Lexical Summary
bathar: To cut, to divide, to cleave
Original Word:בָּתַר
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:bathar
Pronunciation:bah-thar
Phonetic Spelling:(baw-thar')
NASB:cut
Word Origin:[a primitive root, to chop up]
1. divide
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
divide
A primitive root, to chop up -- divide.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto cut in two
NASB Translationcut (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] (Arabic
cut off prematurely;
extirpate by cutting) —
PerfectGenesis 15:10;
ImperfectGenesis 15:10id.
Topical Lexicon
בתר (Strong’s Hebrew 1334)
Root Meaning and Semantic Range
The verb denotes the deliberate severing of something into distinct parts, especially the halving of sacrificial animals. While other Hebrew verbs speak of “cutting” in a general sense, בָּתַר emphasizes a careful partition intended to create two parallel pieces.
Biblical Occurrences
בָּתַר appears twice, both inGenesis 15:10, where Abram “brought all these to Him, split them down the middle, and laid the pieces opposite each other”. The duplication reflects the Hebrew narrative style rather than separate events, underscoring the deliberate act of division central to the covenant scene.
Historical Background of Covenant-Cutting Rituals
Archaeological records and ancient Near Eastern treaties reveal that parties sometimes ratified covenants by halving animals, then passing between the pieces. The divided carcasses symbolized the fate awaiting any covenant-breaker: “May I become like these parts if I violate the oath.”Jeremiah 34:18-19 alludes to this practice.Genesis 15 presents the earliest canonical example, demonstrating that the custom was already known in Abraham’s day.
Theological Significance inGenesis 15
1. Divine initiative: Only “a smoking firepot and a blazing torch passed between the pieces” (Genesis 15:17). God alone traversed the blood-path, binding Himself unilaterally and showing that fulfillment rested entirely on His faithfulness.
2. Irrevocable promise: The halved animals certify the permanence of the land covenant to Abram’s offspring (Genesis 15:18-21). Human failure cannot annul what God solemnly swore under penalty of self-malediction.
3. Blood witness: The severed pieces declare that covenant is not a mere contract but a life-and-death bond sealed in blood, anticipating later sacrificial systems.
Typological and Christological Implications
Hebrews 9:16-17 links covenant enactment with death: “Where a will exists, the death of the one who made it must be established.” TheGenesis 15 ritual prefigures the cross, where the Son’s body was “pierced” (Zechariah 12:10;John 19:34) so that the new covenant might stand on God’s sworn faithfulness, not on human merit. The solitary passage of the divine presence foreshadows Christ bearing the covenant curse alone (Galatians 3:13).
Practical Ministry Applications
• Assurance of salvation: Believers can rest in promises ratified by God’s own sacrifice; assurance flows from divine commitment, not fluctuating human performance.
• Covenant faithfulness: As recipients of unilateral grace, Christians are motivated toward loyal obedience (Romans 12:1), reflecting the seriousness with which God keeps His word.
• Preaching the gospel: The imagery of halved animals offers vivid language for explaining substitutionary atonement and the gravity of covenant grace to contemporary audiences.
Related Passages and Themes
•Jeremiah 34:18-19 – human covenant-breakers contrasted with God’s faithfulness.
•Exodus 24:5-8 – blood of the covenant sprinkled on the people.
•Isaiah 53:5 – the Servant “pierced for our transgressions,” echoing the divided pieces.
•Luke 22:20 – “This cup is the new covenant in My blood.”
•Hebrews 10:19-20 – access through “the curtain, that is, His body,” another parted medium.
בָּתַר thus enriches our understanding of God’s irrevocable promises, the costliness of covenant, and the redemptive drama culminating in Jesus Christ.
Forms and Transliterations
בָתָֽר׃ בתר׃ וַיְבַתֵּ֤ר ויבתר ḇā·ṯār ḇāṯār vaTar vayvatTer way·ḇat·têr wayḇattêr
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