Genesis 15:16
And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse reveals God's incredible patience, showing that He doesn't rush judgment. Even though the Amorites were wicked, God allowed them centuries more to live in the land, not out of favoritism, but because their iniquity hadn't reached its final, irrevocable fullness. This highlights that God's justice is perfect and measured, waiting for the completion of sin before enacting judgment.
God assures Abraham that his descendants will inherit the land but reveals they will first be strangers in a foreign land for 400 years. This passage explains that the delay is not due to God's broken promise but because the current inhabitants, primarily the Amorites, have not yet reached the fullness of their wickedness. Only when their iniquity is complete will the land be cleansed for Abraham's descendants to possess it.
Why did God make Abraham wait so long to inherit the promised land? It wasn't an oversight, but a deliberate act of divine timing.
The verse reveals God's profound patience and justice. God's timing for Abraham's descendants to enter the land wasn't arbitrary; it was tied to the 'iniquity' of the Amorites reaching its fullness.
The promised land wasn't just real estate; it was a stage for God's justice and a testament to His faithfulness.
This verse connects the physical inheritance of the land with God's righteous judgment.
Understand the original words
avon · Hebrew Noun
A fundamental term in the Bible describing human rebellion against God's law. It represents a twisting or distortion of the moral order, carrying the weight of guilt and necessitating judgment.
Emori · Hebrew Proper Noun
A dominant Canaanite people group often used representatively for the inhabitants of Canaan. Their presence in the land before Israel symbolizes the pagan culture that stood in contrast to the holiness of God and eventually faced divine judgment.
This promise to Abram anchors the future of his descendants to a divine timetable. God's justice and mercy are both on display, waiting for the full measure of the Canaanites' iniquity before enacting judgment and fulfilling His covenant promises to Israel.
c. 2090 BC
Abram Called Out of Ur
God calls Abram from Ur of the Chaldees to journey to an unknown land, initiating the patriarchal period.
c. 2080 BC
Abram Enters Canaan
Abram and his household arrive in the land of Canaan, settling near Shechem. The Amorites are already present in the land.
c. 2070 BC
Abram Rescues Lot
Abram defeats a coalition of kings, including Chedorlaomer, to rescue his nephew Lot, demonstrating his growing influence and military prowess.
c. 2060 BC— this verse
God's Covenant with Abram
God appears to Abram in a vision, promising him countless descendants and the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession. The promise of future possession is linked to the iniquity of the land's inhabitants.
This passage echoes the idea that God judges nations based on their accumulated 'iniquity,' similar to how the Amorites' sinfulness led to their downfall.
Romans 2:4-8It highlights God's patience and the concept that His goodness is meant to lead people to repentance, but He will ultimately judge those who persist in wrongdoing, much like the Amorites.
Matthew 23:32Jesus speaks of filling up 'the measure of your fathers,' directly paralleling the idea found in Genesis 15:16 that there is a 'fullness' of iniquity that brings judgment.
Jeremiah 51:13This verse describes Babylon's judgment coming because its 'pride reached to heaven,' illustrating how nations face consequences when their sin reaches a critical, 'full' point.
gillGenesis 15:16: "But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full."
And in the fourth generation they shall come hither again,.... The seed of Abram were in the land of Canaan before their descent into Egypt; and it is here predicted and promised, that they should come thither again, as they did, in the fourth generation of those that descended thither; for Moses and Aaron were the fourth from Levi, or Eleazar from Kohath, and Caleb from…
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 reveals God's incredible patience, showing that He doesn't rush judgment. Even though the Amorites were wicked, God allowed them centuries more to live in the land, not out of favoritism, but because their iniquity hadn't reached its final, irrevocable fullness. This highlights that God's justice is perfect and measured, waiting for the completion of sin before enacting judgment.
God assures Abraham that his descendants will inherit the land but reveals they will first be strangers in a foreign land for 400 years. This passage explains that the delay is not due to God's broken promise but because the current inhabitants, primarily the Amorites, have not yet reached the fullness of their wickedness. Only when their iniquity is complete will the land be cleansed for Abraham's descendants to possess it.
God assures Abraham that his descendants will inherit the land but reveals they will first be strangers in a foreign land for 400 years. This passage explains that the delay is not due to God's broken promise but because the current inhabitants, primarily the Amorites, have not yet reached the fullness of their wickedness. Only when their iniquity is complete will the land be cleansed for Abraham's descendants to possess it.
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c. 1870 BC
Israelites Descend into Egypt
Driven by famine, Abram's descendants (now known as Israelites) settle in Egypt. This marks the beginning of their sojourn in a foreign land.
c. 1446 BC
The Exodus from Egypt
After 430 years of sojourning and servitude in Egypt, the Israelites, led by Moses, are miraculously delivered. This event fulfills the prophecy of their return to Canaan in the fourth generation after entering Egypt.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan Begins
Following their wilderness wanderings, the Israelites under Joshua begin the military conquest of Canaan, dispossessing the nations that had filled the measure of their iniquity.
"And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”" — This verse reveals God's incredible patience, showing that He doesn't rush judgment. Even though the Amorites were wicked, God allowed them centuries more to live in the land, not out of favoritism,…
