But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse doesn't just promise judgment on the oppressors, but highlights that Israel will leave their captivity "with great substance," indicating that their deliverance would include material restoration, not just freedom. This foreshadows a divine reversal where those who were enslaved would be enriched by their former masters.
But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After God confirms His promise to Abram with a divine covenant sealed by fire, He reveals the future of Abram's descendants: they will be strangers in a foreign land, enslaved, and oppressed for 400 years. This verse, however, pivots to God's direct judgment upon the oppressing nation and assures Abram that his descendants will eventually leave with abundant riches.
God sees the suffering of His people and promises to act. This isn't just a rescue mission; it's a declaration of justice against oppressors.
The verse directly links Abram's descendants' future servitude with God's judgment on the oppressor nation. This assures Abram (and us) that God doesn't overlook injustice.
The 'Nation Whom They Shall Serve'
This refers specifically to Egypt, where Abram's descendants would eventually be enslaved. God's promise here is a powerful declaration that He would not allow their suffering to continue indefinitely. He would actively intervene.
The Act of Judging
'Judge' here means to bring them to account, to punish them for their cruelty and oppression. This wasn't just about freeing the Israelites; it was about enacting justice upon those who wronged them. This judgment would manifest through the plagues and ultimately the destruction of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea.
Freedom often comes not just with liberation, but with unexpected abundance. God's promises include restoration and blessing beyond mere escape.
The second part of the promise, 'and afterward they shall come out with great substance,' is as crucial as the judgment itself. It speaks to a complete restoration and even enrichment.
'Great Substance'
This refers to the riches of Egypt – gold, silver, fine garments – that the Israelites took with them when they left. This wasn't just a handout; it was presented by some commentators as a form of delayed wages for their hard labor and suffering.
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Divine Provision and Vindication
This abundance served multiple purposes:
Understand the original words
din · Hebrew Noun/Verb
The judicial act of God where He intervenes in history to pronounce and execute a verdict against unrighteousness or oppressors.
This verse looks forward to the Exodus, promising not only freedom for Abram's descendants but also divine judgment on their oppressors and their eventual departure with spoils.
c. 1800 BC
Abram called from Ur
God calls Abram from his homeland, promising to make him a great nation and bless the world through him.
c. 1750 BC
Abram's offspring promised
God confirms His promise to Abram, assuring him of numerous descendants and possession of the land of Canaan.
c. 1750 BC— this verse
Abram's covenant confirmed
God establishes a covenant with Abram, symbolically passing between divided animals, signifying judgment on oppressors and protection for His people.
c. 1700 BC - 1500 BC
Israelites settle in Egypt
Jacob and his family move to Egypt, initially welcomed but eventually enslaved and oppressed by a new dynasty.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
God judges Egypt through plagues and judgment, leading to the liberation of the Israelites, who depart with great wealth.
This passage directly fulfills the promise of Abraham's descendants coming out with 'great substance,' detailing how they would ask for silver, gold, and clothing from the Egyptians before their departure.
Exodus 12:35-36This passage explicitly describes the fulfillment of the 'great substance' promise, showing the Israelites 'spoiling' the Egyptians as they left, an event that directly echoes the prophecy in Genesis 15:14.
Deuteronomy 8:17-18This passage serves as a reminder to the Israelites about God's provision and power, connecting their acquisition of wealth (like 'great possessions') to His blessing and the fulfilling of His promises, referencing the event of the Exodus.
Psalm 105:37This Psalm recounts the history of Israel's exodus, directly referencing that they 'came out with great wealth,' highlighting the faithfulness of God in fulfilling the promise made to Abraham.
Jeremiah 29:14Though from a later period, this verse speaks to God's promise to restore His people and bring them back with 'great substance,' echoing the theme of divine judgment on oppressors and abundant restoration for the oppressed first seen in Genesis 15:14.
gillGenesis 15:14: "And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance."
And also that nation whom they shall serve will I judge,.... It is not said "the land" in which they were strangers, though God did judge, condemn, and punish the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, and drove them out of it, to make way for Israel; but the "nation" they should "serve", meaning the Egyptians, to whom they became servants, and were very hardly and sev…
calvinGenesis 15:1-21: "After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward."
Et eduxit eum foras, et dixit, Suspice nunc coelum, et numera stellas, si poteris numerare eas. Et dixit ei, Sic erit semen tuum.
And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Et credidit Jehovae, et reputavit illud ei ad justitiam.
And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of U…
This verse doesn't just promise judgment on the oppressors, but highlights that Israel will leave their captivity "with great substance," indicating that their deliverance would include material restoration, not just freedom. This foreshadows a divine reversal where those who were enslaved would be enriched by their former masters.
After God confirms His promise to Abram with a divine covenant sealed by fire, He reveals the future of Abram's descendants: they will be strangers in a foreign land, enslaved, and oppressed for 400 years. This verse, however, pivots to God's direct judgment upon the oppressing nation and assures Abram that his descendants will eventually leave with abundant riches.
After God confirms His promise to Abram with a divine covenant sealed by fire, He reveals the future of Abram's descendants: they will be strangers in a foreign land, enslaved, and oppressed for 400 years. This verse, however, pivots to God's direct judgment upon the oppressing nation and assures Abram that his descendants will eventually leave with abundant riches.
"But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions." — This verse doesn't just promise judgment on the oppressors, but highlights that Israel will leave their captivity "with great substance," indicating that their deliverance would include material rest…
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Last reviewed October 2026