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?”

³ Abram continued, “Behold, You have given me no offspring, so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

⁴ Then the word of the LORD came to Abram, saying, “This one will not be your heir, but one who comes from your own body will be your heir.”

⁵ And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.”

⁶ Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness.

Note · Genèse 15.1–6

Une confiance qui parle de son manque

Abram expose à Dieu ce qu’il ne comprend pas. La promesse d’une descendance répond à cette inquiétude sans faire apparaître immédiatement un enfant. Le fait que sa foi soit reconnue ne signifie pas que toutes ses conduites ultérieures seront justes ni que ses questions auraient été interdites.

⁷ The LORD also told him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”

⁸ But Abram replied, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess it?”

⁹ And the LORD said to him, “Bring Me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a turtledove and a young pigeon.”

¹⁰ So Abram brought all these to Him, split each of them down the middle, and laid the halves opposite each other. The birds, however, he did not cut in half.

¹¹ And the birds of prey descended on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

Note · Genèse 15.7–11

Un rite dont les gestes doivent être distingués

Les animaux préparés appartiennent à la scène d’alliance. Le récit détaille les gestes sans fournir une explication complète de chaque élément. Il faut éviter de transformer les animaux ou les oiseaux en un code symbolique dont on prétendrait connaître toutes les correspondances.

¹² As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly great terror and darkness overwhelmed him.

¹³ Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.

¹⁴ But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions.

¹⁵ You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.

¹⁶ In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

Note · Genèse 15.12–16

La promesse traverse une histoire douloureuse

L’annonce de la servitude des descendants empêche de confondre élection et protection contre toute souffrance. Le retour n’est pas immédiat. Le délai lié à la faute des Amoréens indique aussi que l’avenir d’Abram ne se raconte pas sans considération pour les autres habitants du pays.

¹⁷ When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, behold, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the halves of the carcasses.

¹⁸ On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—

¹⁹ the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,

²⁰ Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,

²¹ Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”

Note · Genèse 15.17–21

L’engagement vient de Dieu

Les signes de feu traversent les morceaux pendant qu’Abram a été plongé dans un profond sommeil. La scène met ainsi au premier plan l’initiative divine. Les frontières annoncées appartiennent à la promesse du récit ; leur usage politique contemporain demande des distinctions que ce passage ne fournit pas à lui seul.