THE TOLEDOTH OF TERAH, XI. 27-XXV. 11—
PROMISE OF AN HEIR AND THE PROMISE OF THE LAND
CONFIRMED BY A COVENANT, CH. XV.
Two solemn revelations open in ch. xv. the second section of
the life of Abraham. The narrative falls into two halves. It
is impossible to regard all from beginning to end as occurring
in vision. For (1) if one revelation takes place at night, or
at least with a transposition to night, the other is made in
the day, and indeed at eventide, the sun being at ver. 12
about to set, and at ver. 17 actually set. And (2) the account
of Abraham's believing reception of the promise of a posterity
numerous as the stars of heaven ver. 6 separates what pre-
ceded from what follows, which though it appears from the
, 7a, to have immediately succeeded, has yet its own
special introduction. Dillmann here carries analysis even
farther beyond the bounds of the discernible than Wellhausen
does. The safest criterion from Gen. i. to Ex. vi., and one
which must only be relinquished for cogent reasons, is the
Divine names. The use of these is in both halves of ch. xv.
the same. In both is the prevailing one, and with it
occurs once in each, to be read according to the
punctuation, a combination of Divine names which,
thus written, is unusual.
,here twice used אדני יהוה This
gives to this historical picture in its two departments, as to
the prophetic image, Isa. 1. 4–9, where it is four times used,
its own peculiar stamp; and as this