12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, a Get thee out of thy
country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house,
unto b a land that I will shew thee:
(a) From the flood to this time were four hundred and
twenty-three years.
(b) In appointing him no certain place, he proves so much
more his faith and obedience.
12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless
thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be c a
blessing:
(c) The world shall recover by your seed, which is Christ,
the blessing which they lost in Adam.
12:5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son,
and all their substance that they had gathered, and the d
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.
(d) Meaning servants as well as cattle.
12:6 And Abram e passed through the land unto the place of
Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the f Canaanite
[was] then in the land.
(e) He wandered to and fro in the land before he could find
a settling place: thus God exercises the faith of his
children.
(f) Which was a cruel and rebellious nation, by whom God
kept his in continual exercise.
12:7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed
will I give this land: and there builded he g an altar
unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
(g) It was not enough for him to worship God in his heart,
but it was expedient to declare by outward profession
his faith before men, of which this altar was a sign.
12:8 And he removed from h 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 i
altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.
(h) Because of the troubles that he had among that wicked
people.
(i) And so served the true God, and renounced all idolatry.
12:9k And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.
(k) Thus the children of God may look for no rest in this
world, but must wait for the heavenly rest and
quietness.
12:10 And there was a l famine in the land: and Abram went
down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine [was]
grievous in the land.
(l) This was a new trial of Abram's faith: by which we see
that the end of one affliction is the beginning of
another.
12:13 Say, I pray thee, thou [art] my m sister: that it may be
well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because
of thee.
(m) By this we learn not to use unlawful means nor to put
others in danger to save ourselves, (Ge 12:20).
Though it may appear that Abram did not fear death, so
much as dying without children, he acts as though
God's promise had not taken place; in which appeared a
weak faith.
12:15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her
before Pharaoh: and the woman was n taken into Pharaoh's
house.
(n) To be his wife.
12:17 And the LORD o plagued Pharaoh and his house with great
plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.
(o) The Lord took the defence of this poor stranger
against a mighty king: and as he is ever careful over
his, so did he preserve Sarai.
12:20 And Pharaoh p commanded [his] men concerning him: and
they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.
(p) To the intent that none should hurt him either in his
person or goods.
