Genesis 12

Genesis 12 is the chapter in which the primeval history of chapters 1–11 (the account of all humanity from the beginning through the Tower of Babel) gives way to the patriarchal narratives. At the close of Genesis 11, the household of Terah leaves Ur of the Chaldees and settles in Haran, where Terah dies. Chapter 12 continues with God's call of Abram.

Outline

• Verses 1–3 The LORD tells Abram to leave his country, his kindred, and his father's house and to go to a land that He will show him. He promises to make of him a great nation and to bless him.
• Verses 4–9 At seventy-five years of age, Abram leaves Haran with his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot and enters Canaan. At the oak of Moreh in the land of Shechem, he receives the promise "Unto thy seed will I give this land" and builds an altar. He builds another altar between Bethel and Ai and then journeys on toward the south.
• Verses 10–16 When a famine strikes, Abram goes down into Egypt. He has Sarai say that she is his sister, and she is taken into Pharaoh's house. Pharaoh treats Abram generously.
• Verses 17–20 The LORD sends plagues on Pharaoh's house. Pharaoh rebukes Abram and sends him away with his wife and his possessions.

Key Verses

• Genesis 12:1 "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house … unto a land that I will shew thee." This is the call that opens the entire patriarchal narrative.
• Genesis 12:2 "Thou shalt be a blessing." The Korean Revised Version renders this phrase as "you shall be the source of blessing," whereas the New Korean Revised Version renders it as "you shall be a blessing."
• Genesis 12:3 "In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." Because the promise reaches beyond a single family to all peoples, the New Testament frequently cites this verse.

Characters and Places

• Abram: The son of Terah. He receives the call in this chapter, and his name is changed to Abraham in chapter 17.
• Sarai: Abram's wife.
• Lot: Abram's nephew, who goes with him to Canaan.
• Pharaoh: A title for the king of Egypt. The king is not named in this chapter.
• Haran: The place from which Abram and his company departed.
• Canaan: The land Abram entered and where he received the promise.
• Shechem: The place in Canaan where Abram built his first altar; the oak of Moreh stood there.
• Bethel: Together with Ai, the reference point for locating the site of Abram's second altar.
• Egypt: The land to which Abram went down to escape the famine.

Points for Reflection

• The timing of the call: The text records Abram's departure from Haran. By contrast, Stephen's sermon in Acts 7 and Genesis 15:7 indicate that the call began in Ur of the Chaldees. Interpreters differ on how to reconcile these two accounts.
• Calling his wife his sister: Stories of the same type recur in Genesis 20 (Abraham and Abimelech) and Genesis 26 (Isaac). The text does not directly evaluate Abram's conduct. Accordingly, some interpreters read the episode as a weakness of faith, while others emphasize God's faithfulness in keeping His promise despite human failure.
• The scope of 12:3: Dispensationalists tend to connect this promise with the people of Israel today as well. Proponents of covenant theology tend to read it as a promise fulfilled in Christ and in those who believe in Him.
• Connections with the New Testament: Galatians 3:6–9 cites 12:3 as the gospel "preached before" unto Abraham, namely that the Gentiles would be blessed through faith. Hebrews 11:8–12 presents Abraham's obedience, "not knowing whither he went," as an example of faith. The promise of this chapter is regarded as the starting point of the Abrahamic covenant.

In the Korean Church

The Korean Revised Version's expression "source of blessing" remains widely used in sermons and prayers even after the publication of the New Korean Revised Version. Genesis 12:1–3 is a frequent sermon text for services commissioning missionaries, for the New Year, and for occasions such as moving or making a fresh start. In Sunday schools, it is taught as the story of "Abram, who obeyed the call to leave."