What is the significance of the past tense have I given in Genesis 15:18?
The past tense 'have I given' in Genesis 15:18 indicates that God had already granted the land to Abraham's seed; it was not a future promise but an accomplished fact. The Abrahamic covenant was therefore settled, even though the full possession and historical outworking would unfold later.
Les teaches that in Genesis 15:18 God says to Abraham, 'Unto thy seed have I given.' The verb tense is past, meaning it is already done and not something in the future; God has already done it. This past-tense gift is tied to the Abrahamic covenant, which God promised thousands of years ago. Les also shows the vast real estate involved—from the River of Egypt to the Euphrates—and notes that Middle East peace will not come because Jews are returning from Ethiopia, Russia, Albania, Europe, and other places, while Palestinians will be uprooted. The tense underscores that the covenant grant is settled, even as its historical fulfillment unfolds.
In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: