Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 7:5
And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not [so much as] to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when [as yet] he had no child.
5. And he gave him none inheritance in it ] The first settlement of Abraham in Canaan is said (Gen 12:6) to have been at the place of Sichem [Shechem] at the plain [rather, oak ] of Moreh. He next dwelt on the east of Bethel, and in both these places he probably purchased land, for he built an altar at each; and on returning from Egypt (Act 13:3) he came “to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai,” which he hardly could have done unless the land had been his own, for he “was very rich in cattle.”
no, not so much as to set his foot on ] For the land, when God gave it, would be held in very different manner from that in which Abraham held the land which he had bought or hired.
yet he promised ] Better, and he promised. The conjunction is the ordinary copulative.
that he would give it to him for a possession ] More literally, in possession. The promise “unto thy seed will I give this land” was first made (Gen 12:7) when Abraham was at the place of Shechem, and in its greater fulness when he returned from Egypt (Act 13:15-16).
when as yet he had no child ] We cannot learn from Holy Writ how long a time Abraham lived after the promise before Isaac was born, but we can see that it was a long period, for when he went down to Egypt Sarah was a fair woman in the prime of her beauty (Gen 12:14), and she was “waxed old” (Act 18:12) before her son was born.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And he gave him none inheritance – Abraham led a wandering life; and this passage means that he did not himself receive a permanent possession or residence in that land. The only land which he owned was the field which he purchased of the children of Heth for a burial place, Gen. 23: As this was obtained by purchase, and not by the direct gift of God, and as it was not designed for a residence, it is said that God gave him no inheritance. It is mentioned as a strong instance of his faith that he should remain there without a permanent residence himself, with only the prospect that his children, at some distant period, would inherit it.
Not so much as to set his foot on – This is a proverbial expression, denoting in an emphatic manner that he had no land, Deu 2:5.
Would give it to him – Gen 13:15. Abraham did not himself possess all that land; and the promise is evidently equivalent to saying that it would be conferred on the family of Abraham, or the family of which he was the father, without affirming that he would himself personally possess it. It is true, however, that Abraham himself afterward dwelt many years in that land as his home, Gen. 13, etc.
For a possession – To be held as his own property.
When as yet he had no child – When there was no human probability that he would have any posterity. Compare Gen 15:2-3; Gen 18:11-12. This is mentioned as a strong instance of his faith; who against hope believed in hope, Rom 4:18.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 5. Gave him none inheritance] Both Abraham and Jacob had small parcels of land in Canaan; but they had them by purchase, not by God’s gift; for, as Abraham was obliged to buy a burying-place in Canaan, Ge 23:3-18, it is obvious he had no inheritance there.
And to his seed after him] See Ge 12:7 (note); Ge 13:15, and the notes there.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He gave him none inheritance in it; it is true that Abraham had a field, and the cave of Mach-pelah, Gen 23:9; but that was of no use to Abraham whilst alive, but to bury him in when dead; besides, it was not as an inheritance by Gods gift, but it was purchased with his money.
Not so much as to set his foot on; whereby the least parcel of ground is meant: hence St. Stephen would prove, that Abrahams happiness, and theirs too, if they rightly understood it, did not depend upon the enjoyment of that place and country.
And to his seed after him; faith met with a double difficulty, not only Abraham must believe he should have all that country given him for an inheritance, in which he had not a foot of land, but he must also believe that it should be his seeds after him, whenas he had no children; but thus faith is
the evidence of things not seen, Heb 11:1.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2-5. The God of gloryAmagnificent appellation, fitted at the very outset to rivet thedevout attention of his audience; denoting not that visible glorywhich attended many of the divine manifestations, but the glory ofthose manifestations themselves, of which this was regarded by everyJew as the fundamental one. It is the glory of absolutely free grace.
appeared unto our fatherAbraham before he dwelt in Charran, and said, c.Though thisfirst call is not expressly recorded in Genesis, it is clearlyimplied in Gen 15:7 Neh 9:7;and the Jewish writers speak the same language.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he gave him none inheritance in it,…. To be personally enjoyed by him; and which was a great trial to Abraham’s faith, to be brought out of his country, and into another land, and which was promised to him and his; and yet, as not the whole, so not a single part of it was given him to possess:
no, not so much as to set his foot on: so that when Sarah his wife died, he was obliged to buy a piece of ground for a burying place to bury her in: and which could not be said to be given him by the Lord, for he bought it with his money:
yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child; which was another exercise of Abraham’s faith, that he should have a whole country promised him and his seed, and yet had no seed given him; see Ge 12:7.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Not so much as to set his foot on ( ). From De 2:5. Old word from , to go, to step. “Stepping of a foot,” only instance of this original meaning in the N.T. From this it comes to mean a platform reached by steps, official seat of a judge (Mt 27:19). The field purchased by Abraham (Ge 23:9-17) was not a gift from God.
Promised (). First aorist middle indicative of , common verb. See Gen 12:7; Gen 17:8; Gen 48:4 for this promise. So God appeared again to Abraham in a strange land.
In possession ( ). Late word, in LXX, and in N.T. only here and verse 45. From , to hold back, then to hold fast (or down), to possess. It was fulfilled in the descendants of Abraham.
When as yet he had no child ( ). Genitive absolute with negative rather than to emphasize actual absence of a child. He had only the promise of God about the land and the child.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Inheritance [] . See on 1Pe 1:4.
Not so much as to set his foot on [ ] . Lit., not even the stepping of a foot. From the original meaning, a pace or step, which occurs only here in the New Testament, comes the sense of a step considered as a raised place or seat, and hence a tribune or judgment – seat, which is its meaning in every other passage of the New Testament.
Possession [] . Only here and ver. 45. See on keep, Luk 8:15. It denotes a permanent possession.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And he gave him none inheritance in it,” (kai ouk edoken auto kleronomian en aute) “And God gave (to him) Abraham not an inheritance or heirsetting in it,” though he sojourned in it, and his family after him, for more than 400 years, together with the sojourn in Egypt, Gen 15:13; Exo 12:40.
2) “No, not so much as to set his foot on:” (oude bema podos) “Not even a space for his foot, or a foot of space,” which did not include the burial place he purchased, though it was offered to him as a gift – – he had no inheritance in it; though he kept sojourning by faith, Gen 23:9-17; Heb 11:9-11; Heb 6:12.
3) “Yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession,” (kai epenge latodounai autois kataschesin auten) “And (yet) he promised to give (it) over to him for a property possession,” for ownership, Gen 15:18; Gen 17:2-11.
4) “And to his seed after him,” (kai to spermati autou met’ auton) “And to his (own) seed after him,” Gen 15:3-4; Gen 17:19; Heb 11:11-12.
5) “When as yet he had no child,” (ouk ontos auto teknou) “While he (then even) had no child,” no child of his own begetting, Gen 17:15-19; Gen 24:60. The faith of Abraham kept him sojourning even when he had no child, after long waiting. He sojourned by faith, not by sight, Rom 4:16-25.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
5. We must note three firings in this place; that God exercised the patience of his servant, because, after that he had brought him out of his own country, he dwelt in the land of Canaan as a stranger.
[First,] For Abraham possessed not one foot’s-breadth, save only that which he bought to bury in. And that is counted no possession which serveth not for the uses of this life. Secondly, forasmuch as that field was bought, Stephen doth for good causes say, that God gave Abraham nothing. For that could not be gotten either with money, or by any other means which man could invent, which Abraham did hope for of the promise.
Secondly, we must note, that though God did not show Abraham the thing itself as yet, yet did he uphold him by his word. And this is our stay, when God promiseth that that is laid up for us which as yet we possess not. Therefore, when as the thing, that is, the possession of the land, was wanting, Abraham had for his help and stay the promise of God; and being content with the same alone, he desired nothing in the land of Canaan save only an uncertain resting-place wherein he might sojourn.
For as much as [ επαγγελλεσθαι ] signifieth simply to promise, I thought there was no cause why, with Erasmus, I should translate it in this place, to promise again. For I resolve it adversatively, although he had promised, that by the way we may note as it were, a show of deceiving, (377) unless peradventure some man be disposed to apply it unto the promises which are oftentimes repeated. (378)
Thirdly, we must note that the promise was such that it did not much differ from a mere mock. God promised the land to the seed of Abraham when he was fourscore years old, and had to wife one that was barren, neither had he any hope to have any issue. This seemeth to be more than frivolous. For why doth he not rather promise that he will give him seed? But this was a notable trial of faith, in that Abraham, without asking any question, or any curious disputation, did obediently and meekly embrace that which he had heard proceed out of the mouth of the Lord. Therefore, let us remember that God doth so lift up and comfort his servant with his word, that he doth not only defer the giving of the thing, (379) but also he may seem after a sort to mock him; as he dealeth with us also in some respect. For, although he call us the heirs of the world, (Jas 2:5,) he suffereth us oftentimes to want even a competent living and necessary helps. And this doth he of set purpose, that he may bring the wisdom of the flesh to nought, seeing that we do not otherwise give due honor to his word.
(377) “ Ut oblique species frustrationis,” that a species of frustration may be indirectly noted.
(378) “ Quod liberum relinquo,” I leave the point open, omitted.
(379) “ Exhibitionem,” the exhibition, or manifestation.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(5) And he gave him none inheritance.The apparent exception of the field and cave of Machpelah (Gen. 23:9-17) was not a real one. That was purchased for a special purpose, not given as an inheritance.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. Gave him none inheritance Stephen (accused of blaspheming “this holy place”) proves thus from their own history that this holy place was once devoted to the Canaanites. Their ancestor was not allowed a foot-track of it.
No child Though in his old age, Abraham had no heir to inherit the promise of the future possession.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
I. PHILIP, ONE OF THE SEVEN, EVANGELIZES SAMARIA, Act 7:5-40.
5. Philip Stephen closes the Pentecostal Church; Philip opens the missionary or modern Church. To Stephen belongs the headship of the glorious army of martyrs, to Philip the leadership of the glorious army of foreign missionaries. Both were forerunners of Paul; the former in proclaiming the cessation of ritualism, the latter in heralding the Gospel beyond the boundaries of Judaism. Paul was Stephen and Philip united and enlarged.
It may appear a strange accident that not to apostles, but to mere so-called deacons such honours should be given. The fact, however, tells deacons, and even laymen, that working and dying for Christ are not privileges confined to dignitaries alone. But special reasons existed for this apparent accident. The great Head of the Church designed that the apostolic twelve should not yet be diminished by martyrdom; so they were holden back by a divine official conservatism, and to a deacon was it given to do the martyr’s work of first proclaiming the downfall of the ritual.
A striking contrast is apparent in the characters of Stephen and Philip. The whole history of the former grows out of his own intense, stern, tragic personality; whereas the latter appears cheery, spiritualistic, and alert, and the effects he accomplishes are produced almost unexpectedly to himself, and rather through him than by him. The only express words of his recorded (Act 7:30) contain a pleasantry.
Went down Down not from higher grounds, but from the more eminent capital.
The city of Samaria Without the article in Greek, and so held by most later scholars to mean a city; that is, some unknown city of the province of Samaria. But neither our view of Luke’s acquaintance with the present facts, (note on Act 7:9,) nor the familiar fulness of the narrative, permit us to suppose that the true locality was to him unknown. We find in a genitive of apposition like , Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah 2Pe 2:7. So Urbs Romae, Flumen Rheni, city of Rome, river of the Rhine. The definite article is omitted because the city is made definite by the genitive. (See Winer, Gram. New Test., pp. 125, 531.) Some authorities supply the article, such as Lachmann and Tischendorf.
Samaria The city of Samaria was the capital of the great province of Samaria, and of the kingdom of Israel while independent and separate from Judea. Its position is nearly the centre of Palestine. It was founded by King Omri, upon a hill bought of its owner, Shemer, after whom it is named, and signifies watch-height. It was a place of singular beauty and of powerful defences, excelling Jerusalem in both respects. During the kingdom of Israel it was eminently idolatrous, was the seat of a temple of Baal, and was denounced by the voice of the prophets. It was the scene of many of the acts of Elijah and Elisha. It was depopulated in the time of the captivity, but rebuilt and adorned with magnificent streets and edifices by Herod, who received it as a present from Augustus, whose name it bore in the Greek form, Sebaste. Such were its condition and name when visited by our Philip.
Preached Christ The Christ who, less than nine years ago, had preached himself to Shechem, in Samaria. There may have been hearers of Philip who remembered the person of Jesus himself. And Philip himself had, doubtless, heard from the apostles the parable of the good Samaritan. In connection herewith, read our notes on Mat 10:5, and John 5.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And he gave him no inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on, and he promised that he would give it to him in possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.’
But even though Abraham had at last made Canaan his ‘home’ he had had no permanent possession in it. God had given him no inheritance there, not so much as one place to set his foot on (and say, ‘this is mine’). He walked alone with God, freed now from the influence of Babylon, the centre of idolatry and the occult, and freed from Haran where the moon god was worshipped, and tied to no land. Instead he was tied to God.
What, however, God did do was give the promise that one day it would belong to Abraham’s seed. It was a future hope, not a present possession. Note here how his seed possessing it is equated with him possessing it. He will possess it in his seed. And this promise was made even before Abraham had children. So the promise included the thought that he would have children. God was thus not calling Abraham to possess the land. He was calling him to live in faith and trust. This is also made clear in Gen 15:6, ‘and he believed in the Lord, and He counted it to him for righteousness’. Stephen clearly did not see a graveyard and cave as even contributing to possession of the land (Genesis 23).
Thus Abraham is seen as delivered from Babylon and with neither land nor family. What he possessed was freedom from idolatry so that he could worship where he would, along with the presence of God and future hope. He required nothing else.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Act 7:5. And he gave him none inheritance in it, &c. Probably Canaan was not at that time so universally given to idolatry as Chaldea; for there Abraham met with Melchisedech, who was a worshipper of the true God; and as he was a king, very likely his subjects were not idolaters; but in Chaldea idolatry must have had a large spread, when Terah’s family, nay, and most likely Abraham himself, was infected; for St. Paul calls him, Rom 4:5. , an ungodly person, or an idolater; for that is the word by which he usually intends to signify an idolater. Therefore the calling Abraham into Canaan at that time, was a likely method to preserve him from the further infection of idolatry, as it removed him from his kindred, who would have been apt to have tempted him more than strangers;and as he was directed to a land where idolatry had not then spread so much. Nay, yet further to deter Abraham, God intimated to him, that in some future generations that very land of Canaan should become notorious for idolatry, and then God would take it from the inhabitants, and give it to him for a possession, even to his seed after him; for so the sentence should properly be read. It is plain that Abraham had not a foot of land in Canaan; for he bought a burying-place to bury his dead.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Act 7:5 . , , hereditary possession. Heb 11:8 .
] LXX. Deu 2:5 ( ), spatium, quod planta pedis calcatur. Comp. on in the sense of vestigium, Hom. H. Merc. 222, 345. On the subject-matter, comp. Heb 11:9 .
] Gen 13:15 . is the copula. He gave not and promised (the former he omitted, and the latter he did).
. ] is the simple and, not namely (see Gen. l.c.). The promise primarily concerned Abraham as the participant father of the race himself. Comp. Luk 1:71 .
This verse, too, stands apparently at variance with Genesis, where, in chap. 23., we are informed that Abraham purchased a field from the sons of Heth. But only apparently. For the remark refers only to the first period of Abraham’s residence in Palestine before the institution of circumcision (Act 7:8 ), while that purchase of a field falls much later. It was therefore quite superfluous, either (with Drusius, Schoettgen, Bengel) to emphasize the fact that Abraham had not in fact acquired that field by divine direction, but had purchased it, or (with Kuinoel and Olshausen) to have recourse to the erroneous assumption (not to be justified either by Joh 7:8 or by Mar 11:13 ) that stands for .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.
5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.
Ver. 5. No, not so much as ] A holy proverb:Deu 2:5Deu 2:5 ; “Even to the treading of the sole of the foot.” The first purchase that Abraham made was for a burial place.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
5. ] There is no occasion here to wrest our text in order to produce accordance with the history. The field which Abraham bought for the burial of his dead surely did not come under the description of , nor give him any standing as a possessor in the land. To avoid this seeming inconsistency, Schttgen and Bengel lay a stress on , ‘agrum illum non ex donatione divina accepit Abraham, sed emit, ipsa emtione peregrinum eum esse docente’ (Bengel). Kuinoel and Olshausen take for .
before . is not ‘ yet ’ (Beza), nor is . to be construed pluperfect (id.); and he promised is the simple rendering of the words, and the right one. The following is by Kuin. rendered ‘ nimirum :’ but again it is only the simple copula, .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Act 7:5 . : the field which Abraham bought, Gen 23:9-17 , could not come under this title the field was Abraham’s purchase, not God’s gift as (see Meyer-Wendt, and Westcott, Heb 6:12 , additional note, also Bengel, in loco ); Act 7:16 sufficiently shows that Stephen was fully acquainted with Abraham’s purchase of the field. , cf. Deu 2:5 ; Deu 11:24 , same Hebrew ( cf. Heb 11:9 ), “spatium quod planta pedis calcatur” (Grimm); cf. also its use in Xen. It may have been a kind of proverbial expression, cf. Gen 8:9 (Schttgen). , cf. Gen 12:7 (Gen 17:8 , Gen 48:4 ), so that here again God appeared unto Abraham in what was a strange and heathen land. See also for verb, Jas 1:12 ; Jas 2:5 . On the force of the word see p. 54. : “in possession,” R.V., the A.V. renders the word in its secondary or derivative sense, which is found in Act 7:45 . : the faith of Abraham “tecte significatur” (Blass), first because nothing was given there was only a promise and secondly because the promise was made while yet he had no child.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
none = not (Greek. ou. App-105) any.
no, not, &c. = not even (Greek. oude). Figure of speech Epitasis. App-6.
to set his foot on = a place (Greek. bema. See note on Joh 19:13) for a foot.
promised. Reference to Gen 13:15.
possession. Greek. kataschesis. Only here and Act 7:45.
no = not any, as above.
child. Greek. teknon. App-108.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
5. ] There is no occasion here to wrest our text in order to produce accordance with the history. The field which Abraham bought for the burial of his dead surely did not come under the description of , nor give him any standing as a possessor in the land. To avoid this seeming inconsistency, Schttgen and Bengel lay a stress on , agrum illum non ex donatione divina accepit Abraham, sed emit, ipsa emtione peregrinum eum esse docente (Bengel). Kuinoel and Olshausen take for .
before . is not yet (Beza), nor is . to be construed pluperfect (id.); and he promised is the simple rendering of the words, and the right one. The following is by Kuin. rendered nimirum: but again it is only the simple copula, .
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Act 7:5. , not even so much as to set his foot on) That land, concerning which Act 7:16 treats, Abraham did not receive by the Divine gift, but bought; the very fact of the purchase implying that he was a stranger.-, He promised) Gen 12:7.-, it) the whole of it.- , when he had as yet no child) Not even Ishmael as yet was born: nor was there any hope of offspring, on account of the barrenness of Sarah. Both the inheritance and the posterity itself was according to (by) promise. This clause makes an Epitasis (Emphatic addition to what precedes. See Append.), as does that clause, not even so much as to set his foot on.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
he gave: Gen 23:4, Psa 105:11, Psa 105:12, Heb 11:9, Heb 11:10, Heb 11:13-16
not: Deu 2:5
yet: Gen 12:7, Gen 13:15, Gen 15:3, Gen 15:18, Gen 17:8, Gen 26:3, Gen 28:13-15, Exo 6:7, Exo 6:8, Deu 6:10, Deu 6:11, Act 9:5, Act 10:11, Act 11:9, Act 34:4, Neh 9:8, Psa 105:8-11
when: Gen 15:2-5, Gen 16:2, Gen 17:16-19
Reciprocal: Gen 24:7 – which spake Gen 30:25 – and to Exo 6:4 – the land of their Num 10:29 – the Lord 1Ch 16:19 – a few Eze 33:24 – Abraham
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
5
Act 7:5. Gave him none inheritance. Let us not become confused over this phrase and the account in Gen 23:9-20. Abraham became a possessor of that real estate in the land of Canaan, but he bought it with money, and thus obtained it by his own business transaction; he even refused to accept it as a gift from the owners. But inheritance is from KLERONOMAI, and Thayer defines it, “an inheritance, property received by inheritance.” Abraham did not receive a foot of that land in that way, but it was promised that he would indirectly receive it some day through his descendants. When he had no child is mentioned to show Abraham’s faith in the promises of God.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 7:5. And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on. This is confirmed by the circumstances related in Act 7:16, where we read how the very grave of the patriarchs in the Promised Land was purchased by Abraham from the possessors and princes of the country.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
5-8. Having now introduced Abraham, and brought him into the land of Canaan, Stephen quotes the prophesy, connected with the fulfillment of which he is to find the chief points of his argument. (5) “And he gave him no inheritance in it, not a footprint: and he promised to give it for a possession to him and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child. (6) But God spoke thus: That his seed should sojourn in a strange land, and they should bring them into bondage, and afflict them four hundred years. (7) And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage, I will judge, said God, and after these things they shall come forth, and serve me in this place. (8) And he gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so he begot Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac, Jacob; and Jacob, the twelve patriarchs.”
The period of four hundred years is taken by Stephen from Genesis 15:13 , where God expresses himself, in round terms, of a period which was, more accurately, four hundred and thirty years, as we find in Exodus 12:40-41 . This was not the period of their actual sojourn in Egypt; but, as we learn from Paul, (Galatians 3:17 ,) and from the genealogical tables in Genesis and Exodus, it extended from the call of Abraham to the departure from Egypt.
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
7:5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not [so much as] to {c} set his foot on: yet he {d} promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when [as yet] he had no child.
(c) Not enough ground to even set his foot upon.
(d) The promise of the possession was certain, and belonged to Abraham, though it was his posterity that enjoyed it a great while after his death: and this is the figure of speech synecdoche.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Stephen also contrasted Abraham’s lack of inheritance in the land with God’s promise to give the land to Abraham’s descendants as an inheritance (Gen 12:7; cf. Heb 11:8). God promised this when the patriarch had no children. Thus the emphasis is on God’s promise of future possession of the land through descendants to come. Of course, Abraham did possess the cave of Machpelah in Canaan (Gen 23:3-20), but perhaps Stephen meant that God gave no continuing or full possession to Abraham.
The Jews of Stephen’s day needed to realize that God had not exhausted His promises to Abraham in giving them what they presently had and valued so highly. There was greater inheritance to come, but it would come to future generations of their descendants, not to them. Specifically it would come to those who continued to follow Abraham’s good example of faith by believing in Jesus. God sought to teach these Jews that there were spiritual descendants of Abraham who were not his physical descendants (Gal 3:6-9; Gal 3:29).