All that Moses wrote in this pericope (11:27-12:9) deals with Abram and his future in the Promised Land. Abram obeyed the Lord's command to leave his homeland for a land God would provide with the promise that he would be a blessing to the rest of the world. Abram's example of obedience is a model for all believers to forsake all else to obtain the promised blessings of God and to serve Him by becoming a blessing to others.
"Within the book of Genesis no section is more significant than 11:27-12:9."407
"The function of this genealogy is not so much to connect Abraham with the preceding events, as the previous genealogies have done, but to provide the reader with the necessary background for understanding the events in the life of Abraham. The list includes eight names. All the individuals named are relevant for understanding the events of the following narrative except Iscah' (v. 29). The inclusion of this otherwise insignificant name in the list suggests that the author is seeking to achieve a specific number of names. Thus far in the Book of Genesis, the author has followed a pattern of listing ten names between important individuals in the narrative. In this short list only eight names are given, hence if we are expecting ten names, the number of individuals in this list appears to be short by two names. By listing only eight names, the author leaves the reader uncertain who the ninth and, more importantly, the tenth name will be. It is only as the narrative unfolds that the ninth and tenth names are shown to be the two sons of Abraham, Ishmael' (16:15) and Isaac' (21:3)."408
Abram evidently grew up in the city of Ur.
"Ur is well known as an important center in the land of Sumer; it reached its zenith under the kings of the third dynasty of Ur, who around 2060-1950 B.C. [Abram was born ca. 2166 B.C.] revived for the last time the ancient cultural traditions of the Sumerians. The names of several of Abram's relatives are also the names of known cities: . . . Terah. . . Nahor. . . Serug. . . Haran. . . and Laban the Aramean, Jacob's father-in-law, was from the city Haranin Paddan-aram. All these are places around the river Balih in northern Mesopotamia. Haran and Nahor are often mentioned in the Mari documents of the eighteenth century B.C., and cities named Tell-terah and Serug are known from later Assyrian sources."409
A later writer probably added the reference to the Chaldeans in verse 28 since the Chaldeans did not enter Babylonia until about 1, 000 B.C.410
"The movement between Ur and Haran becomes easy to understand when we recall that Ur was the greatest commercial capital that the world had yet seen . . . ."411
God first called Abram to leave his home when the patriarch still lived in Ur (12:1-3). Abram's family members were polytheists (Josh. 24:2). Abram married his half-sister, Sarai, which was not contrary to God's will at this early date in history (cf. Lev. 18:9; 20:17; Deut. 27:22). God's call was pure grace; there is no evidence in the text that God chose Abram because he merited favor. God was beginning to form a family of faithful followers for Himself. He called them to leave this urban center in trust and obedience.
Abram's family stayed in Haran for some time (vv. 31-32). When the patriarch Terah died, Abram continued his trek toward Canaan in obedience to God's call.
"Like Nuzi, Haran was also part of the Hurrian Mitanni Empire whilst the Hurrians were at the height of their power, so that the tablets discovered at Nuzi would also reflect the way of life in Haran. In this manner, scholars have ascertained from a careful study of the Nuzi tablets that they are very helpful in explaining many of the Biblical episodes relating to the Patriarchs, which had hitherto been somewhat puzzling.
"Although the Bible indicates that Abram eventually left Haran (Genesis 12:4), the Patriarchs nevertheless kept in close contact with that city. Abram sent his servant back to Aram-naharaim, the region in which Haran was situated, in order to find a wife for his son Isaac (Genesis 24:2-10). Isaac later told his younger son Jacob to flee to his uncle Laban in Haran, in order to escape the wrath of his brother Esau, whom he had tricked out of his birthright blessing (Genesis 27:43). Jacob indeed fled to Haran, subsequently marrying there his cousins Leah and Rachel (Genesis 29:1-30).
"The influence of Hurrian society on the Patriarchs was undoubtedly very strong, not only because of the origins of Abram in Mesopotamia, but also because all the Patriarchs maintained contact with the area. This is borne out by the fact that many of the incidents in the Biblical narratives relating to the Patriarchs in reality reflect Hurrian social and legal customs, and prove beyond reasonable doubt that the Patriarchal way of life had its roots in Hurrian society."412
"In the period (the first part of the Middle Bronze Age [ca. 2000-1750 B.C.]) Palestine was receiving an infusion of population as semi-nomadic groups infiltrated the land. . . .
"That these newcomers were Amorites,' of the same Northwest-Semitic stock as those whom we have met in Mesopotamia, can scarcely be doubted. Their names, so far as these are known, point unanimously in that direction. Their mode of life is splendidly illustrated by the Tale of Sinuhe, but especially by the stories of Genesis--for it is difficult to escape the conclusion that the migration of Israel's ancestors was a part of this very movement. These people brought to Palestine no fundamental ethnic change, for they were of the same general Northwest-Semitic stock as were the Canaanites."413
Major Historical Periods of the Promised Land
Stone (Neolithic) Age to ca. 4000 BC (?)
Copper (Calcolithic) Age ca. 4000-3150 BC (?)
Early Bronze Age I 3150-2850 BC
Early Bronze Age II 2850-2650 BC
Early Bronze Age III 2650-2350 BC
Early Bronze Age IV 2350-2200 BC
Middle Bronze Age I 2200-2000 BC
Middle Bronze Age IIA 2000-1750 BC
Middle Bronze Age IIB 1750-1630 BC
Middle Bronze Age IIC 1630-1550 BC
Late Bronze Age I 1550-1400 BC
Late Bronze Age IIA 1400-1300 BC
Late Bronze Age IIB 1300-1200 BC
Iron Age I 1200-1000 BC
Iron Age II 1000-586 BC
Babylonian/Persian Period 586-332 BC
Hellenistic Period I (Ptolemaic and Seleucid) 332-152 BC
Hellenistic Period II (Hasmonean) 152-37 BC
Roman Period I (Herodian) 37 BC-AD 70
Roman Period II AD 70-180
Roman Period III AD 180-324
Byzantine Period (Christian) AD 324-640
Arab Period (Moslem) AD 640-1099
Crusader Period (Christian) AD 1099-1291
Mameluk Period (Moslem) AD 1291-1517
Turkish Period (Moslem) AD 1517-1917
British Mandate Period (Christian) AD 1917-1948
State of Israel Period (Jewish) 1948-today
"These verses are of fundamental importance for the theology of Genesis, for they serve to bind together the primeval history and the later patriarchal history and look beyond it to the subsequent history of the nation."414
"Whereas chapters 1-11 generally portray man's rebellion, chapters 12-50 detail God's bringing man into a place of blessing."415
". . . this is the central passage of the Book of Genesis."416
God's revelation to Abram in these verses explains why his family left Ur (11:31).
". . . by placing the call of Abraham after the dispersion of the nations at Babylon (11:1-9), the author intends to picture Abraham's call as God's gift of salvation in the midst of judgment."417
"The primeval history thus explains the significance of the patriarchal story: though apparently of little consequence in the world of their day, the patriarchs are in fact men through whom the world will be redeemed. The God who revealed himself to them was no mere tribal deity but the creator of the whole universe."418
12:1 This section begins with a wawdisjunctive in the Hebrew text translated "Now"in the NASB. It introduces an independent circumstantial clause (cf. 1:2). Probably the revelation in view happened in Ur. The NIV captures this with the translation "The Lord had said to Abram."So the beginning of chapter 12 flashes back to something that happened in Ur even though chapter 11 ends with Abram in Haran. Stephen's statement in Acts 7:2 supports this interpretation.
God called Abram to separate himself from his homeland and to proceed to a different country.419That Abram's family chose to accompany him does not imply an act of disobedience on Abram's part. God did not forbid others from accompanying Abram. The focus of God's command was that Abram should uproot himself and follow His leading.
"One detail we do need to note here is the conditional element in the covenant program with Abram. It was not until after the death of his father (Gen. 11:32) that Abram began to realize anything of the promise God had given to him, for only after his father's death did God take him into the land (12:4) and there reaffirm the original promise to him (12:7).
"It is important, therefore, to observe the relationship of obedience to this covenant program. Whether or not God would institute a covenant program with Abram depended on Abram's act of obedience in leaving the land. Once this act was accomplished, however, and Abram did obey God, God instituted an irrevocable, unconditionalprogram."420
". . . in what sense is the Abrahamic covenant [ch. 15] unconditional? The point here, which has often been misunderstood, is that while the fulfillment of any particular generation of Israel depended on obedience to God, the ultimate possession of the land is promised unconditionally to Israel even though she does not deserve it. Scripture prophesies that a godly remnant of Israel will be the ultimate possessors of the land at the second coming (Ezek. 20:33-38)."421
12:2-3 Abram had only a promise from God. We see his faith in his willingness to obey God strictly in the confidence that what God had promised He would perform (Heb. 11:8). This divine promise was the seed from which the Abrahamic Covenant grew (ch. 15). The promise here included few details; it was only a general promise of descendants (v. 2) and influence (vv. 2-3). The Hebrew text says, "be a blessing"(v. 2), not "you shall be a blessing."This was a command rather than a prediction. However as Abram blessed others he would become a blessing.
"The promises that this glorious God gave to Abram fall into three categories (Gen. 12:2-3). First there were personalpromises given to Abram. God said, I will bless you; I will make your name great.' Then there were nationalpromises given to this childless man. I will make you into a great nation.' And finally there were universalpromises that were to come through Abram. You will be a blessing . . . and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.'"422
"Five times in vv 2-3 Abraham is said to be blessed' or a blessing' to others. This harks back to the first great blessing of mankind at creation (1:28) and its renewal after the flood (9:1). Moreover, Abraham is to become a great nation,' comparable presumably to the seventy nations listed in Gen 10. His name will also be great,' whereas the men of Babel who tried to make themselves a name' were frustrated (11:4-9)."423
The Hebrew words translated "curse"in verse 3 are significant. The word qllin "the one who curses you"really means "disdains,"but the word rrin "I will curse"means "curse."It was only disdain for Abraham that would provoke God's judgment.
God's ultimate purpose was to bless all the peoples of the earth through Abraham and his seed.424
"Any promise God gives must be appropriated by faith."425
"The remarkable thing about Abraham was his deep, unwavering faith."426
12:4 Possibly Abram viewed Lot as his heir (cf. 11:27-32; 12:4-5; 13:1-2).
"Since Mesopotamian law-codes allowed for the adoption of an heir in the case of childlessness, this becomes an attractive hypothesis with respect to Lot."427
Abram lived 75 years with his father, then 25 years without his father or his son, and then 75 more years with his son, Isaac.
12:5-6 Abram's first settlement was in Shechem.
". . . towns on the main caravan route southwestward from the Euphrates which figure significantly in the Abram stories, are Shechem, Bethel, Hebron, and Gerar."428
Shechem became sacred to the Israelites because here God revealed Himself to Abram for the first time in the Promised Land. This was God's second major revelation to Abram. At Shechem Jacob later bought land, set up his home, and buried his idols in rededication to Yahweh after returning from his sojourn in Paddan-aram (33:18-20; 35:4). Here, too, the Israelites assembled twice when they had taken possession of Canaan under Joshua's leadership to commemorate God's faithfulness in giving them the land He had promised their forefathers (Josh. 8, 24). Shechem was near the geographic center of Canaan (cf. Josh. 20:7). It lay in the heart of the land God now promised Abram.
The reference to the Canaanites' presence in the land prepares the way for incidents of conflict with these native inhabitants that followed in Israel's history (cf. 10:15-19). It also notes a barrier to the fulfillment of God's promise to give Abram and his heirs the land (v. 7). Abram could not take possession of the Promised Land immediately because the Canaanites occupied it.
12:7 In response to God's promise to give Abram the land where he stood the patriarch built an altar and worshipped Yahweh. This was Abram's characteristic response to God's grace. Abram's altars were more permanent structures than his tents. He continued living as a pilgrim and stranger in a land that he did not yet possess (Heb. 11:9-10).
12:8 Abram proceeded south and encamped between Bethel and Ai (probably et Tell429) just north of Salem (Jerusalem). Again he built an altar to worship Yahweh and called on His name in worship.
12:9 He next continued south toward the Negev, perhaps because of a shortage of food for his grazing animals (v. 10).
The nation of Israel in Moses' day shared the same call that God had extended to Abram. She was to leave her place of residence, Egypt, and go to a Promised Land to worship and serve God there with the promise of blessing. This required faith. We have a similar calling. Believers who walk by faith will forsake much to become part of God's program to bless the world.
