The Genesis Project. Chapter 12. Part 1

God charges Abraham with His mission, and he sets out for Canaan

It appears I didn’t send this out last week. Here is Chapter 12, Part 1. Tomorrow Chapter 12, Part 2.

Hello and welcome back to The Genesis Project, my deep dive translation and commentary on the first book of the Hebrew Bible. This week we begin Chapter 12. God calls upon Abraham (at that time, his name is “Abram”) to leave his homeland and journey to Canaan, where He promises him great things—the Land, countless offspring, being a blessing to those who bless him (and a curse to those who curse him). We finish Chapter 12 next week with Abraham, his wife Sarah, and nephew Lot descending to Egypt to find food during a famine in Canaan. There, Abraham and Sarah’s future—and that of the nascent Hebrew people—hangs in the balance, and he decides to mislead the Egyptians regarding his relationship with Sarah.

This document consists primarily of footnotes; because Substack forces footnotes into endnotes, I suggest printing this file; that way, you can place the text and the footnotes side-by-side rather than having to scroll up and down.

I’m also attaching a PDF file of this material at the bottom of this post; in this case, the formatting is retained—footnotes as footnotes, not as endnotes. Much easier to read.

Finally, as I recommended in the July 15, 2025 installment, “How to Read the Hebrew Bible,” the best use of this translation and commentary is to first read it through without the footnotes, then with the footnotes, and finally again without the footnotes. Enjoy, and please subscribe.

Abraham now takes center stage. He is father of the Hebrew nation, which over time becomes the Jewish people. Muslims and Christians also consider Abraham to be their own patriarch, but emphasize different elements of his character consistent with their own models of the highest development of godliness; i.e., submission and faith respectively, rather than the Jewish emphasis on obedience.[1]

Abraham’s call: Lech l’cha. This is the third call to man to live harmoniously with God and each other, after Adam and then Noah. Now, with the multiplicity of peoples, the goal is to unite the nations via the agency of a new people descending from Abraham. Here, the command is for Abraham to give up his past. The expression occurs again in 22:2, where God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son and heir Isaac; in other words, to give up his future.

1: YHVH said to Abram,[2] “Go for yourself[3] from your land,[4] and from your birthplace,[5] and from your father’s house[6] to the land[7] that I will show you.[8] 2: And[9] I will make you into[10] a great nation,[11] I will bless you,[12] and I will make your name[13] great[14] and you shall be for a blessing.[15] 3: I will bless those[16] who bless you[17] and curse him[18] who curses you,[19] and all the families of the earth[20] shall be blessed[21] through you.[22]

4: Abram went as[23] YHVH spoke to him[24], and Lot went with him.[25] Abram was seventy-five years old[26] in his going forth[27] from Charan.[28] 5: Abram took[29] Sarai his wife; and Lot,[30] his brother’s[31] son;[32] and all their possessions that they had amassed,[33] and the soul[34] that they had made[35] in Charan.[36] They went to go[37] to Canaan-land,[38] and they came to Canaan-land.[39] 6: Abram passed into the land[40] up to the place of Shechem,[41] up to the Plain[42] of Moreh.[43] The Canaanite was then[44] in the land.[45]

7: YHVH appeared[46] to Abram[47] and said, “To your offspring[48] I will give this land.”[49] He built[50] an altar[51] there[52] to YHVH[53] Who appeared to him.[54] 8: From there[55] he relocated[56] to the mountain east of Beit El,[57] and pitched his tent,[58] Beit El on the west[59] and Ai[60] on the east.[61]He built there an altar to YHVH and called[62] in the Name of YHVH.[63] 9: Abram journeyed,[64] going and journeying^[65] toward the south.[66]

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[1] See Jon Levenson, Inheriting Abraham (2012; Princeton University Press).

[2] YHVH said to Abram. Who recognized Him, His voice. In Haran; or, Ur Kasdim. Why Abraham? The closest we come to an explicit answer is 18:19, where God says He has singled out (“known”) Abraham in order that he command his children and his household after him, that they keep YHVH’s way, to do righteousness and justice.

[3] Go for yourself. Hebrew lech l’cha. Lech unambiguously means “Go.” L’cha, on the other hand, is ambiguous. It may mean: to yourself, on your behalf, for your benefit, for yourself, to you, for you, according to you/yourself. Here, it may imply “your own way,” or “go away.” To your purpose. To publicize My Name. With your own household. To escape your enemies. To avoid contamination by pagans. Implies a rupture with his previous community, circle of family, relatives. A general command, the specifics follow. If punctuated lech; l’cha: Go; as for yourself; and I will absolve you from leaving your father behind in Mesopotamia. Abraham was 135 years old when Terach died—sixty years after this call—and Isaac was 35 years old.

[4] Your land. Your country. Even further than Charan, your father’s current residence, even if the call came while Abraham was in Ur Kasdim. Or, it’s not Ur Kasdim—if by Ur Kasdim, we mean Babylonia; rather, it’s west of the Euphrates in Aram Naharaim, Mesopotamia, as we read in Joshua 24:2—“Your forefathers—Terach, the father of Abraham and father of Nahor—always dwelt beyond the River [Euphrates].” Abraham is referred to as ha-ivri: “the one on the other side,” rather than ha-casdi: “the Chaldean.”

[5] Birthplace. Circle of family (48:7), relatives, kin, the nation or people into which one is born (Esther 8:6). Your social surroundings. Ur Kasdim.

[6] Your father’s house. Your family branch within the clan. Family and friends. Further even than Charan, where God knew Terach would stall out after beginning the journey to Canaan (11:31). Don’t return seeking your inheritance from Terach.

Your land…father’s house. Drills deeper and deeper until arriving at Abraham’s relatives. The scope of this command, its painstaking detail, leaves no room for ambiguity. Usually one leaves one’s father’s house, then their birthplace, then their country—in geographically ascending order; here, it is the opposite, a spiritual going, from the periphery inward; i.e., home is the hardest to leave. Leave everything. God increases the magnitude of a task for the righteous—here, three beloved things. Abraham’s reward is increased in proportion to the difficulty of the task; his dedication to his God raises his esteem in others’ eyes. God increases one’s reward by making the demand increasingly specific—see how specific God is in telling Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (22:2).

[7] To the land. A specific location in Canaan (11:31). See vv. 6-7.

[8] I will show you. By means of a vision. Later. Once you arrive. Or, once you leave. The decision is made by God, not external circumstances.

To the land that I will show you. In Canaan; that is, Abraham didn’t just wander aimlessly. Terach’s clan provided daughters for Abraham’s seed, so they will not have to choose Canaanite women, which is a reason for their staying in Charan in Mesopotamia. Or, I will establish My covenant with you. The ambiguity of the destination increases suspense, makes the final destination more precious; compare Jonah 3:2, where God explicitly tells Jonah where to go for his mission. It also makes the trip more demanding, which ultimately leads to increased reward and dedication to the journey and the One guiding it. Abraham is consigned to the life of a nomad, which usually leads to three detrimental sequelae, each of which is nevertheless promised by God to be militated by Him: 1) Decreased fertility vs. “becoming a great nation” (next verse); 2) decreased material wealth vs. “I will bless you” (next verse); 3) loss of reputation vs. “I will make your name great” (next verse). Note the similarity between this phrase and that associated with the binding of Isaac, where God tells Abraham to journey to the mountain “I will show you” (18:2).

[9] And. Once you arrive.

[10] I will make you into. I will appoint you to become. I wish to make you. Abraham was getting nowhere in Ur Kasdim/Charan. No children were born to him there.

[11] Great nation. From a family into a nation. Innumerable descendants. This is the first promise contained in the covenant. Or, God Himself answers the prayers of Abraham’s descendants (Deuteronomy 4:7). Or, to whom God gives the Torah (Deuteronomy 4:8).

[12] I will bless you. I will give you My blessing. Don’t worry about not inheriting the Land.

[13] Name. Renown, reputation. Compare with the desire of the generation of the Tower to make “a name” for themselves. Here, God is making great Abraham’s name.

[14] Make your name great. Greatness is more than a reputation. Possessing both is even better; fame for doing good, acquired fairly, is positive. By making great your blessings and success. V. 2 lists those things by means of which God provides Abraham compensation for leaving family and friends.

[15] You shall be a blessing. An example of a blessing. Blessed; or, a blesser. Or, Abraham will be for a blessing; i.e., his presence will bless others. God repeats this promise in 18:18 and later applies it to Jacob, Abraham’s grandson in 28:14. Cf. Zechariah 8:13: And you (plural) shall be a blessing; i.e., becoming a blessing is part of the restoration of Israel from exile

Shall be: Hebrew: ve’he-yei: this may be a second person masculine singular command; i.e., You! Be (a blessing). Or, third person masculine singular perfect; i.e., It (your name) will be a blessing; your name will effect a blessing, as in: “May God bless you as He has blessed Abraham”; i.e., a symbol of blessing. God blesses Abraham with a blessing so that he becomes a blessing; in that nations are blessed through him by blessing him. God blessed Noah and Adam but didn’t allow them to bless others. See Isaiah 19:24, where the prophet foretells a day when Israel will be a blessing for Egypt and Assyria.

[16] Those. Compare with “him” which follows in this verse; those who bless you will be more numerous than those who curse you.

[17] I will bless those who bless you. People exist who bless you. Abraham’s blessing devolves on those who bless him. They who are good to you. You: your reputation. If they bless you, I will bless them; for example, Melchitzedek blesses Abraham because Abraham is blessed (14:18-20).

[18] Bless him…curse him. Bless the group among whom are found those who bless you; i.e., collective blessing. No collective retribution; that is, only the one who curses is cursed.

[19] Who curses you. Singular; i.e., the rare individual. Who seeks your harm. “You” is in the plural form—the people Israel, not the individuals; or, cursing the individual is tantamount to cursing the people, a much more grievous offense, since Abraham’s seed is blessed by God. Being at odds or peace with Abraham means being at odds or peace with God.

[20] All the families of the earth. Blessings of nations as actualized in Abraham’s seed inheriting the Land. Universal blessing is available.

[21] Blessed. Hebrew: nivrechu: passive preterite: “are blessed.” Or, reflexive: “bless themselves/each other.” Abraham’s reputation of greatness is true and brings reward to those who bless you.

[22] Through you. On account of you, people will emulate your good deeds. Because of you; i.e., because of the Jews (Abraham’s seed). In or through your merit; for your sake. It is as if God says, “I am gracious to them in accordance with your word”; i.e., what you say—some see this as God providing Abraham with the power of blessing.

All the families of the earth shall be blessed through you. Abraham is a source of blessing to all. An expression of universalism. Or, an expression of the validity of conversion to Judaism. This promise is repeated in 18:18 and 22:18 for Abraham. For Abraham’s seed: for Isaac (26:4), for Jacob (28:14), for Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Menasseh (48:20).

Vv. 1-3 speaks of particularism. God separates Abraham from the rest of of the world, while ultimately Abraham becomes a source of universal blessing.

[23] As. When; i.e., that day.

[24] Abram went as YHVH spoke to him. Carefully observing the details. Did Abraham only journey because of the promised rewards? Even with God’s promises to the contrary, none of the promises materialized for many years—Sarah is barren (11:30); compare with “many descendants.” Abraham must leave Canaan and seek food in Egypt because of the famine (v. 10); compare with God blessing him. And Pharaoh steals Sarah in Egypt (v. 15), hardly “a great name.”

[25] Lot went with him. As part of their nuclear family; or, as Abraham’s heir. Or, Abraham transgresses the command to “Go for yourself.”

[26] Seventy-five years old. Terach is still alive, not dying until he is 205; i.e., he lived another sixty years; See 11:32.

[27] In his going forth. When he went forth.

[28] Going forth from Charan. How old was Abraham when he left Ur Kasdim?

[29] Took. Sometimes this implies “with no intention to return”—compare with 31:1.

[30] Lot. Voluntarily? A continuation of Terach’s taking in 11:31.

Sarai...and Lot. Siblings (11:29).

[31] His brother’s. Haran’s.

[32] His brother’s son. His nephew.

[33] Possessions…amassed. Hebrew root for both words: R-Kh-Sh: to get, gain, acquire, gather. Items that require carrying. Includes servants bought, or born in their house. In 13:6, this term refers to livestock.

[34] Soul. Souls. People.

[35] That they had made. Hebrew root: Ayin-Sin-H: made, create, did. That they converted. They made their own. Slaves and maidservants they acquired.

[36] In Charan. But not in Ur Kasdim. Abraham began preaching in Charan.

[37] Went to go. To and fro, to where God directed them.

[38] To Canaan-land. Where Abraham’s prophecy would develop to its fullest extent. Where God directed Abraham. Or, not until 13:15—when God promises Abraham all the land he sees in Canaan once he arrives. To where Terach had originally set out; i.e., their hoped-for new home.

[39] Came to Canaan-land. Came into Canaan-land. Arrived, not just going toward it. Via Damascus, where he acquired Eliezer “the Damascene,” his primary servant (24:2, 34). He arrived from the north and made his way south to Shechem, then to Beit El, then to the Negev. He built an altar at each site; compare with Jacob—Shechem 33:20, then Beit El 35:7. Compare with Terach who set out but never arrived (11:31).

[40] Passed into the land. Passed through the entire land. Entered into it, waiting for God to tell him where to stop.

[41] The place of Shechem. Hebrew root: Sh-Kh-M: shoulder; part, portion. The site of the future city of Shechem, in central Canaan. Named after Shechem (34:2), the name that Moses knew. Or, the person of Shechem is named after the city.

[42] Plain. Hebrew root: A-Vav-L: to be strong; an oak, terebinth. Or, a tree named Elon. Terebinths can grow to enormous size and may serve as a landmark; cf. 13:18.

[43] Moreh. Hebrew root: Y-R-A: terror, fright. Or, R-A-H: to see; that is, “Plain of Vision.” Or, Y-R-H: to teach. Thus, the Plain of Moreh might be translated as “Oak/Terebinth of Teaching”; i.e., teaching of the vision. Or, Moreh—a Canaanite (Deuteronomy 11:30).

[44] Then. Hebrew: az: could be either past or future; i.e., a generic “at that time.” Since the dispersal of the nations after the Tower.

[45] The Canaanite was then in the land. They ruled, dominated it. But not now? They were fated to lose it. When Moses wrote the text, the Canaanites were in the land, “now.” Some believe that this was not written by Moses.

“

[46] Appeared. In a vision. Prophets used to be called “seers” (1 Samuel 9:9).

[47] YHVH appeared to Abram. Then, YHVH appeared to Abram. Evidence of an external God; i.e., not “within Abram.” Abraham’s first vision of YHVH. God is seen by man, the first expression of this idea. Or, God’s glory appeared to Abraham, as in the case of Moses, the greatest prophet (Exodus 33:18, 20). This is the first of three times YHVH appears to Abraham: here, 17:1, and 18:1.

[48] Your offspring. But Abraham has no children. Or this refers to Lot, as close relatives in the text are often referred to as first-degree even if they are not; i.e., Lot could be considered Abraham’s son or brother (v. 8). Or, Abraham’s future descendants; that is, the great nation referred to in v. 2; that is, beginning with Isaac (26:3). God does not promise the land to Abraham until 13:17.

[49] I will give this land. The land I previously alluded to. This is the second blessing.

[50] He built. Therefore, he built.

[51] Altar. A monument. Or, a site for sacrifices.

[52] There. Where he received this good news. Now that he knew he had arrived at his destination.

[53] He built an altar there to YHVH. And offered a sacrifice. Proclaimed the Name publicly. Abraham was told to go to Canaan to establish a new YHVH-religion. In response to the seemingly absurd promises: 1) a man without a country inherits a land; 2) a man without a fertile wife becomes the father of a multitude of nations; 3) a man without a family or friends becomes a blessing to all the nations.

[54] Who appeared to him. To his whole camp. Or, in Charan; or, in Canaan.

[55] From there. From the Plain of Moreh.

[56] Relocated. Hebrew root: Ayin-Tav-Q: remove, transfer, break (camp). In the causative form; i.e., he caused the relocation rather than performing it himself. In addition, it is a a transitive conjugation and needs an object; i.e., he relocated his tent. He traveled from east to west.

[57] Beit El: House of El/God. The site of Jacbo’s dream of the ladder (28:19), between Hebron and Aram-Naharaim in Mesopotamia. Or, a different Beit El.

To the mountain east of Beit El. To the mountain to the east of Beit El.

[58] His tent. A masculine noun, but it ends with a feminine he. Similar to how Noah’s tent is spelled in 9:20. Sarah’s tent? Or their conjugal tent?

[59] Beit El on the west. This establishes/validates the location of his new camp. From the eastern side of Beit El, westward.

[60] Ai. Hebrew root: Ayin-Vav-Y: heap of ruins. Or, Ayin-Vav-H: to sin. One of only two cities completely destroyed by the Hebrews in the conquest (Joshua 8); the other being Jericho.

[61] Beit El on the west and Ai on the east. Between two large cities, thus maximizing his potential audience.

[62] Called. Hebrew root: Q-R-A: to call; read; announce.

[63] In the Name of YHVH. Hebrew: b’shem YHVH; the two words are connected by cantillation marks (how the text is chanted), as if it were written “in [the] YHVH-Name.”

Called in the Name of YHVH. Proclaimed the Name, or in the Name, of YHVH. Taught about YHVH, by means of his now full-blown prophecy. Worshiped and prayed (Lamentations 3:55; Psalms 30:9). . For the first time. It was safer to do so now, publicly, than in Shechem in the midst of the Canaanites. By calling publicly, he called upon others to do likewise. Proclaimed YHVH’s existence, unity, incorporeality, and sovereignty. The expression shem YHVH (YHVH-Name) is “called” over the Ark the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments (2 Samuel 6:2); over the Temple (1 Kings 8:43); over Jerusalem (Jeremiah 25:29); and over Israel (Deuteronomy 28:10). To people previously unfamiliar with YHVH; cf. Isaac who does likewise in the land of the Philistines (26:25). Publicly praised God, as in Psalms 145:12

[64] Journeyed. With a large group.

[65] Journeyed, going and journeying. Journeyed, continued/still going, journeyed on. Stops and starts, traveled in stages, intervals. Making camp in many different places—part of his ministry.

[66] Toward the south. Hebrew negev; Hebrew root: N-G-Bh: “south” in Hebrew, “dry” in Aramaic; Onqelos—who translated the Torah from Hebrew to Aramaic—uses this root to describe how the waters of the Flood “dried up” (8:13). Joshua (Joshua 15:19) asks God for water because he’s in the negev. Toward the southern boundary of the Land, to Hebron, where he lived for some time, southward through Canaan.

Chapter 12 Part 1

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