And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.

GENESIS 15:10KJV
Know the Bible

Genesis 15:10 (KJV)

What does Genesis 15:10 mean?

Genesis 15:10 describes how Abram took the animals God told him to bring, cut them in half, and arranged the halves opposite each other, but he did not cut the birds in half. This act set up a specific kind of ancient covenant ceremony between Abram and God.

In this scene, God is speaking to Abram (later called Abraham), and Abram is following God’s instructions to prepare for a solemn agreement. Cutting the animals and laying the pieces opposite each other was a traditional way to make a binding promise in the ancient world, showing the seriousness of the covenant God was about to make with Abram.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 15:10

  • "divided" (בָּתַר, batar, H1334): This word means to cut or split, especially in the sense of dividing something in two. Here, it highlights the physical act of splitting the animals, which was a dramatic symbol of commitment in ancient covenants.
  • "laid" (נָתַן, natan, H5414): This word means to place or set. Abram carefully arranged the animal pieces, not just cutting them but positioning them with intention, which shows respect for the ritual.
  • "each" (אִישׁ, ish, H376) and "piece" (בְּתָרָה, betarah, H1335): "Ish" usually means "man," but here it refers to "each" piece, and "betarah" means a section or part. The use of these words emphasizes that every piece had its place in the ceremony, underlining the completeness of Abram’s obedience.

Why Genesis 15:10 matters

  • Genesis 15:10 helps clarify that the covenant between God and Abram was not just spoken but acted out in a way Abram and his culture would understand as deeply binding.
  • The detail that Abram did not divide the birds shows careful attention to God’s instructions and hints at specific ritual practices of the time.
  • This verse sets the stage for the dramatic moment later in the chapter when God passes between the pieces, sealing His promise to Abram in a way that was unmistakable to ancient readers.

Where else these words appear

“piece” Hebrew H1335 · used in 3 verses

  • Jeremiah 34:18 And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof,
  • Jeremiah 34:19 The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf;

“birds” Hebrew H6833 · used in 36 verses

  • Genesis 7:14 They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.
  • Deuteronomy 14:11 Of all clean birds ye shall eat.
  • Proverbs 7:23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

“against” Hebrew H7125 · used in 117 verses

  • Genesis 14:17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.
  • Judges 7:24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.
  • 1 Kings 2:8 And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.