Genesis 12:1-3

The Call of Abram

1 Now ¹the Lord said^[a] to Abram, “Go from your country^[b] and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.

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

3 ³I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and ⁴in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. ” ^[c]

Genesis 12:1-3 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

• 1. 12:1 Acts 7:3; Heb. 11:8
• 2. 12:2 ch. 17:6; 18:18; [Gal. 3:14]
• 3. 12:3 ch. 27:29; Num. 24:9
• 4. 12:3 ch. 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; Jer. 4:2; Acts 3:25; Gal. 3:16; Cited Gal. 3:8

Footnotes

• [a] 12:1 Or 'had said'
• [b] 12:1 Or 'land'
• [c] 12:3 Or 'by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves'