Exceeding Great Reward Genesis 15:1 Meaning
Short answer
In Genesis 15:1, God tells a frightened Abram not to fear and says that he is Abram's shield and his exceeding great reward. The King James Version reads God himself as the reward.
Many modern translations read God as the shield and the reward he gives as very great, and Bibles differ on which reading to follow. The verse answers Abram's fear, and verses 2 and 3 record his concern about having no child.
In Genesis 15:1, God tells Abram not to fear and says that he is Abram's shield and his exceeding great reward. The King James Version reads God himself as the reward, while many modern translations read the reward as very great. At Find A Prayer, we write original, scripture-backed prayers for specific moments. The verse does not stand alone.
Verses 2 and 3 record Abram saying that he has no child and that one born in his house is his heir. God answers with a promise of descendants in verse 5, and verse 6 says Abram believed the LORD. Reading the verse with those lines keeps the words about shield and reward tied to a specific worry.
Genesis 15:1 to 15:6 in Context
The verse begins with the words After these things. Then the word of the LORD comes to Abram in a vision. The first words of that message are Fear not, Abram.
The shield and reward sentence comes right after. Verses 2 and 3 record Abram's reply. He asks what God can give him, since he goes childless.
He adds that one born in his house is his heir. Verse 5 takes the conversation outside. God tells Abram to look toward heaven and tell the stars, if he is able to number them.
He says So shall thy seed be. Verse 6 gives the response in one line: Abram believed in the LORD, and God counted it to him for righteousness.
Fear Not and the Shield
The order of the message matters. God speaks Fear not before he names himself as a shield. Protection is given as the answer to fear, and the text does not say Abram had to become fearless first. The shield image appears elsewhere in Scripture.
Psalm 3:3 says the LORD is a shield for the writer and the lifter up of his head. Psalm 84:11 calls the LORD God a sun and shield, and it adds that no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Read together with Psalm 84:11, the image comes with grace, glory, and good things.
Two Ways to Read Exceeding Great Reward
The Hebrew sentence in Genesis 15:1 can be read two ways, and Bibles differ on which one to follow. Both readings begin with the same claim that God is a shield. The King James Version reads the sentence as I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
In that wording God himself is the reward. Many modern translations read the sentence differently. They read it as God being the shield, with the reward he gives described as very great.
A reader who follows that wording hears a promise about what God will provide. Reading the verse in your own translation shows which of the two readings it follows. Both readings keep God at the center of the verse.
Abram's Answer About Childlessness and Trust
Abram responds to God with a question about what God can give him. He says he goes childless. In verse 3 he adds that one born in his house is his heir.
Those lines show the concern Abram names in the text. God answers with a picture. He takes Abram outside and tells him to count the stars if he can.
Then he says So shall thy seed be. The promise of descendants is set against something Abram can see. Hebrews 11:6 connects faith with reward.
It says that without faith it is impossible to please God, and that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Genesis 15:6 places Abram's belief directly after God's promise of descendants, and God counts that belief to him for righteousness.
Other Verses Where God Is Enough
Psalm 16:5 describes the LORD as the portion of the writer's inheritance and of his cup. It adds that God maintains the writer's lot. Numbers 18:20 also describes God as a person's portion.
These verses share a pattern. God is named as protection or as a portion. Psalm 84:11 says no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
Genesis 15:1 holds protection and reward together in one sentence. Psalm 16:5 and Numbers 18:20 both describe God as a portion. Psalm 3:3 and Psalm 84:11 both describe God as a shield.
Praying Genesis 15:1 When You Are Afraid
Start by reading Genesis 15:1 aloud. Hear God say Fear not before you hear the words about the shield. Then name the fear in plain words before God, without polishing it.
Next, speak the promise back to him in the second person. Say, You are my shield, and you are my exceeding great reward. Let the words stand as God's own promise to you.
Then ask him to be the reward you need today, whatever that looks like in your situation. For prayers written around protection, the protection prayers on this site are a place to continue. Before the next time fear rises, read Genesis 15:1 aloud and pray its two promises back to God.
Key Bible verses
- 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. — Genesis 15:1
- And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. — Genesis 15:6
- For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. — Psalm 84:11
- The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. — Psalm 16:5
- But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. — Hebrews 11:6
Frequently asked questions
What does exceeding great reward mean in Genesis 15:1?
It can mean the reward God gives is very large. The King James Version reads the sentence as I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward, which makes God himself the reward. Many modern translations read God as the shield who gives a very great reward.
Is God the reward or does God give the reward in Genesis 15:1?
It depends on the translation. The King James Version reads God as the reward. Many modern translations read God as the shield and the reward he gives as great. Bibles differ on this point, and a reader can hold either reading.
Why did God tell Abram not to fear?
God told Abram not to fear as the first words of his message in verse 1. Verses 2 and 3 record Abram's concern about having no child and about one born in his house being his heir. The immediate context supports reading the shield and the promise of descendants as God's answer to that concern.
What does I am thy shield mean?
It means God is named as Abram's protection. The same image appears in Psalm 3:3, which says the LORD is a shield for the writer. Psalm 84:11 calls the LORD God a sun and shield and adds that no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
How does Genesis 15:6 connect to Genesis 15:1?
Genesis 15:6 records that Abram believed in the LORD, and God counted that belief to him for righteousness. It comes after God's promise of descendants in verse 5, which follows the message that begins with Fear not in verse 1. Hebrews 11:6 links faith with reward in a similar way.
How can I pray Genesis 15:1 when I am afraid?
Read the verse aloud, name the fear plainly, and then speak the words you are my shield back to God. Ask him to be the reward you need today. For prayers written around protection, the protection prayers on this site are a place to continue.