Genesis 12

King James Version

Full text for Genesis Chapter 12

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:

2And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

3And 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.

5And 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.

7And 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.

8And 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.

9And 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.

11And 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:

12Therefore 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.

13Say, 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.

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

16And 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.

17And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.

18And 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?

19Why 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.

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

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Genesis chapter twelve opens with the LORD calling Abram to leave his country, kindred, and father's house, promising to make him a great nation and bless all families of the earth through him. Abram obeyed, departing with his wife Sarai and nephew Lot for the land of Canaan, where the LORD again appeared to him, promising the land to his seed. A famine then forced Abram to go down into Egypt, where he feared for his life due to Sarai's beauty and instructed her to say she was his sister. Pharaoh took Sarai into his house, but the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his household, leading Pharaoh to discover the deception and send Abram away with all his possessions.

Medium Summary

The chapter begins with the LORD's direct command to Abram to depart from Haran to an unknown land, accompanied by significant promises: he would become a great nation, his name would be great, he would be a blessing, and through him, all families of the earth would be blessed. Abram, at seventy-five years old, faithfully obeyed, journeying to Canaan with Sarai, Lot, and their substance. Upon arrival in Canaan, the LORD appeared to Abram again, specifically promising the land to his descendants, prompting Abram to build altars of worship. However, a severe famine compelled Abram to seek refuge in Egypt. Fearing the Egyptians would kill him for Sarai's beauty, Abram instructed her to claim she was his sister. Pharaoh subsequently took Sarai into his house, bestowing many gifts upon Abram. Yet, the LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his household with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. Pharaoh, realizing the deception, confronted Abram, rebuked him for his lie, and commanded him and all his possessions to be sent out of Egypt.

Long Summary

Genesis chapter twelve commences with the LORD's sovereign call to Abram, commanding him to depart from his country, his kindred, and his father's house, promising to guide him to a land He would show him. This divine summons was accompanied by a multi-faceted covenant promise: the LORD would make Abram a great nation, bless him, make his name great, and cause him to be a blessing. Furthermore, the LORD declared He would bless those who blessed Abram and curse those who cursed him, concluding with the profound promise that in Abram, all families of the earth would be blessed. Demonstrating immediate obedience, Abram departed from Haran at the age of seventy-five, taking Sarai his wife, Lot his brother's son, and all their accumulated substance and servants, journeying towards the land of Canaan, where they eventually arrived. Passing through the land, Abram reached Sichem, where the Canaanites then dwelt. There, the LORD appeared to Abram again, confirming the promise of the land specifically to his seed, prompting Abram to build an altar to the LORD. He then moved south, pitching his tent between Bethel and Hai, where he again built an altar and called upon the name of the LORD. Continuing his journey southward, a grievous famine struck the land, compelling Abram to go down into Egypt to sojourn there. As they neared Egypt, Abram, fearing for his life due to Sarai's exceptional beauty, instructed her to say she was his sister, hoping to be treated well and spared for her sake. Upon their entry into Egypt, the Egyptians, and subsequently Pharaoh's princes, indeed observed Sarai's great beauty and commended her to Pharaoh, who then took her into his house. For Sarai's sake, Pharaoh treated Abram well, bestowing upon him sheep, oxen, asses, menservants, maidservants, and camels. However, the LORD intervened, plaguing Pharaoh and his household with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. Pharaoh, discovering the truth, confronted Abram, rebuking him for his deception and questioning why he had not disclosed Sarai was his wife. Pharaoh then commanded his men concerning Abram, who sent him, his wife, and all his possessions away from Egypt.

Core Concepts

  • The Divine CallThe LORD initiates a direct command to Abram, instructing him to leave his homeland and family to journey to a land God would reveal, marking the beginning of a new covenant relationship.
  • Covenant PromisesGod bestows upon Abram specific and far-reaching promises, including the formation of a great nation, personal blessing and renown, and the profound assurance that through him, all families of the earth would receive blessing.
  • Abram's ObedienceAbram demonstrates immediate and faithful obedience to the LORD's command, departing from Haran at seventy-five years old with his household and possessions, despite the uncertainty of his destination.
  • Worship and AltarsUpon arriving in Canaan and receiving further confirmation of the land promise, Abram builds altars to the LORD, signifying his acts of worship and acknowledgment of God's presence and promises in the new land.
  • Trial by FamineA severe famine in Canaan compels Abram to descend into Egypt, introducing a period of trial and testing for him and his family in a foreign land.
  • Deception and Divine ProtectionDriven by fear for his life, Abram instructs Sarai to lie about their relationship, claiming she is his sister. Despite this deception, the LORD intervenes with plagues upon Pharaoh's house, protecting Sarai and ultimately revealing the truth.
  • Pharaoh's RebukeUpon discovering Abram's deception through divine intervention, Pharaoh confronts Abram, rebukes him for his dishonesty, and commands him and all his possessions to depart from Egypt.