Quotes & Notes on:
Genesis 12:1
-
John Wesley's Notes:
We have here the call by which Abram was removed out of the land of his
nativity into the land of promise, which was designed both to try his
faith and obedience, and also to set him apart for God. The
circumstances of this call we may be somewhat helped to the knowledge
of, from Stephen's speech, Ac 7:2, where we are told, 1. That the God of
glory appeared to him to give him this call, appeared in such displays
of his glory as left Abram no room to doubt. God spake to him after in
divers manners: but this first time, when the correspondence was to be
settled, he appeared to him as the God of glory, and spake to him. 2.
That this call was given him in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,
and in obedience to this call, he came out of the land of the Chaldeans,
and dwelt in Charran or Haran about five years, and from thence, when
his father was dead, by a fresh command, he removed him into the land of
Canaan. Some think Haran was in Chaldea, and so was still a part of
Abram's country; or he having staid there five years, began to call it
his country, and to take root there, till God let him know this was not
the place he was intended for. Get thee out of thy country-Now, (1.) By
this precept he was tried whether he loved God better than he loved his
native soil, and dearest friends, and whether he could willingly leave
all to go along with God. His country was become idolatrous, his kindred
and his father's house were a constant temptation to him, and he could
not continue with them without danger of being infected by them;
therefore get thee out, (Heb.) vade tibi, get thee gone with all speed,
escape for thy life, look not behind thee. (2.) By this precept he was
tried whether he could trust God farther than he saw him, for he must
leave his own country to go to a land that God would shew him; he doth
not say, 'tis a land that I will give thee nor doth he tell him what
land it was, or what kind of land; but he must follow God with an
implicit faith, and take God's word for it in the general, though he had
no particular securities given him, that he should be no loser by
leaving his country to follow God.
- Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:
God calls Abram, and blesses him with a promise of Christ.
* had. Ge 11:31; 15:7; Ne 9:7; Isa 41:9; 51:2; Eze 33:24
* Get. Jos 24:2,3; Ps 45:10,11; Lu 14:26-33; Ac 7:2-6; 2Co 6:17; Heb
11:8 Re 18:4
-
Adam Clarke's Commentary:
There is great dissension between commentators concerning
the call of Abram; some supposing he had two distinct calls, others that
he had but one. At the conclusion of the preceding chapter, Ge 11:31, we
find Terah and all his family leaving Ur of the Chaldees, in order to go
to Canaan. This was, no doubt, in consequence of some Divine admonition.
While resting at Haran, on their road to Canaan, Terah died, Ge 11:32;
and then God repeats his call to Abram, and orders him to proceed to
Canaan, Ge 12:1.
Dr. Hales, in his Chronology, contends for two calls: "The first," says
he, "is omitted in the Old Testament, but is particularly recorded in
the New, Ac 7:2-4: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while
he was (at Ur of the Chaldees) in Mesopotamia, BEFORE HE DWELT IN
CHARRAN; and said unto him, Depart from thy land, and from thy kindred,
and come into the land (ghn, a land) which I will show thee. Hence it is
evident that God had called Abram before he came to Haran or Charran."
The SECOND CALL is recorded only in this chapter: "The Lord said (not
HAD said) unto Abram, Depart from thy land, and from thy kindred, and
from thy father's house, unto THE LAND,
 HA-arets,
(Septuagint, GHN ghn,) which I will show thee." "The difference of the
two calls," says Dr. Hales, "more carefully translated from the
originals, is obvious: in the former the land is indefinite, which was
designed only for a temporary residence; in the latter it is definite,
intimating his abode. A third condition is also annexed to the latter,
that Abram shall now separate himself from his father's house, or leave
his brother Nahor's family behind at Charran. This call Abram obeyed,
still not knowing whither he was going, but trusting implicitly to the
Divine guidance."
Thy kindred] Nahor and the different branches of the family of Terah,
Abram and Lot excepted. That Nahor went with Terah and Abram as far as
Padan-Aram, in Mesopotamia, and settled there, so that it was afterwards
called Nahor's city, is sufficiently evident from the ensuing history,
see Ge 25:20; Ge 24:10,15; and that the same land was Haran, see Ge
28:2,10, and there were Abram's kindred and country here spoken of, Ge
24:4.
Thy father's house] Terah being now dead, it is very probable that the
family were determined to go no farther, but to settle at Charran; and
as Abram might have felt inclined to stop with them in this place, hence
the ground and necessity of the second call recorded here, and which is
introduced in a very remarkable manner;
 lech lecha, GO
FOR THYSELF. If none of the family will accompany thee, yet go for
thyself unto THAT LAND which I will show thee. God does not tell him
what land it is, that he may still cause him to walk by faith and not by
sight. This seems to be particularly alluded to by Isaiah, Isa 41:2: Who
raised up the righteous man (Abram) from the east, and called him to his
foot; that is, to follow implicitly the Divine direction. The apostle
assures us that in all this Abram had spiritual views; he looked for a
better country, and considered the land of promise only as typical of
the heavenly inheritance.
-
Family Bible Notes:
Abram; this is composed of two Hebrew words:
Ab, signifying father, and ram, meaning high or distinguished.
-
1599 Geneva Bible Notes:
Now the LORD had said unto Abram, (a) Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto (b) a land that I will shew thee:
(a) From the flood to this time were four hundred and twenty-three years. (b) In appointing him no certain place, he proves so much more his faith and obedience.
-
People's New Testament Commentary:
(No comment on this verse)
-
Robertson's Word Pictures:
(No comment on this verse)
-
Albert Barnes' Commentary:
(No comment on this verse)
-
Jamieson-Faussett Brown:
Now the Lord had said unto Abram--It pleased God, who has often been
found of them who sought Him not, to reveal Himself to Abraham perhaps
by a miracle; and the conversion of Abraham is one of the most
remarkable in Bible history.
Get thee out of thy country--His being brought to the knowledge and
worship of the true God had probably been a considerable time before.
This call included two promises: the first, showing the land of his
future posterity; and the second, that in his posterity all the earth
was to be blessed (Ge 12:2). Abraham obeyed, and it is frequently
mentioned in the New Testament as a striking instance of his faith (Heb
11:8).
-
Spurgeon Devotional Commentary:
(No comment on this verse)
-
William Burkitt's Notes:
(No comment on this verse)
-
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary:
God made choice of Abram, and singled him out from among his
fellow-idolaters, that he might reserve a people for himself, among whom
his true worship might be maintained till the coming of Christ. From
henceforward Abram and his seed are almost the only subject of the
history in the Bible. Abram was tried whether he loved God better than
all, and whether he could willingly leave all to go with God. His
kindred and his father's house were a constant temptation to him, he
could not continue among them without danger of being infected by them.
Those who leave their sins, and turn to God, will be unspeakable gainers
by the change. The command God gave to Abram, is much the same with the
gospel call, for natural affection must give way to Divine grace. Sin,
and all the occasions of it, must be forsaken; particularly bad company.
Here are many great and precious promises. All God's precepts are
attended with promises to the obedient.
-
The Fourfold Gospel:
(No comment on this verse)
|
