Bible Strands
Genesis 17:3
Then Abram fell facedown, and God said to him,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — God addresses Abram immediately after promising to establish a covenant and multiply him exceedingly. The moment captures Abram’s physical response to the divine declaration before God continues speaking.
The words — The Hebrew וַיִּפֹּל עַל־פָּנָיו (va-yippōl ‘al-pānāyw) literally means “and he fell upon his face,” denoting a posture of submission or reverence. God’s subsequent speech is introduced by וַיְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ לֵאמֹר (va-ydabbēr ’ittō lē’ōmer), “and he spoke to him, saying.”
The thread — This posture of falling facedown appears elsewhere when divine presence is encountered, such as when Moses and Aaron fall facedown in Numbers 16:45, and later when Abraham laughs at God’s promise in Genesis 17:17.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition of human response to divine promise, framing submission as the immediate posture before covenant words are delivered. A reader must note that reverence precedes understanding, not the reverse.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
Cross-references
- Genesis 17:17 Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?”
- Judges 13:20 When the flame went up from the altar to the sky, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell facedown to the ground.
- Numbers 16:45 “Get away from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.” And Moses and Aaron fell facedown.
- Joshua 5:14 “Neither,” He replied. “I have now come as Commander of the LORD’s army.” Then Joshua fell facedown in reverence and asked Him, “What does my Lord have to say to His servant?”
- 1 Kings 18:39 When all the people saw this, they fell facedown and said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”
- Matthew 17:6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown in terror.
- Revelation 1:17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,
- Exodus 3:6 Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
- Leviticus 9:23 Moses and Aaron then entered the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people.
- Numbers 14:5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown before the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel.