Genesis 15:12
As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The "deep sleep" that fell on Abram wasn't just exhaustion from the day's work. It was a divine trance, an "ecstasy," meant to separate him from the earthly and open him to God's spiritual revelations. This trance, combined with the "horror of great darkness," symbolized not just his personal awe in God's presence but also the future suffering his descendants would endure.
Abram had made a sacrifice, dividing animals as a sign of covenant, and had spent the day driving away birds from the carcasses, likely waiting in anticipation and possibly some anxiety. As evening fell, a supernatural deep sleep and a terrifying darkness enveloped him, signaling the transition from a ritualistic preparation to a direct divine communication about the future. This experience precedes God's clear promise concerning his descendants' future slavery and eventual deliverance, setting the stage for the covenant ratification.
Why did Abram fall into a 'deep sleep' just as God was about to reveal crucial promises? It wasn't just exhaustion from a long day.
The text describes a "deep sleep" (Hebrew: tardemah) falling on Abram. This wasn't ordinary sleep brought on by fatigue from preparing the sacrifices. Instead, commentators like Wesley and Poole emphasize that it was a divine trance, an ecstatic state.
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What was the terrifying darkness that enveloped Abram? It wasn't just a lack of light, but a profound symbol pointing to future struggles.
The "dreadful and great darkness" that fell upon Abram, often described as a "horror of great darkness," carried significant symbolic weight. It wasn't merely a visual phenomenon but a divinely intended message.
Understand the original words
tardemah · Hebrew Noun
A state of heavy, often supernatural unconsciousness, frequently used by God to isolate an individual from their surroundings so He may communicate divine revelation.
The 'dreadful and great darkness' symbolizes not only the coming afflictions of Abram's descendants in Egypt but also the awe and terror Abram experienced in the presence of God as the covenant was being established.
c. 2091 BC
Abram called from Ur
God calls Abram to leave his home in Ur of the Chaldeans and travel to an unknown land, initiating Abram's journey of faith.
c. 2081 BC
Abram rescues Lot
Abram defeats a coalition of kings to rescue his nephew Lot, demonstrating his growing influence and military prowess.
c. 2081 BC
Abram offered sacrifice
Following the rescue of Lot, Abram is deeply troubled and receives a vision from God where he is told not to fear and that his reward is great.
c. 2081 BC
Abram's prayer for an heir
Abram questions God about how he will inherit the land, expressing concern about being childless and having a servant as heir.
c. 2081 BC— this verse
Divine covenant ceremony
God instructs Abram to prepare a sacrifice, and as the sun sets, Abram falls into a deep sleep, experiencing a vision of dread and darkness.
c. 2081 BC
Prophecy of four hundred years
During the vision, God reveals that Abram's descendants will be strangers in a foreign land and suffer affliction for four hundred years.
c. 2081 BC
Covenant ratified
As the vision concludes, a smoking furnace and a burning lamp pass between the pieces of the sacrifice, symbolizing God's ratification of the covenant with Abram.
This passage describes the 'deep sleep' God caused to fall on Adam before creating Eve, highlighting that this wasn't ordinary sleep but a profound, divinely induced state for a significant divine act.
Job 4:12-16Eliphaz describes a terrifying vision that came to him in the night, where a spirit passed before him, filling him with dread and horror; this mirrors the 'horror of great darkness' that fell on Abram, emphasizing the awe-inspiring and fear-inducing nature of divine encounters.
Daniel 10:8-9Daniel recounts his own experience of terror and weakness when he encountered a divine being, losing all strength and being unable to see; this parallels Abram's experience of being overcome by a 'deep sleep' and 'great darkness,' showing the physical and emotional impact of encountering the divine.
Exodus 12:40-41This passage details the 430 years the Israelites lived in Egypt, connecting the 'darkness' Abram experienced to the long period of affliction and bondage his descendants would face, which is a direct fulfillment of the symbolic meaning of that darkness.
Romans 8:28While different in focus, this verse assures believers that God works all things for good for those who love Him, offering a contrasting perspective to the 'dreadful darkness' Abram experienced, reminding us that even in terrifying times, God's overarching plan is for His people's ultimate good and salvation.
gillGenesis 15:12: "And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him."
And when the sun was going down,.... Just setting, descending below the hemisphere; or "about to enter" (m) into his chamber, as Piscator observes, from whence he went forth in the morning, as a strong man to run his race; which at sunset is finished according to human appearance, and the common apprehensions of men, who have thought it goes under the earth, or dro…
clarkeGenesis 15:12: "And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him."
A deep sleep - תרדמה tardemah, the same word which is used to express the sleep into which Adam was cast, previous to the formation of Eve; Genesis 2:21 . A horror of great darkness - Which God designed to be expressive of the affliction and misery into which his posterity should be brought during the four hundred years of their bondage in Egypt; as the next verse…
The "deep sleep" that fell on Abram wasn't just exhaustion from the day's work. It was a divine trance, an "ecstasy," meant to separate him from the earthly and open him to God's spiritual revelations. This trance, combined with the "horror of great darkness," symbolized not just his personal awe in God's presence but also the future suffering his descendants would endure.
Abram had made a sacrifice, dividing animals as a sign of covenant, and had spent the day driving away birds from the carcasses, likely waiting in anticipation and possibly some anxiety. As evening fell, a supernatural deep sleep and a terrifying darkness enveloped him, signaling the transition from a ritualistic preparation to a direct divine communication about the future. This experience precedes God's clear promise concerning his descendants' future slavery and eventual deliverance, setting the stage for the covenant ratification.
Abram had made a sacrifice, dividing animals as a sign of covenant, and had spent the day driving away birds from the carcasses, likely waiting in anticipation and possibly some anxiety. As evening fell, a supernatural deep sleep and a terrifying darkness enveloped him, signaling the transition from a ritualistic preparation to a direct divine communication about the future. This experience precedes God's clear promise concerning his descendants' future slavery and eventual deliverance, setting the stage for the covenant ratification.
"As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him." — The "deep sleep" that fell on Abram wasn't just exhaustion from the day's work. It was a divine trance, an "ecstasy," meant to separate him from the earthly and open him to God's spiritual revelation…
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