I will bless thee with all my blessings, spiritual, temporal, and eternal; (see Deuteronomy 7:13; Deuteronomy 28:2, &c.; Ephesians 1:3) and thou shalt be, both a pattern and instrument of blessedness to others; to thy posterity, who shall be blessed for thy sake; to thy servants and friends, who shall be blessed by thy instruction and help; and to all the world, as it follows. read more
Those that are friends or enemies to thee shall be the same to me; a marvellous condescension and privilege. In thee, i.e. in thy Seed, as it is explained Genesis 22:18; Genesis 26:4; Genesis 28:14, i.e. in and through Christ, Acts 3:25; Galatians 3:9,Galatians 3:16,Galatians 3:28-29; or, for thee, as the Chaldee hath it, i.e. for thy sake; or, by thee, i.e. by thy means; or, with thee, by comparing this with Galatians 3:8-9, i.e. in the same way and manner in which thou art blessed, that is,... read more
Abram departed, first from Ur, and after his father’s death, from Haran. read more
CRITICAL NOTES.—Now the Lord had said] More literally this may read, “The Lord said,” and may refer to a call to leave Haran, and not to that which Abram received in Ur, of which Stephen speaks in Acts 7:2, and which was a short time previous (Jacobus).—Abram] Heb. High father—a distinguished progenitor of a race.—Get thee out] Heb. Go for thyself. The command was pre-eminently to him and for his advantage; though others were not excluded, as the history shows.—Of thy country] The fatherland,... read more
CRITICAL NOTES.—Genesis 12:4. And Lot went with him] Kurtz understands that “God had not intended that Lot should join Abram on his journey. This (he says) is sufficiently manifest from his later history. But God allowed it, probably, from condescension to Abraham’s attachment to his family.” It would be more strictly proper to say that, as the narrative presents it, Lot joined the company of his own prompting, and not by Divine command, as in the case of Abram. It was, therefore, upon his own... read more
Genesis 12:1 I. All the life of Abraham was a special training for a special end. Chosen, as are all God's instruments, because he was capable of being made that which the Lord purposed to make him, there was that in him which the good Spirit of the Lord formed, through the incidents of his life of wandering, into a character of eminent and single-hearted faithfulness. II. This work was done not for his own sake exclusively. He was to be "a father of many generations." The seed of Abraham was... read more
Genesis 12:1-3 (with Genesis 9:1-9 ) No one has ever doubted that the words in Genesis 9:1-7 are a Divine blessing upon the human race. I. There is something especially appropriate in this language to the inhabitants of a restored earth. Compare it with the simple records of the garden life of Adam, and you perceive that you are entering upon a more advanced stage in human history. Two steps in advance have been taken: (1) Every man is now his brother's keeper. Every man is shedding his own... read more
Genesis 12:1-4 I. At some time in our lives a call from God sends its trumpet tone through each of our souls, as it did when Abraham heard it, and he went forth with the future stretching broad and far before him. II. God's call to Abraham was: (1) a call to closer communion with Himself; (2) a call which led him to break with his past; (3) a call into loneliness. III. The reason why so many of us, who are good and honourable men, never become men of great use and example and higher thought and... read more
Genesis 12:0 , etc. I. Notice first the call of Abraham. (1) The call was addressed to him suddenly; (2) it required him to forsake his country and his kindred, while giving him no hope of return; (3) it sent him on a long and difficult journey, to a country lying more than three hundred miles away. Yet Abraham obeyed in willing submission to the command of God. II. Notice Abraham's conquest over the kings. This is the first battle recorded in the word of God. It was after his rescue of Lot... read more
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Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible - Genesis 12:1
The Lord had said, to wit, in Ur of the Chaldees, by comparing Genesis 11:31, with Acts 7:2-4; or, did say, again, i.e. renewed the command in Haran, whilst Abram might possibly linger there, as afterwards Lot did in Sodom, longer than he should. But the former interpretation is more probable, because Moses speaks here of that command of God which came to Abram before he was gone from his kindred and father's house, and therefore before he came to Haran. And this command was given to Abram... read more