1. 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 thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

3. 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 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. 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.

6. 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. 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. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel 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. And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.

10. 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. 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. 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. 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 And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.

15. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.

16. 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. And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.

18 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 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. And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

1. Now the LORD had said vnto Abram, Get thee out of thy countrey, and from thy kinred, and from thy fathers house, vnto a land that I will shew thee.

2. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I wil blesse thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt bee a blessing.

3. And I will blesse them that blesse thee, and curse him, that curseth thee: and in thee shal all families of the earth be blessed.

4. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken vnto him, and Lot went with him: And Abram was seuentie and fiue yeeres old when he departed out of Haran.

5. And Abram tooke Sarai his wife, and Lot his brothers sonne, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the soules that they had gotten in Haran, and they went foorth to goe into the land of Canaan: and into the land of Canaan they came.

6. And Abram passed through the land, vnto the place of Sichem, vnto the plaine of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

7. And the LORD appeared vnto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed wil I giue this land: and there builded hee an altar vnto the LORD, who appeared vnto him.

8. And he remoued from thence vnto a mountaine, on the East of Beth-el, and pitched his tent hauing Beth-el on the West, and Hai on the East: and there hee builded an altar vnto the LORD, and called vpon the Name of the LORD.

9. And Abram iourneyed, going on still toward the South.

10. And there was a famine in the land, and Abram went downe into Egypt, to soiourne there: for the famine was grieuous in the land.

11. And it came to passe when he was come neere to enter into Egypt, that he said vnto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a faire woman to looke vpon.

12. Therefore it shall come to passe, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will saue thee aliue.

13. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister, that it may be wel with me, for thy sake; and my soule shall liue, because of thee.

14. And it came to passe, that when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman, that shee was very faire.

15. The Princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaohs house.

16. And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheepe, and oxen, and hee asses, and men seruants, and maid seruants, and shee asses, and camels.

17. And the LORD plagued Pharaoh & his house with great plagues, because of Sarai Abrams wife.

18. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done vnto me? Why diddest thou not tell me, that she was thy wife?

19. Why saidest thou, Shee is my sister? so I might haue taken her to mee to wife: now therfore behold, thy wife, take her and goe thy way.

20. And Pharaoh cōmanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

I == Gen 15:7 ; Neh 9:7 ; Isa 41:2 ; Acts 7:3 ; Heb 11:8

 

II == Gen 17:6 ; 18:18 ; 24:35 ; 28:4 Deut 26:5 ; 1st Kings 3:8 ; Gal 3:14

III == Gen 18:18 ; 22:18 ; 26:4 ; 27:29 ; Ex 23:22 ; Num 24:9 ; Ps 72:17 ; Acts 3:25 ; Gal 3:8

 

 

 

V == Gen 11:31 ; 14:14 ; Acts 7:4

 

 

 

 

VI == Gen 10:18-19 ; 13:7 ; Deut 11:30 ; Judg 7:1 ; Heb 11:9

VII == Gen 13:4 , 15 ; 17:1 , 8 ; Ps 105:9 , 11 ; Acts 7:5 ; Gal 3:16

 

VIII == Gen 13:4

 

 

 

 

IX == Gen 13:3

 

X == Gen 26:1 ; 43:1 ; Ps 105:13

 

 

XI == XI == Gen 12:14 ; 26:7

 

 

XII == Gen 20:11 ; 26:7

 

 

XIII == Gen 20:5 , 13 , 26:7

 

 

XIV == Gen 39:7 ; Matt 5:28

 

 

XV == Gen 20:2

 

 

XVI == Gen 20:14

 

XVII == Gen 20:18 ; 1st Chr 16:21 ; Ps 105:14 ; Heb 13:4

 

XVIII == Gen 20:9 ; 26:10

 

 

 

 

XX == Prov 21:1

 

1 The LORD said to Abram: "Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father's house to a land that I will show you.

2 "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you."

4 Abram went as the LORD directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.

5 Abram took his wife Sarai, his brother's son Lot, all the possessions that they had accumulated, and the persons they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,

6 Abram passed through the land as far as the sacred place at Shechem, by the terebinth of Moreh. (The Canaanites were then in the land.)

7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So Abram built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.

8 From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel, pitching his tent with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. He built an altar there to the LORD and invoked the LORD by name.

9 Then Abram journeyed on by stages to the Negeb.

10 There was famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, since the famine in the land was severe.

11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai: "I know well how beautiful a woman you are.

12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'She is his wife'; then they will kill me, but let you live.

13 Please say, therefore, that you are my sister, so that it may go well with me on your account and my life may be spared for your sake."

14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw how beautiful the woman was; and when Pharaoh's courtiers saw her,

15 they praised her to Pharaoh. So she was taken into Pharaoh's palace.

16 On her account it went very well with Abram, and he received flocks and herds, male and female slaves, male and female asses, and camels.

17 But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram's wife Sarai.

18 Then Pharaoh summoned Abram and said to him: "How could you do this to me! Why didn't you tell me she was your wife?

19 Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her for my wife? Here, then, is your wife. Take her and be gone!"

20 Then Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and all that belonged to him.

v 1. Abram was born in 2166 B.C. and raised in Ur of the Chaldees. Ur was a seaport of the Persian Gulf at the mouth of the Wyshrates river. Twelve miles from the traditional site of the Garden of Eden. Halley's Handbook pages 88,89 Abram was told to leave and go to the Pomison land. Gen 11:31 12:1 Josh 24:3 Act 7:2

V 2,3. Acts 7:3 God promised Abram seven things which were not based upon his faithfulness. Abram lost some blessing, but not the covenant.

I will make of thee a great nation

I will bless thee

I will make thy name great

Thou shalt be a blessing

I will bless them that bless thee

I will curse him that curseth thee (the book of Esther)

In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.Reference to Christ Matthew 1:1 )Israel was and again will be a great nation. Abram was personally blessed and certainly famous as “father Abraham”.

Those who have blessed the Jews have been blessed, but those, even some Americans, who curse them are under God’s condemnation. But all people of the earth are blessed because it was through Abraham that Christ came to save all who believe.

v4. Abram stopped at Haran, it was the last green outpost of Civilization before entering the vast desert of Arabia. Terah died at Haran, who was his father, and Terah means "delay". v 5. In addition to Lot, Abram took the possessions and servants he had gained. Again the question arises if it was complete obedience for him to take Lot along. 

v 6. This is the first instance of many where Shechem has a place of importance in this family line. The oak, or wide spreading terebinth tree, is also mentioned several times.

 

Compare v 7 with v1 . As Abram entered the land the Lord met him at the oak of teachers.
Gen. 35:2-4 Jacob first takes spiritual leadership in his family, took their foreign gods and earrings and buried them under the oak by Shechem. This could well be the same huge tree over 400 years later, or one in the area.
(Gen: 35:8 Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse was buried under an oak but at Bethel.)
Deut. 11:29,30 Blessing at Mt Gerazim and curses from Mt Ebal in the area of the oak of Moreh.
Josh. 8:30-35 Joshua built an altar, apparently at this location, and read all the commands of Moses to the people.
Josh. 24:26 Joshua gathered all the people here to challenge them and wrote all about their covenant to serve and obey the Lord. Then he set up a great stone under the oak by the sanctuary of the Lord. (Although the tabernacle was at a more central location in Shiloh, Josh. 18:1. It was there till the ark was taken to battle by taken to battle by Eli’s sons and captured by the Philistines. Perhaps Shiloh was also destroyed? The ark never returned there, but after David captured Jerusalem, 2 Sam. 5: 6-10, the ark was taken there, 2 Sam. 6. The temple was later planned by David and built by Solomon.)
Josh. 24:32 The bones of Joseph, brought up from Egypt were buried in the ground Jacob bought near Shechem from Hamor for a hundred pieces of silver. Jacob had given this fertile spot to Joseph, also Jn. 4:5.
Judg. 9:6 Abimelech was made king at the pillar by the oak at Shechem
1 Ki 12:1 Rehoboam was made king in Shechem and that became the capital of the ten northern tribes.
Jn. 4:6-12 Jacob had dug a tremendous well in his short time at there. No wonder with all it’s history that Samaritans thought Shechem was the place to worship.

V 7. Now, in the land, is a time of complete dedication as Abram builds an altar.

v 8,9. The next major stop to set up camp was near Bethel, where he made another altar. Then he continued on into the dry country to the south. v 10. Some criticize Abram for going into Egypt, but this has been verified as a normal pattern for other nations to come to the fertile Nile valley for food in time of dry weather and famine. No where does God condemn him for this. It is proper to do business in the world today, but not to love the world and the things in it,1 2:15. On the other hand, this may have been a test for him to trust God, not Egypt.

v 11-13. Though not a young woman by any standard, about 65 years old, Sarai was still beautiful. Egyptian kings claimed the right to take as concubine anyone they chose, which in the case of a married woman meant killing her husband. Abram’s solution was to call her his sister, and though she was his half sister, Gen. 20:12, it was said with intent to deceive. It was a selfish and repulsive disregard for what might happen to his wife. The whole situation shows that his faith was still immature. My sister: This was no lie; because she was his niece, being daughter to his brother Aran, and therefore, in the style of the Hebrews, she might truly be called his sister, as Lot is called Abram's brother, Gen. 14. 14. See Gen. 20. 12.

v 14-16. Sarai’s skin was probably much lighter than the Egyptians, and the princes, always looking for a woman for the king’s harem, took note of her. Pharaoh took her into his house, probably shut her up for a period of purification, and heaped presents on Abram to gain his favor.

v 17-19. The Lord mercifully protected Abram and Sarai. We don’t know the nature of the plague, but Pharaoh rightly connected it with the deception played on him. What a shameful thing to have to be rebuked by the unsaved, whether Abram or ourselves. v 20. Abram went away safe and richer than when he came, but in shame, all of Pharaoh’s people being aware of the unwholesome deception as they escorted him out. .