Genesis 12

Abram removeth upon Gods command and promise with Sarai, Lot and all he had gotten at Haran from thence to the land of Canaan verse 1 comes out Sichema and Bethel and there after God’s apparition to him sets up the public worship of God 16 from thence he takes a journey into Egypt in a time of death and desireth Sarai to say that she was his sister which cause her to be taken from him but by Gods wonderful and gracious providence she was soon restored unto him 14.

1. Now the Lord had said to Abram [viz. before he came away out of Chaldea for this command was the cause of his removal before he knew yet whether he was to go which was revealed to him afterwards see chapter 11.31 compare Acts 7:3,4] go thou [or go for thee or get for thee that is for thy own good see chapter 22.2 item fly thee chapter 31.32 otherwise the word thee is often used in the Hebrew as a superstitious or redundant addition & thus some take it likewise in this place] out of the country and from thy kindred and from thy fathers house towards the land that I shall shew thee [he names no country thereby to make trial of to exercise and manifest Abram his faith obedience and patience.]

2. And I will make thee a great people [not only in regard of the multitude of people whose father thou shalt be after flesh but like wise for heir excellencies sake they being to be my own people and peculiar inheritance to whom ye shall be a father after the spirit Romans 4:11 ,12, 16, 17 and chapter 9.6,7,8 Galatians 3:7.] and bless thee [the blessing of God doth signify all manner of mercies and benefits either in general bodily and spiritually earthly and heavenly temporal & eternal see chapter 24.1 Deuteronomy 28:2, 3,4 &c. or in particular any one sort of them see chapter 1.22 ,28 and chapter 39.5 Deuteronomy 7:13 Ephesians 1:3] and make thy name great & be thou a blessing [that so exceedingly blessed that thou shalt not only possess my blessing in thyself but likewise that the same blessing shall through thy seed be spread abroad upon many others without number.]

3. And I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee and in thee shall all generation of earth be blessed [in that is in thy seed see chapter 22.18 and 26.4 and 28.14 which seed is Christ Galatians 3:16 who was to come forth after Abram is Galatians 3:28,29 others with thee viz. through faith in Christ as Galatians 3:9 in thee explained with Abram see likewise Romans 4.111, 12, 16.]

4. And Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him and Lot when with him and Abram was seventy five years old [Heb. A son of five years & seventy years] when he went out of Haran [wither he was come before with his father Terah out of Chaldea see chapter 11 verse 31.]

5. And Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother son and all their substance which they had purchased [these were firstlings as it were of the promised blessing which Abram and his received in Haran the Hebrew word compriseth all manner of goods and chattels consisting in either cattle , money, plate or household staff and furnisher] and the souls which they had begat in Haran [that is men or women of servile condition whom they had acquired and such as were born after by the same for Abram had no children as yet the Hebrew word rendered here souls is taken thus for men folks or persons chapter 17.14 exodus 12.15 Leviticus 2:1 Numbers 23.10Deuetronomy 24.7 Judges 16:30 Mark 3:4 &c.] and they went forth to go toward the land of Canaan [of the borders and limits of this land called Palestine afterwards and the land of promise it being to Abrahams posterity below verse 7 see chapter 10.19 and the annotate] and they came into the land of Canaan.

6. And Abram passed through that land till unto the place of Sichem [Heb. Schechem situated in the midst of the land of Canaan in mount Ephraim Joshua 21:21 Judges 8:31 and Chronicles 6.67 Acts 7:16 otherwise called Sichar John 4:5] unto the oak-bush or grove [others the plain see Deuteronomy 11:30 for the Hebrew word signifieth either]Merch [this may be the name of a man of whom this place was so called] and the Canaanites [Heb. Canaanite an accursed idolatrous and godless people descending from Canaan and the son of Shem see Zach.. 14.21] were then in that country.

7. So the Lord appeared to Abram [by a new revelation to strengthen the faith of Abram that saw all the land possess and inhabited before him by the Canaanites] and say unto thy seed will I give this land then be built an altar thereunto the Lord that had appeared to him [viz. to perform there his sacrifice prayers and thanksgiving and so to exercise and practice the whole outward worship of God there among his own in opposition of the Canaanites idolatry which is called otherwise the calling upon of the name of the Lord see verse 8 and chapter 4.26.]

8. And then he broke up from thence to the mountain towards the east of Bethel [a city lying in that part of the land which afterwards fell to the tribe of Benjamin; and was first named thus by Jacob in his journey to Mesopotamia, before which time is called Luz. See chapter 28.19] and he pitched his tents; Bethel being west-wards [Hebrew: from sea, whereby is understood the west, the west side of Canaan lying to the sea-ward. See chapter 13.14 and chapter 28.14 Numbers 3:23 Deuteronomy 3:27 &c.] and Ai east-ward [Ai was a city of the land of Canaan in the tribe of Benjamin standing eastward to Bethel see Joshua 7:2] and he built there an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord [see chapter 4 on verse 26.]

9. After that Abram departed going and parting [that is travelling fairly on and on still] south-ward.

10. And there was famine in the country [here Abrams faith is to put trial Canaan was a very fruitful land indeed Deuteronomy 8:7,8 but now for the iniquity of the inhabitants visited with barrenness Psalms 107:34] so Abram went down [not to tempt God he resolved for a time to withdraw himself to eschew the present death]to Egypt[a country called in the Hebrew Mitstraim of Mitstraim the son of Cham lying in Africa bordering eastwards on the red-sea and a part of Arabia southwards on Ethiopia west-ward on Lybia and north-ward on midland sea a country very frequently mentioned in the scriptures chapter 13.10 and 39.1 &c.] to sojourn there as a stranger the famine being grievous in the country.

11. And it came to pass as he drew near to come into Egypt that he said to Sarai his wife behold yet I know that thou art a woman fair of counternance [here Abram falls into carnal fear where he should have trusted in his God.]

12. And it shall happen when the Egyptians shall see thee they will say this is his wife and they will kill me and keep thee alive.

13. Say yet: Thou art my sister; that it may go well with me for thee and my soul may live for thy sake [my soul that is my person see above on verse 5.]

14. And it came to pass when Abram came into Egypt that the Egyptians saw this woman that she was very fair.

15. Also Pharaohs princes saw her [that is the principal Lords nobles and officers of Pharaoh court who commonly seek to pleasure their princes with such kind of services]and commanded her before Pharaoh [Pharaoh was a common title of the king of Egypt which kept for ages till they got the name of Ptelomeus] and that woman was taken away to Pharaohs house [not to the king but to the royal Seraglio to be sitted and prepared there according to the custom of those countries that the king might take her to wife’s chastity together so then she was taken away viz. for to be brought and conducted to that house the Hebrews do frequently comprehend under the signification of one word another yet as here and elsewhere the word Lakach is used see chapter 18.5 chapter 24.22 and chapter 27.13 and other words in places see chapter 28.7 and Psalms 143:3 Ezekiel 28:16.]

16. And he was beneficial for Abram for her own sake [as having taken her to his house with intent to marry her which he desired to do rather with the good will of Abram then otherwise] so that he had sheep oxen asses and men-servant and maid servants and she asses and camels [under the word of sheep and oxen all kind of small and great cattle is comprehended so chapter 13.5 and 20.14 and 26.14 &c. see likewise Leviticus 1 on verse2.]

17. But the lord plagued Pharaoh with great plagues also his house by reason of Sara Abrams wife [what kind of plagues those were is uncertain but doubtless they served as well to hinder and obstruct the abusing of Sarai body as to punish the king and his domestic and country trespass.]

18. Then Pharaoh called Abram and said what this that thou hast done unto me is? Why didst thou let me know that she was thy wife? [Pharaoh knew it by this timer question less partly by the quality of plagues that was upon him and the trouble of his conscience about it and partly also by an instinct and revelation from God as like happened another time with Abimelech see chapter 20.3.]

19. Why hast thou said she is my sister so that I might have taken her for me to wife and now lo there is thy wife take her and adapt.

20. And Pharaoh charged his men concerning him and they conducted him and his wife and all he had [here is no mention made of Abrams reply by way of excuse he having doubtless been sensible of his weakness in this particular and acknowledge the same freely together with the special favor of the Lord in managing the whole business to such an issue.]