1 Now the LORD H3068 had said H559 unto Abram, H87 Get thee out H3212 of thy country, H776 and from thy kindred, H4138 and from thy father's H1 house, H1004 unto a land H776 that I will shew H7200 thee:
2 And I will make of thee H6213 a great H1419 nation, H1471 and I will bless H1288 thee, and make H1431 thy name H8034 great; H1431 and thou shalt be a blessing: H1293
3 And I will bless H1288 them that bless H1288 thee, and curse H779 him that curseth H7043 thee: and in thee shall all families H4940 of the earth H127 be blessed. H1288
4 So Abram H87 departed, H3212 as the LORD H3068 had spoken H1696 unto him; and Lot H3876 went H3212 with him: and Abram H87 was seventy H7657 H8141 and five H2568 years H8141 old H1121 when he departed H3318 out of Haran. H2771
5 And Abram H87 took H3947 Sarai H8297 his wife, H802 and Lot H3876 his brother's H251 son, H1121 and all their substance H7399 that they had gathered, H7408 and the souls H5315 that they had gotten H6213 in Haran; H2771 and they went forth H3318 to go H3212 into the land H776 of Canaan; H3667 and into the land H776 of Canaan H3667 they came. H935
6 And Abram H87 passed through H5674 the land H776 unto the place H4725 of Sichem, H7927 unto the plain H436 of Moreh. H4176 And the Canaanite H3669 was then H227 in the land. H776
7 And the LORD H3068 appeared H7200 unto Abram, H87 and said, H559 Unto thy seed H2233 will I give H5414 this H2063 land: H776 and there builded H1129 he an altar H4196 unto the LORD, H3068 who appeared H7200 unto him.
8 And he removed H6275 from thence unto a mountain H2022 on the east H6924 of Bethel, H1008 and pitched H5186 his tent, H168 having Bethel H1008 on the west, H3220 and Hai H5857 on the east: H6924 and there he builded H1129 an altar H4196 unto the LORD, H3068 and called H7121 upon the name H8034 of the LORD. H3068
9 And Abram H87 journeyed, H5265 going on H1980 still H5265 toward the south. H5045
10 And there was a famine H7458 in the land: H776 and Abram H87 went down H3381 into Egypt H4714 to sojourn H1481 there; for the famine H7458 was grievous H3515 in the land. H776
11 And it came to pass, when H834 he was come near H7126 to enter H935 into Egypt, H4714 that he said H559 unto Sarai H8297 his wife, H802 Behold H2009 now, H4994 I know H3045 that thou art a fair H3303 woman H802 to look upon: H4758
12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians H4713 shall see H7200 thee, that they shall say, H559 This is his wife: H802 and they will kill H2026 me, but they will save thee alive. H2421
13 Say, H559 I pray thee, H4994 thou art my sister: H269 that H4616 it may be well H3190 with me for thy sake; and my soul H5315 shall live H2421 because of thee. H1558
14 And it came to pass, that, when Abram H87 was come H935 into Egypt, H4714 the Egyptians H4713 beheld H7200 the woman H802 that she was very H3966 fair. H3303
15 The princes H8269 also of Pharaoh H6547 saw H7200 her, and commended H1984 her before H413 Pharaoh: H6547 and the woman H802 was taken H3947 into Pharaoh's H6547 house. H1004
16 And he entreated H3190 Abram H87 well H3190 for her sake: and he had sheep, H6629 and oxen, H1241 and he asses, H2543 and menservants, H5650 and maidservants, H8198 and she asses, H860 and camels. H1581
17 And the LORD H3068 plagued H5060 Pharaoh H6547 and his house H1004 with great H1419 plagues H5061 because of H1697 Sarai H8297 Abram's H87 wife. H802
18 And Pharaoh H6547 called H7121 Abram, H87 and said, H559 What is this that thou hast done H6213 unto me? why didst thou not tell H5046 me that she was thy wife? H802
19 Why saidst thou, H559 She is my sister? H269 so I might have taken H3947 her to me to wife: H802 now therefore behold thy wife, H802 take H3947 her, and go thy way. H3212
20 And Pharaoh H6547 commanded H6680 his men H582 concerning him: and they sent him away, H7971 and his wife, H802 and all that he had.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 12
Commentary on Genesis 12 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 12
Ge 12:1-20. Call to Abram.
1. Now the Lord had said unto Abram—It pleased God, who has often been found of them who sought Him not, to reveal Himself to Abraham perhaps by a miracle; and the conversion of Abraham is one of the most remarkable in Bible history.
Get thee out of thy country—His being brought to the knowledge and worship of the true God had probably been a considerable time before. This call included two promises: the first, showing the land of his future posterity; and the second, that in his posterity all the earth was to be blessed (Ge 12:2). Abraham obeyed, and it is frequently mentioned in the New Testament as a striking instance of his faith (Heb 11:8).
5. into the land of Canaan … they came—with his wife and an orphan nephew. Abram reached his destination in safety, and thus the first promise was made good.
6. the place of Sichem—or Shechem, a pastoral valley then unoccupied (compare Ge 33:18).
plain of Moreh—rather, the "terebinth tree" of Moreh, very common in Palestine, remarkable for its wide-spreading branches and its dark green foliage. It is probable that in Moreh there was a grove of these trees, whose inviting shade led Abram to choose it for an encampment.
7. Unto thy seed will I give this land—God was dealing with Abram not in his private and personal capacity merely, but with a view to high and important interests in future ages. That land his posterity was for centuries to inhabit as a peculiar people; the seeds of divine knowledge were to be sown there for the benefit of all mankind; and considered in its geographical situation, it was chosen in divine wisdom as the fittest of all lands to serve as the cradle of a divine revelation designed for the whole world.
and there builded he an altar unto the Lord—By this solemn act of devotion Abram made an open profession of his religion, established the worship of the true God, and declared his faith in the promise.
10. there was a famine … and Abram went down into Egypt—He did not go back to the place of his nativity, as regretting his pilgrimage and despising the promised land (Heb 11:15), but withdrew for a while into a neighboring country.
11-13. Sarai's complexion, coming from a mountainous country, would be fresh and fair compared with the faces of Egyptian women which were sallow. The counsel of Abram to her was true in words, but it was a deception, intended to give an impression that she was no more than his sister. His conduct was culpable and inconsistent with his character as a servant of God: it showed a reliance on worldly policy more than a trust in the promise; and he not only sinned himself, but tempted Sarai to sin also.
14. when Abram was come into Egypt—It appears from the monuments of that country that at the time of Abram's visit a monarchy had existed for several centuries. The seat of government was in the Delta, the most northern part of the country, the very quarter in which Abram must have arrived. They were a race of shepherd-kings, in close alliance with the people of Canaan.
15. the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house—Eastern kings have for ages claimed the privilege of taking to their harem an unmarried woman whom they like. The father or brother may deplore the removal as a calamity, but the royal right is never resisted nor questioned.
16. he entreated Abram well for her sake—The presents are just what one pastoral chief would give to another.
18-20. Here is a most humiliating rebuke, and Abram deserved it. Had not God interfered, he might have been tempted to stay in Egypt and forget the promise (Ps 105:13, 15). Often still does God rebuke His people and remind them through enemies that this world is not their rest.