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
Then Elisha H477 said, H559 Hear H8085 ye the word H1697 of the LORD; H3068 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 To morrow H4279 about this time H6256 shall a measure H5429 of fine flour H5560 be sold for a shekel, H8255 and two measures H5429 of barley H8184 for a shekel, H8255 in the gate H8179 of Samaria. H8111 Then a lord H7991 on whose hand H3027 the king H4428 leaned H8172 answered H6030 the man H376 of God, H430 and said, H559 Behold, if the LORD H3068 would make H6213 windows H699 in heaven, H8064 might this thing H1697 be? And he said, H559 Behold, thou shalt see H7200 it with thine eyes, H5869 but shalt not eat H398 thereof. And there were four H702 leprous H6879 men H582 at the entering in H6607 of the gate: H8179 and they said H559 one H376 to another, H7453 Why sit H3427 we here until we die? H4191 If we say, H559 We will enter H935 into the city, H5892 then the famine H7458 is in the city, H5892 and we shall die H4191 there: and if we sit still H3427 here, we die H4191 also. Now therefore come, H3212 and let us fall H5307 unto the host H4264 of the Syrians: H758 if they save us alive, H2421 we shall live; H2421 and if they kill H4191 us, we shall but die. H4191 And they rose up H6965 in the twilight, H5399 to go H935 unto the camp H4264 of the Syrians: H758 and when they were come H935 to the uttermost part H7097 of the camp H4264 of Syria, H758 behold, there was no man H376 there. For the Lord H136 had made the host H4264 of the Syrians H758 to hear H8085 a noise H6963 of chariots, H7393 and a noise H6963 of horses, H5483 even the noise H6963 of a great H1419 host: H2428 and they said H559 one H376 to another, H251 Lo, the king H4428 of Israel H3478 hath hired H7936 against us the kings H4428 of the Hittites, H2850 and the kings H4428 of the Egyptians, H4714 to come H935 upon us. Wherefore they arose H6965 and fled H5127 in the twilight, H5399 and left H5800 their tents, H168 and their horses, H5483 and their asses, H2543 even the camp H4264 as it was, and fled H5127 for their life. H5315 And when these lepers H6879 came H935 to the uttermost part H7097 of the camp, H4264 they went H935 into one H259 tent, H168 and did eat H398 and drink, H8354 and carried H5375 thence silver, H3701 and gold, H2091 and raiment, H899 and went H3212 and hid H2934 it; and came again, H7725 and entered H935 into another H312 tent, H168 and carried H5375 thence also, and went H3212 and hid H2934 it.
Then spake H1696 Elisha H477 unto the woman, H802 whose son H1121 he had restored to life, H2421 saying, H559 Arise, H6965 and go H3212 thou and thine household, H1004 and sojourn H1481 wheresoever H834 thou canst sojourn: H1481 for the LORD H3068 hath called H7121 for a famine; H7458 and it shall also come H935 upon the land H776 seven H7651 years. H8141 And the woman H802 arose, H6965 and did H6213 after the saying H1697 of the man H376 of God: H430 and she went H3212 with her household, H1004 and sojourned H1481 in the land H776 of the Philistines H6430 seven H7651 years. H8141
And there was a famine H7458 in the land, H776 beside H905 the first H7223 famine H7458 that was in the days H3117 of Abraham. H85 And Isaac H3327 went H3212 unto Abimelech H40 king H4428 of the Philistines H6430 unto Gerar. H1642 And the LORD H3068 appeared H7200 unto him, and said, H559 Go not down H3381 into Egypt; H4714 dwell H7931 in the land H776 which I shall tell H559 thee of: Sojourn H1481 in this land, H776 and I will be with thee, and will bless H1288 thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, H2233 I will give H5414 all these H411 countries, H776 and I will perform H6965 the oath H7621 which I sware H7650 unto Abraham H85 thy father; H1
And Elijah H452 the Tishbite, H8664 who was of the inhabitants H8453 of Gilead, H1568 said H559 unto Ahab, H256 As the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 liveth, H2416 before H6440 whom I stand, H5975 there shall not be dew H2919 nor rain H4306 these years, H8141 but according H6310 to my word. H1697 And the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came unto him, saying, H559 Get H3212 thee hence, and turn H6437 thee eastward, H6924 and hide H5641 thyself by the brook H5158 Cherith, H3747 that is before H6440 Jordan. H3383 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink H8354 of the brook; H5158 and I have commanded H6680 the ravens H6158 to feed H3557 thee there. So he went H3212 and did H6213 according unto the word H1697 of the LORD: H3068 for he went H3212 and dwelt H3427 by the brook H5158 Cherith, H3747 that is before H6440 Jordan. H3383 And the ravens H6158 brought H935 him bread H3899 and flesh H1320 in the morning, H1242 and bread H3899 and flesh H1320 in the evening; H6153 and he drank H8354 of the brook. H5158 And it came to pass after H7093 a while, H3117 that the brook H5158 dried up, H3001 because there had been no rain H1653 in the land. H776 And the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came unto him, saying, H559 Arise, H6965 get H3212 thee to Zarephath, H6886 which belongeth to Zidon, H6721 and dwell H3427 there: behold, I have commanded H6680 a widow H490 woman H802 there to sustain H3557 thee. So he arose H6965 and went H3212 to Zarephath. H6886 And when he came H935 to the gate H6607 of the city, H5892 behold, the widow H490 woman H802 was there gathering H7197 of sticks: H6086 and he called H7121 to her, and said, H559 Fetch H3947 me, I pray thee, a little H4592 water H4325 in a vessel, H3627 that I may drink. H8354 And as she was going H3212 to fetch H3947 it, he called H7121 to her, and said, H559 Bring H3947 me, I pray thee, a morsel H6595 of bread H3899 in thine hand. H3027 And she said, H559 As the LORD H3068 thy God H430 liveth, H2416 I have H3426 not a cake, H4580 but an handful H4393 H3709 of meal H7058 in a barrel, H3537 and a little H4592 oil H8081 in a cruse: H6835 and, behold, I am gathering H7197 two H8147 sticks, H6086 that I may go in H935 and dress H6213 it for me and my son, H1121 that we may eat H398 it, and die. H4191 And Elijah H452 said H559 unto her, Fear H3372 not; go H935 and do H6213 as thou hast said: H1697 but make H6213 me thereof H8033 a little H6996 cake H5692 first, H7223 and bring H3318 it unto me, and after H314 make H6213 for thee and for thy son. H1121 For thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel, H3478 The barrel H3537 of meal H7058 shall not waste, H3615 neither shall the cruse H6835 of oil H8081 fail, H2637 until the day H3117 that the LORD H3068 sendeth H5414 rain H1653 upon H6440 the earth. H127 And she went H3212 and did H6213 according to the saying H1697 of Elijah: H452 and she, and he, and her house, H1004 did eat H398 many days. H3117 And the barrel H3537 of meal H7058 wasted H3615 not, neither did the cruse H6835 of oil H8081 fail, H2638 according to the word H1697 of the LORD, H3068 which he spake H1696 by H3027 Elijah. H452 And it came to pass after H310 these things, H1697 that the son H1121 of the woman, H802 the mistress H1172 of the house, H1004 fell sick; H2470 and his sickness H2483 was so H3966 sore, H2389 that there was no breath H5397 left H3498 in him. And she said H559 unto Elijah, H452 What have I to do with thee, O thou man H376 of God? H430 art thou come H935 unto me to call H2142 my sin H5771 to remembrance, H2142 and to slay H4191 my son? H1121
And he said, H559 I am God, H410 the God H430 of thy father: H1 fear H3372 not to go down H3381 into Egypt; H4714 for I will there make H7760 of thee a great H1419 nation: H1471 I will go down H3381 with thee into Egypt; H4714 and I will also surely H5927 bring thee up H5927 again: and Joseph H3130 shall put H7896 his hand H3027 upon thine eyes. H5869
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.