God answers Abraham’s desire for certainty regarding his inheritance of the land not just with a verbal promise, but through a deeply symbolic physical act. By taking and splitting animals, the parties engage in an ancient and widely recognized method of forging an unbreakable covenant, where those forming the pact pass between the severed pieces [ספורנו, רד״ק, שד״ל, בכור שור, חזקוני, חומש קה״ת]. On a spiritual level, these animals point toward the future sacrifices the Israelites will offer in the Temple. God reveals that the merit of this sacrificial service will protect the nation, atone for their sins, and secure their hold on the land even in the face of exile and suffering [רמב״ן, העמק דבר, רש״י, מזרחי, תורה תמימה, חזקוני, פני דוד]. Crucially, these offerings are to be dedicated exclusively to God, performed with pure intentions that stand in sharp contrast to the practices of other nations [רבנו בחיי, העמק דבר].
The specific requirement regarding the animals carries multiple layers of meaning, particularly concerning their threefold nature. One approach suggests this refers to the quantity of the animals, requiring three heifers, three goats, and three rams [רש״י, הכתב והקבלה, רש״ר הירש, גור אריה]. This specific number corresponds to the various types of public and private sacrifices the nation would eventually bring, such as the atoning bulls, goats, and rams used on Yom Kippur and other occasions [רש״י, מזרחי, ברכת אשר, משכיל לדוד]. Another perspective interprets the threefold requirement as referring to the age of the animals. At three years old, an animal reaches the peak of its physical perfection and strength, making it the most fitting for an offering [אבן עזרא, רלב״ג, ביאור יש״ר, חזקוני]. However, this is challenged by the observation that a three-year-old bovine is generally considered a fully grown cow rather than a young heifer [רמב״ן, רד״ק, נתינה לגר]. A third view suggests the term describes the supreme quality of the animals, indicating that they should be exceptionally healthy and choice, perhaps the third offspring of the mother, representing strength and vitality [שד״ל, הטור הארוך, בכור שור, אם למקרא, מחוקקי יהודה].
Beyond their role as future sacrifices, the different species of animals contain profound historical and conceptual symbolism. Many commentators understand the animals as representing the major empires that would eventually subjugate Israel: Egypt, Babylon and Persia, and finally Greece and Rome [רד״ק, רש״ר הירש]. Conversely, the animals are seen as symbolizing the three Patriarchs, whose enduring merit guarantees the nation's future inheritance. The heifer corresponds to Abraham, who famously ran to his cattle to feed his guests; the goat corresponds to Jacob, who wore goat skins to receive his father's blessing; and the ram corresponds to Isaac, who had a ram sacrificed in his place [כלי יקר]. On a psychological level, the animals embody the raw material forces and human drives—such as imagination, lust, and anger—that a person must actively split and subdue in order to properly serve God [מלבי״ם].
The covenant concludes with the inclusion of a turtledove and a young pigeon, which are the only species of birds acceptable for altar offerings [אבן עזרא, רד״ק, שד״ל, ביאור יש״ר, רש״י]. Unlike the mammals, which represent foreign nations or base material drives, the birds symbolize the Israelites. Just as the dove remains entirely faithful to its mate and is never a bird of prey, the nation of Israel remains steadfast in its faith in God, refusing to turn to other deities even when persecuted and trampled in exile [רד״ק]. Furthermore, while the animals are severed, the birds remain completely whole. This unbroken state reflects the pure soul and the eternal nature of the Jewish people, who will ultimately survive every exile and period of suffering to enter the Promised Land vibrant and enduring [כלי יקר, מלבי״ם, תורה תמימה, רש״ר הירש].