לֵאמֹ֔ר (lê·mōr) in Genesis 15:4: Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
לֵאמֹ֔ר (lê·mōr) in Genesis 15:4
Source Word
The BSB+ row for Genesis 15:4 links the English rendering "saying" with לֵאמֹ֔ר, Strong's H559, and the morphology label Prep-l | V-Qal-Inf.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form helps readers follow the move from Abram's concern to the Lord's direct promise about the one who will be his heir.
How To Communicate It
In explanation, this form can help readers see that the grammar frames direct divine speech rather than functioning as an isolated word-study point.
What Not To Say
- Grammar should serve context, not override it.
- Do not make the speech formula carry the heir promise apart from the quoted words.
- Do not use the Qal stem to settle promise theology.
- Do not treat this occurrence as a full word study for H559.
- Let the direct speech in Genesis 15:4 supply the main content.
What Does The Label Mean?
Hebrew-verb
Verb
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Lamed preposition
Qal
Inf
Not marked
Not marked
Not marked
The morphology label identifies the form, but Genesis 15:4 supplies the sentence role and theological meaning.
This form carries the BSB rendering "saying" within Genesis 15:4. Genesis 15 anchors God's covenant promise to Abram, moving from promise and faith to assurance and covenant sign.
What The Form Does In This Verse
The divine reply in Genesis 15:4, where the word of the Lord comes to Abram and identifies the promised heir
The prefixed lamed on a Qal infinitive construct used as a speech-introduction formula
It introduces the Lord's direct response to Abram's concern about an heir.
It does not carry the heir promise by itself; the direct speech that follows supplies the promise content.
How Much The Form Matters Here
Moderate: The form introduces a significant divine reply about Abram's heir, though the promise itself is in the direct speech.
Lamed-prefixed Qal infinitive construct formula. introduces the Lord's answer about the promised heir. Attached to the word of the Lord coming to Abram. Governed by the narrative speech frame and the direct reply that follows. The form frames the speech; the promise content must be read in the quoted words.
What does this form introduce in the verse? It introduces the Lord's direct answer that Abram's heir will come from his own body.
Direct: The formula is represented by the English speech marker "saying."
The speech formula is grammatically modest but contextually important because it frames divine reply. The theological content belongs to the speech that follows. The Qal infinitive label should not be asked to prove promise theology by itself.
Saying is too small to matter: The formula helps readers locate the direct divine reply in the narrative. the formula carries the heir promise: The formula introduces the promise; the quoted words carry it. Qal decides the theology of promise: The stem label identifies the form but does not bear the doctrinal claim.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The BSB+ row for Genesis 15:4 links the English rendering "saying" with לֵאמֹ֔ר, Strong's H559, and the morphology label Prep-l | V-Qal-Inf.
H559 is represented here by the lemma אָמַר. In this occurrence, the public guide is limited to the BSB rendering "saying" rather than every possible gloss of the entry.
The form points from the narrative report of the Lord's word to the direct speech that follows.
Genesis 15 anchors God's covenant promise to Abram, moving from promise and faith to assurance and covenant sign.
The form fits Scripture's covenant pattern in which God speaks, promises, judges, gives, and keeps his word.
When teaching Genesis 15:4, use this form to show how the speech formula introduces the Lord's direct answer about Abram's heir.
Do not derive a doctrine of heirship, promise, or revelation from Prep-l | V-Qal-Inf alone. The form introduces the speech that carries the claim.