This emphasizes the view just expressed, that Abram was not promised that his soul would wing its flight to heaven or to any other place. He would be buried as his ancestors had been. They were resting in their graves; Abram would join them there. Nevertheless, God comforted him with the assurance of a peaceful old age. Abram lived to be 175 years old (Gen. 25:7, 8).

 Most commentators explain this text as implying the immortality of the soul and its disembodied existence in some haven of departed souls. Such an interpretation, however, ignores a common Hebrew figure of speech and forces a literal meaning from figurative words. To “go to” one’s fathers (Gen. 15:15), to be “gathered to” one’s people (ch. 25:8, 17) or to one’s fathers (Judges 2:10), and to sleep with one’s fathers (2 Kings 10:35) are common Hebrew euphemisms meaning simply “to die.” To imply from these expressions the immorality of the soul apart from the body is to assume to be true that which the Scriptures elsewhere specifically deny (see, for example, Ps. 146:4; Eccl. 9:5, 6; etc.). Abram eventually died, and will not receive the promise until the heroes of all ages are rewarded for their faith (see Heb. 11:10, 13, 39, 40; 1 Thess. 4:16, 17; Matt. 16:27; Col. 3:3, 4).