Genesis Chapter 12

From The Open Bible Project

12:1 Now Yahweh said to Abram, "Get out of your country, and from your relatives, and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you.

• (a) From the flood to this time were four hundred and twenty-three years.
• (b) In appointing him no certain place, he proves so much more his faith and obedience.

12:2 I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing.

• (c) The world shall recover by your seed, which is Christ, the blessing which they lost in Adam.

12:3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. All of the families of the earth will be blessed in you."

12:4 So Abram went, as Yahweh had spoken to him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed out of Haran.

12:5 Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother's son, all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls whom they had gotten in Haran, and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan. Into the land of Canaan they came.

• (d) Meaning servants as well as cattle.

12:6 Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. The Canaanite was then in the land.

• (e) He wandered to and fro in the land before he could find a settling place: thus God exercises the faith of his children.
• (f) Which was a cruel and rebellious nation, by whom God kept his in continual exercise.

12:7 Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your [4>]seed[<4]." He built an altar there to Yahweh, who appeared to him.

• (g) It was not enough for him to worship God in his heart, but it was expedient to declare by outward profession his faith before men, of which this altar was a sign.

12:8 He left from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to Yahweh and called on the name of Yahweh.

• (h) Because of the troubles that he had among that wicked people.
• (i) And so served the true God, and renounced all idolatry.

12:9 Abram traveled, going on still toward the South.

• (k) Thus the children of God may look for no rest in this world, but must wait for the heavenly rest and quietness.

12:10 There was a famine in the land. Abram went down into Egypt to live as a foreigner there, for the famine was severe in the land.

• (l) This was a new trial of Abram’s faith: by which we see that the end of one affliction is the beginning of another.

12:11 It happened, when he had come near to enter Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look at.

12:12 It will happen, when the Egyptians will see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife.' They will kill me, but they will save you alive.

12:13 Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you."

• (m) By this we learn not to use unlawful means nor to put others in danger to save ourselves, (Genesis 12:20). Though it may appear that Abram did not fear death, so much as dying without children, he acts as though God’s promise had not taken place; in which appeared a weak faith.

12:14 It happened that when Abram had come into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

12:15 The princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.

• (n) To be his wife.

12:16 He dealt well with Abram for her sake. He had sheep, cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

12:17 Yahweh plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.

• (o) The Lord took the defence of this poor stranger against a mighty king: and as he is ever careful over his, so did he preserve Sarai.

12:18 Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this that you have done to me? Why didn't you tell me that she was your wife?

12:19 Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Now therefore, see your wife, take her, and go your way."

12:20 Pharaoh commanded men concerning him, and they brought him on the way with his wife and all that he had.

• (p) To the intent that none should hurt him either in his person or goods.