Genesis 15:1

1 And so when these things were done, the word of the Lord was made to Abram by a vision, and said, Abram, do not thou dread, I am thy defender, and thy meed is full great (Abram, do not thou fear, for I am thy defender, and thy reward shall be very great).

Genesis 15:1 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 15:1

After these things
The battle of the kings, the captivity of Lot, the rescue of him and his goods, and of those of Sodom and Gomorrah by Abram, and the conversation that passed between him, and the kings of Sodom and Salem:

the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision;
Christ, the essential Word, appeared to Abram in an human form, visible to him, and with an articulate voice spoke unto him:

saying,
as follows,

fear not, Abram;
calling him by his name, the more to encourage him, and to dissipate his fears to which he was subject; which might be, lest the nations that belonged to the four kings he had conquered and slain should recruit their armies, and come against him with greater force; and the brethren and relations of those he had slain should avenge themselves on him, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem suggest; and therefore the Lord bids him not give way to those fears, for, adds he,

I [am] thy shield;
to protect him against all his enemies, be they ever so strong and numerous; as Christ is the shield of his people against all their spiritual enemies, sin, Satan, and the world, which being held up in the hand of faith, called therefore the shield of faith, is a security against them:

[and] thy exceeding great reward;
though he had generously refused taking any reward for the service he had done in pursuing the kings, and slaughtering them, and bringing back the persons and goods they had took away; yet he should be no loser by it, the Lord would reward him in a way of grace with greater and better things; nay, he himself would be his reward, and which must be a great one, an exceeding great one; as Christ is to his people in his person, offices, and grace, all being theirs, and he all in all to them; all the blessings of grace and glory coming along with him, and he being their portion here and hereafter, to all eternity; for since he is theirs, all are theirs, all things appertaining to life and godliness, and eternal life itself.

Genesis 15:1 In-Context

1 And so when these things were done, the word of the Lord was made to Abram by a vision, and said, Abram, do not thou dread, I am thy defender, and thy meed is full great (Abram, do not thou fear, for I am thy defender, and thy reward shall be very great).

2 And Abram said, Lord God, what shalt thou give to me? I shall go without free children, and this Damascus, son of Eliezer, the procurator of mine house, shall be mine heir. (And Abram said, Lord God, what shalt thou give me? for I have no children, and this Eliezer of Damascus, the procurator of my household, shall be my heir.)

3 And Abram added, Soothly thou hast not given seed to me, and, lo! my born servant shall be mine heir. (And Abram said again, Yea, thou hast not given me any children, or any descendants, and so this slave, born in my house, must be my heir.)

4 And anon the word of the Lord was made to him, and said, This shall not be thine heir, but thou shalt have him heir, that shall go out of thy womb. (And at once the word of the Lord came to him, saying, Nay, he shall not be thy heir, but thou shalt have an heir who shall come from thy womb.)

5 And the Lord led out Abram, and said to him, Behold thou (the) heaven(s), and number the stars, if thou mayest. And the Lord said to Abram, So thy seed shall be. (And the Lord led Abram outside, and said to him, Look thou up at the night sky, and count the stars, if thou mayest. And then the Lord said to Abram, So shall be thy descendants.)