Genesis Chapter 12 — The Call of Abram
God calls Abram to leave his homeland for a new land with the promise of becoming a great nation. Abram travels to Canaan and later to Egypt during a famine.
1Now the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, and your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you.
2I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing.
3I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who treats you with contempt. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”
4So Abram went, as the LORD had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
5Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother’s son, all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they went to go into the land of Canaan. They entered into the land of Canaan.
6Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time, Canaanites were in the land.
7The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.”*or, seed
8He left from there to go to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD†LORD or GOD in all caps is from the Hebrew יהוה Yahweh except when otherwise noted as being from the short form יה Yah. and called on the LORD’s name.
9Abram traveled, still going on toward the South.
10There was a famine in the land. Abram went down into Egypt to live as a foreigner there, for the famine was severe in the land.
11When he had come near to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look at.
12It will happen that when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me, but they will save you alive.
13Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you.”
14When Abram had come into Egypt, some Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.
15The princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.
16He dealt well with Abram for her sake. He had sheep, cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
17The LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.
18Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this that you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife?
19Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now therefore, see your wife, take her, and go your way.”
20Pharaoh commanded men concerning him, and they escorted him away with his wife and all that he had.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Genesis 12:1
“Now the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, and your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you."”
This verse marks the beginning of the patriarchal history and the initial command that set Abram's journey in motion.
Genesis 12:3
“I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who treats you with contempt. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”
This establishes the global scope of the Abrahamic covenant, indicating that Abram's blessing would eventually reach all people.
Chapter Summary
Genesis 12 begins with God commanding Abram to leave Haran and go to a land He will show him, promising to bless him and all families of the earth through him. At 75 years old, Abram departs with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and their possessions. Upon arriving in Canaan, the Lord appears to Abram and promises the land to his offspring. Abram builds altars at Shechem and Bethel to worship God and call on His name. However, a severe famine strikes the land, forcing Abram to travel to Egypt as a foreigner. Fearing for his life because of Sarai's beauty, he asks her to identify as his sister rather than his wife. Pharaoh takes Sarai into his house and rewards Abram with livestock and servants. In response, God sends great plagues upon Pharaoh’s household. Discovering the truth about Sarai's identity, Pharaoh returns her to Abram and escorts the family out of Egypt.
Frequently Asked Questions
God promised to make Abram a great nation, to bless him, to make his name great, and that through him all the families of the earth would be blessed. He also promised to give the land of Canaan to Abram's offspring.
Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran to follow the Lord's command.
Abram traveled to Egypt to live as a foreigner because there was a severe famine in the land of Canaan.
Abram told Pharaoh that Sarai was his sister to protect himself. After Pharaoh took Sarai into his house, God afflicted Pharaoh's household with plagues. Pharaoh then returned Sarai to Abram and ordered them to leave Egypt.
Study Note
The transition from chapter 11 to 12 marks a major structural shift in Genesis from primeval history (mankind as a whole) to patriarchal history (God's focus on one specific family line).
Related Chapters
Genesis 15
God later formalizes the promises made in chapter 12 through a specific covenant ceremony.
Hebrews 11
This New Testament chapter discusses the faith Abram showed when he left his home as described in Genesis 12.
Genesis 13
The narrative continues as Abram and Lot return from Egypt and eventually separate their households.
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