God Calls Abram
Study note
God tells Abram to leave everything he knows — his country, his relatives, and his father's house — and go to a land God will show him. In return, God makes several promises: Abram will become a great nation, God will bless him and make his name great, and through Abram all families on earth will be blessed. This is one of the most important moments in the Bible, often called the Abrahamic Covenant. Abram is 75 years old when he leaves Haran with his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot.
1 The Lord told Abram, "Pack up and leave — leave your country, leave your relatives, leave your father's house. Go to a land that I will point you to." Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2 "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing." And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 "I will be good to anyone who is good to you, and I will bring trouble on anyone who brings trouble on you. Every family on earth will be blessed because of you." And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
4 So Abram packed up and left, just as the Lord had told him. His nephew Lot went along too. Abram was seventy-five years old when he headed out from Haran. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
5 Abram brought his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the belongings they had collected, and the servants they had gained while living in Haran. They traveled to the land of Canaan and arrived there. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.
Abram Arrives in Canaan
Study note
Abram travels through the land of Canaan, stopping first at Shechem, near a great tree called the oak of Moreh. The Canaanites still live in the land, but God appears to Abram and promises to give this land to his descendants. Abram builds altars at Shechem and near Bethel as acts of worship. He continues traveling south through the land.
6 Abram traveled through the land all the way to the big tree at Moreh, near Shechem. The Canaanites were already living in that land at the time. And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.
7 The Lord showed himself to Abram there and made a promise: "I am going to give this land to your descendants." Abram built an altar at that spot to honor the Lord who had appeared to him. And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
8 After that, he moved on to the hilly area east of Bethel and set up camp, with the town of Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. He built another altar there and prayed to the Lord. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.
9 Then Abram kept moving, traveling farther and farther south. And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.
Abram and Sarai in Egypt
Study note
A famine hits the land, and Abram goes to Egypt for food. Afraid that the Egyptians will kill him to take his beautiful wife, Abram asks Sarai to say she is his sister. Pharaoh's officials notice Sarai and bring her to the palace, giving Abram many gifts. But God sends plagues on Pharaoh's household, and when Pharaoh discovers the truth, he is angry and sends Abram away. This story shows Abram's faith is not yet perfect — he relies on deception instead of trusting God to protect him.
10 A terrible food shortage hit the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to stay there for a while because the famine was terrible. And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
11 Just before they crossed into Egypt, he told his wife Sarai, "Listen, I know you are a beautiful woman." And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:
12 "When the Egyptians see you, they're going to say, 'That's his wife.' Then they'll kill me to take you." Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.
13 "Please tell them you're my sister. That way they'll treat me well because of you, and I won't get killed." Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
14 Sure enough, when Abram got to Egypt, the Egyptians noticed right away how stunning Sarai was. And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.
15 Pharaoh's officials saw her and told Pharaoh how beautiful she was. Then she was taken into the royal palace. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.
16 Pharaoh was very generous to Abram because of her. He gave Abram sheep, cattle, donkeys, servants — both male and female — and camels. And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.
17 But the Lord sent bad sickness on Pharaoh and everyone in his palace because of what happened with Sarai, Abram's wife. And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.
18 Pharaoh confronted Abram and demanded, "What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me she was your wife?" And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
19 "Why did you tell me, 'She's my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Here — take your wife back and get out of here!" Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.
20 Pharaoh told his men to escort Abram out of the country. They sent him away with his wife and everything he owned. And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.