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:
What does Genesis 12:1 mean?
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.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Genesis 12:1-3 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Genesis 12:1
shekem Shekem, "the upper part of the back." Here it is the name of a person, the owner of this place, where afterward is built the town called at first Shekem, then Flavia Neapolis, and now Nablous. 'elon "the oak;" related: "be lasting, strong." moreh In Onkelos "plain;" Moreh, "archer, early rain, teacher." Here the name of a man who owned the oak that marked the spot. In the Septuagint it is rendered υψηγην hupseegeen. 8. beyt-'el, Bethel, "house of God." yam "sea, great river, west." ay, 'Ai, "heap." 9. negeb "south.
Context in Genesis 12
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Genesis 12 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as primeval history from creation to Babel. Genesis opens the whole Bible with creation, fall, flood, Babel, and the long patriarchal story that carries the reader from Eden to Egypt. Read this chapter with the wider themes of creation, fall, and covenant in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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A collection of passages on hope under pressure, future inheritance, resurrection expectation, and confidence in God’s final faithfulness.
Passages on the nature of truth, honesty, deception, the word of God as truth, and Jesus' claim to be the truth.