Shield and reward

The word of the Lord comes “After these events” (Hebrew “after these things”) to Abram “in a vision.” Keil writes that “The expression 'in a vision' applies to the whole chapter.” Jubilees reads “the word of the Lord came to Abram in a dream, saying: 'Fear not, Abram; I am thy defender, and thy reward will be exceeding great.'” Driver calls the form “A common form of prophetic intuition:” Those views are attributed; no ruling is given on the form of the revelation. The pledge is “I am your shield, your very great reward.” The Hebrew may be read as two clauses (“I am your shield; your reward is very great”) or with the reward in apposition to “I,” as BSB takes it. Both readings are set out; no lean is taken on the syntax. The Targum has Abram say, “Woe to me, because I have received the reward of my appointments in this world, and have no portion in the world to come.” and has the answer that “the reward of thy good works shall be kept, and be prepared before Me in the world to come, great exceedingly.” Josephus writes, “And God commended his virtue, and said, Thou shalt not however lose the rewards thou hast deserved to receive by such thy glorious actions.” These are their readings; they do not close the syntax of 15:1. See “I am a shield to you”: the vision and the reward and The vision, the promised heir, and the reckoning, in early reading.