Genesis 12:7-9

7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring[a] I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.
9 Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.

Genesis 12:7-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 12

In this chapter an account is given of the call of Abram to depart from his own country, with a promise of a divine blessing, Ge 12:1-3 of his obedience to it, Ge 12:4,5 of his journey through the land of Canaan, and of the Lord's appearance to him in it, and his promise of it to his seed, and of Abram's building altars in it, and calling on the name of the Lord, Ge 12:6-9 and of a famine there, which occasioned him to go into Egypt, Ge 12:10 where, through fear of being slain, he desired his wife to call herself his sister, Ge 12:11-13 and she being greatly admired by the Egyptians for her beauty, it went well with Abram for her sake, Ge 12:14-16 but the Egyptians were plagued because of her, who, when they understood she was Abram's wife, sent them both away, and all that belonged to them, Ge 12:17-20.

Cross References 9

  • 1. Genesis 17:1; Genesis 18:1; Genesis 26:2; Genesis 35:1; Exodus 6:3; Acts 7:2
  • 2. Exodus 3:8; Numbers 10:29; Deuteronomy 30:5; Hebrews 11:8
  • 3. Genesis 13:15,17; Genesis 15:18; Genesis 17:8; Genesis 23:18; Genesis 24:7; Genesis 26:3-4; Genesis 28:13; Genesis 35:12; Genesis 48:4; Genesis 50:24; Exodus 6:4,8; Exodus 13:5,11; Exodus 32:13; Exodus 33:1; Numbers 11:12; Deuteronomy 1:8; Deuteronomy 2:31; Deuteronomy 9:5; Deuteronomy 11:9; Deuteronomy 34:4; 2 Kings 25:21; 1 Chronicles 16:16; 2 Chronicles 20:7; Psalms 105:9-11; Jeremiah 25:5; Ezekiel 47:14; Acts 7:5; Romans 4:13; Galatians 3:16*
  • 4. S Genesis 8:20; Genesis 13:4
  • 5. Genesis 13:3; Genesis 28:11,19; Genesis 35:1,8,15; Joshua 7:2; Joshua 8:9; 1 Samuel 7:16; 1 Kings 12:29; Hosea 12:4; Amos 3:14; Amos 4:4
  • 6. Genesis 26:25; Genesis 33:19; Hebrews 11:9
  • 7. Joshua 7:2; Joshua 12:9; Ezra 2:28; Nehemiah 7:32; Jeremiah 49:3
  • 8. S Genesis 4:26; S Genesis 8:20
  • 9. Genesis 13:1,3; Genesis 20:1; Genesis 24:62; Numbers 13:17; Numbers 33:40; Deuteronomy 34:3; Joshua 10:40

Footnotes 1

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