Genesis Chapter 15 verse 11 Holy Bible
And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
read chapter 15 in ASV
And evil birds came down on the bodies, but Abram sent them away.
read chapter 15 in BBE
And the birds of prey came down on the carcases; and Abram scared them away.
read chapter 15 in DARBY
And when the fowls came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
read chapter 15 in KJV
And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.
read chapter 15 in WBT
The birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
read chapter 15 in WEB
and the ravenous birds come down upon the carcases, and Abram causeth them to turn back.
read chapter 15 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 11. - And when the fowls - literally, and the bird of prey, a collective singular with the article, as in Genesis 14:13, symbolizing the Egyptians and other adversaries of Israel, as in Ezekiel 17:3, 7, 12; Ezekiel 39:4, 17; Revelation 19:17, 18 (Knobel, Rosenmüller, Lunge, Keil, Kalisch), which may be regarded as probable if the divided victims represented Israel in affliction, which is doubtful (vide supra). It does not appear necessary to attach any special significance to the descent of the vultures, which are always attracted towards carrion, and the introduction of which here completes the naturalness of the scene - came down upon the caresses (the LXX. interpolates, ἐπὶ τὰ διχοτομήματα), Abram drove them away. Literally, caused them to be blown away, i.e. by blowing. "Though Abram is here represented as the instrument, yet the effect is to be ascribed primarily to the tutelar agency of omnipotence" (Bush; cf. Exodus 15:10; Ezekiel 21:31). The act of scaring the voracious birds has been taken to represent the ease with which Abram or Israel would ward off his enemies (Jonathan, Targums, Rosenmüller, Bush); the averting of destruction from the Israelites through Abram's merit (Kalisch, Keil); Abram's religious regard for and observance of God's treaty (Wordsworth); the patriarch's expectation that God was about to employ the sacrificial victims for some holy purpose (Alford); simply his anxiety to preserve the victims pure and un-mutilated for whatever end they might have to serve (Murphy).
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(11) And when the fowls . . . --Heb., And the birds of prey came down upon the carcases, and Abram scared them away. Had there been a sacrifice the fire would have kept the vultures from approaching; but the bodies lay exposed, and Abram therefore kept guard over them, lest the purpose of the ceremonial should be frustrated by any want of respect shown to the outward symbols.
