GENESIS
CHAPTER 12
Abram shall become a great nation—He and his seed shall bless all the families of the earth—He travels from Haran to the land of Canaan—Because of famine he goes down into Egypt—Abram and Sarai tested in Pharaoh’s court.
1 NOW the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, [ Or Haran where he had been living for some time. Hebrew "lek leka" (or lech lecha) rendered by some translations as "Leave ... and go" or "Get up and get going!" It can also mean "keep moving!" which "Perpetual migration was one of the Ten Trials of Abraham," according to Hugh Nibley.(Nibley, Abraham's Creation Drama, 3.) Implicit in the Hebrew phrase is the idea of "separating," so that the Lord was requiring of Abraham a "clean break with his traditions and previous way of life, ... his environment, associations, experiences, in other words a separation from the world. One Torah scholar, "God told him that the purpose of his leaving was to become severed from ideas and way of life that were corrupt." (Malbim 2:1). The command itself in its original Hebrew also carries the meaning of "Go for yourself," or, as in the Zohar, "for thine own advantage, to prepare thyself, to perfect thy(self]," and "to know thyself," or, as Rashi says, "for your own benefit," for your "own good and ... happiness" —or, according to another Hasidic source, "to yourself," implying that only by means of this journey would Abraham reach his full potential. So the redundancy in Hebrew, "lek leka", may thus refer to a journey that has both physical and spiritual dimensions. ] and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, [ His immediate family. ] unto a land that I will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, [ The Lord reiterates and summarizes the covenant blessings -1) innumerable offspring. Genesis imparts these blessings at the time that Abraham is commanded to leave. However we learn that the Lord does not give those blessings to Abraham until after he has been obedient, which is the common practice with the Lord - (compare Gen 12:1-4 with Abr. 2:3; 6-11). ] and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; [ This happened for Abraham in this life and will be his blessing in the next life as well as be becomes a God of his own; creates his own worlds and the populates them. D&C 132:29, 37] and thou shalt be a blessing: [ He and his posterity will be a great blessing to others as well. Missionary work. ]
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: [ Blessing of protection from the Lord, ability to overcome whatever is placed in his way. ] and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. [ Through the sharing of the gospel the entire world will be blessed. John Taylor made the following comments regarding how "all families of the earth.” will be blessed. “Moses, as I have said was of his seed, and he was the deliverer of the whole of that nation. And who were the prophets that existed among ancient Israel? They were descendants of Abraham; and to them came the word of God and the light of revelation. Who was Jesus? After the flesh of the seed of Abraham. Who were his Twelve Apostles? Of the seed of Abraham. Who were the people that came to this continent -- Lehi and his family, about 600 years B.C.? Of the seed of Abraham. Who were the Apostles they had among them that spread forth among the millions that then lived upon this continent? Of the seed of Abraham. Who was Joseph Smith? Of the seed of Abraham. (JD 20:224.) ]
4 so Abram departed, [ From Haran. It was Abraham's first principle, the foundation of everything else he would accomplish, recalling the teaching of latter-day leaders that "obedience is the first law of heaven, the cornerstone upon which all righteousness and progression rest." A midrash declares that both "perfectly obeyed the will of God." ] as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot [ His nephew. ] went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. [ Compare with Abraham 2:14 it states be was 62 when he left Haran. ]
5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, [ Note who he did not take - his father who had returned to idolatry while they stayed in Haran see Abr 2:5. Once again we see that Abraham was called upon by God to sacrifice by leaving his close family and move on if he were to be able to keep the commandments of God. ] and all their substance that they had gathered, [ He hath gain considerable wealth while in Haran. ] and the souls [ Suggesting that those who had chosen to follow God were also brought along with Abraham see Abr 2:15. Just as God had taken Enoch and his people into heaven God would begin again with Abraham, a man whom the Lord had sent. Abraham's command was to leave his native land: "His chosen, His loved ones, those who walk with Him," to a place of closer fellowship with God. ] that they had gotten in Haran; [ About 350-400 miles northeast of Jerusalem. ] and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; [ Why would Abraham be given the inheritance of the land of Canaan, when that land was considered the least “choice” land of all of Noah’s children? Could the reason be that Abraham had a special mission: to be a type of “Shepherd “for all the descendants of Noah — essentially the whole human race who had apostatized after the time of the great flood. He came from a “royal” line: the line of Melchizedek, the “King of Righteousness” and the “King/Prince of Peace,” the most noble of all the sons of Noah. Here is the promise God gave Abraham (and by extension, Isaac and Jacob as well): (Abraham 2:8-11). The land referred to was Canaan, now Palestine. Abraham, in order to reach that land, had to pass over the river, Euphrates. Hence he was called by the Canaanites a "Hebrew," which signifies, "one from beyond the river.” What was the purpose of Abraham's call? Why was he taken out of his own country and from his father's house and promised that he should become a great nation? It was because Mesopotamia was steeped in the sin of idolatry, and the time had arrived for the rounding of the lineage through which the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior, would come into the world. Abraham was required to separate himself from his idolatrous surroundings, that he might establish such a lineage. The strict laws given to Israel, Abraham's descendants, had as their object the preservation in purity of the lineage of our Lord, the "Lamb without spot or blemish." (MS 86:641-42.) ] and into the land of Canaan they came.
6 ¶ And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite [ Or the descendants of Cain through Ham and Egyptus. ] was then in the land.
7 And the LORD [ Jehovah; the premortal Jesus Christ ] appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, [ Abraham follows the pattern that he has been taught; the altar was build to offer the firstborn clean unblemished lambs in sacrifice as a symbolic representation of the Savior and his offerring for us. ] who appeared unto him.
8 And he removed from thence [ He moved them there ] unto a mountain on the east of aBeth-el, and pitched his tent, having bBeth-el on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.
9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. [ As he was commanded to do. The bible leaves out much of significance in the following verses when compared with Abr 2:21-25 The Bible would make the statement that Abraham refers to Sarah as his sister to be that he is lying but we know that the Lord had commanded him to do so, and 2 that she really was his sister when her father (Abrahams Uncle) died and Abrahams father took her into his house]
10 ¶ And there was a famine in the land: [ Of Canaan ] and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
11 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair [ Beautiful women always cause problems. It is interesting to understand why this phrase is here. The Egyptian Pharaohs would never think of committing adultery at this time. However they would think nothing of murdering a man then by law his wife was available - this not committing adultery. "The idea that Abraham, the great man of righteousness, deceived Pharaoh in order to protect his own life has troubled many students of the Old Testament. That his life was in danger because of Sarah’s beauty seems quite clear. It seems peculiar, but whereas the Egyptian pharaohs had a strong aversion to committing adultery with another man’s wife, they had no qualms about murdering the man to free his spouse for remarriage. “To kill the husband in order to possess himself of his wife seems to have been a common royal custom in those days. A papyrus tells of a Pharaoh who, acting on the advice of one of his princes, sent armed men to fetch a beautiful woman and make away with her husband. Another Pharaoh is promised by his priest on his tombstone, that even after death he will kill Palestinian sheiks and include their wives in his harem.” (Kasher, Encyclopedia of Biblical Interpretation, 2:128.) Abraham could validly state that Sarah was his sister. In the Bible the Hebrew words brother and sister are often used for other blood relatives. (See Genesis 14:14, in which Lot, Abraham’s nephew, is called “his brother.”) Because Abraham and Haran, Sarah’s father, were brothers, Sarah was Abraham’s niece and thus could be called sister. The accompanying pedigree chart shows this relationship. Another ancient custom that might shed light on the relationship permitted a woman to be adopted as a man’s sister upon their marriage to give her greater legal and social status (see Encyclopaedia Judaica, s.v. “Sarah,” 14:866). Even though Abraham was correct in calling her his sister, he did deceive the Egyptians. How can this action be justified? The answer is very simple. His action was justified because God told him to do it (see Abraham 2:22–25). The Prophet Joseph Smith taught the following: “That which is wrong under one circumstance, may be, and often is, right under another. “God said, ‘Thou shalt not kill;’ at another time He said, ‘Thou shalt utterly destroy.’ This is the principle on which the government of heaven is conducted—by revelation adapted to the circumstances in which the children of the kingdom are placed. Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire.” (Teachings, p. 256.) Since God is perfect and does not do anything that is not right (see Deuteronomy 32:4; 1 Samuel 15:29; Alma 7:20; D&C 3:2), Abraham’s act was not wrong. Rel 301 Manual." Also with that in vs 24 the Lord specifically tells him what to do...so he is doing what the Lord wants. ] woman to look upon:
12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. [ For Abraham and Sarah, Egypt constituted a place of refuge from the famine raging at the time of their arrival in Canaan (see Gen. 12:10). Interestingly, while Abraham and Sarah enjoyed respite from Canaan’s drought, their visit to Egypt provided Sarah with one of her most difficult trials. Most are familiar with the story of Sarah posing as Abraham’s sister (see Gen. 12:11–15). Even though Abraham later insisted that Sarah was his sister through his father, but not his mother (see Gen. 20:12), many students have felt confused with this explanation. It was not until the discovery of ancient Hurrian legal texts at the site of Nuzi, a city east of Ashur, the capital of ancient Assyria, that we obtained a clearer background for this incident.
The Hurrians were people who flourished about the time of Abraham, and later. Their kingdom included the land of Haran in which Abraham and Sarah lived for a number of years before moving to Canaan (see Gen. 11:31; Gen. 12:5). Interestingly, only in stories dealing with Sarah and Rebecca do we find the claim made that the wife was also a sister to her husband (see Gen. 12:10–20; Gen. 20:2–6; Gen. 26:1–11). Rebecca, like Sarah, spent her youth growing up in Haran, no doubt in contact with Hurrians.
The contact is important when we learn that under Hurrian law women were frequently adopted as sisters by their husbands either before or during the marriage ceremony. Such a dual status, both wife and sister, had important consequences for a woman. It guaranteed to her special legal and social protections and opportunities which were simply not available to women in any other culture of the Near East. Because Sarah had lived within the Hurrian culture for a number of years, it is not unlikely that she enjoyed this status in her marriage, a status common among Hurrians. Therefore, Abraham’s claim that Sarah was his sister upon their entry into the land of Egypt is not far-fetched in the least. Further, it is possible that Terah, Abraham’s father, had adopted Sarah before her marriage to Abraham and that this is the meaning of the passage in Genesis 20:12 [Gen. 20:12]. This particular practice, on the part of a prospective father-in-law, is documented from the Nuzi tablets. (See E. A. Speiser, “The Wife-Sister Motif in the Patriarchal Narratives,” in Biblical and Other Studies, Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Univ. Press, 1963, pp. 15–28.)
In Genesis Abraham is said to have insisted that Sarah was his sister because he feared for his life. The incident is clarified in the book of Abraham where we learn it was revealed to Abraham that Sarah would maintain that she was his sister (see Abr. 2:21–25).
This placed the burden on Sarah. Would she risk her own rights as wife in order to preserve the life of her husband as the Lord had asked? Indeed, Sarah’s visit to Egypt became a period of intense trial for her. Even though the Lord protected her from the pharaoh’s intent to make her his wife—and protected her virtue—the pharaoh was nevertheless allowed to take her into his household (Gen. 12:15–20). We see, then, that Egypt represented at the same time a haven from the famine and a place of testing for Sarah. SEPT. 1980 BIBLICAL EGYPT: LAND OF REFUGE, LAND OF BONDAGE ]
The Hurrians were people who flourished about the time of Abraham, and later. Their kingdom included the land of Haran in which Abraham and Sarah lived for a number of years before moving to Canaan (see Gen. 11:31; Gen. 12:5). Interestingly, only in stories dealing with Sarah and Rebecca do we find the claim made that the wife was also a sister to her husband (see Gen. 12:10–20; Gen. 20:2–6; Gen. 26:1–11). Rebecca, like Sarah, spent her youth growing up in Haran, no doubt in contact with Hurrians.
The contact is important when we learn that under Hurrian law women were frequently adopted as sisters by their husbands either before or during the marriage ceremony. Such a dual status, both wife and sister, had important consequences for a woman. It guaranteed to her special legal and social protections and opportunities which were simply not available to women in any other culture of the Near East. Because Sarah had lived within the Hurrian culture for a number of years, it is not unlikely that she enjoyed this status in her marriage, a status common among Hurrians. Therefore, Abraham’s claim that Sarah was his sister upon their entry into the land of Egypt is not far-fetched in the least. Further, it is possible that Terah, Abraham’s father, had adopted Sarah before her marriage to Abraham and that this is the meaning of the passage in Genesis 20:12 [Gen. 20:12]. This particular practice, on the part of a prospective father-in-law, is documented from the Nuzi tablets. (See E. A. Speiser, “The Wife-Sister Motif in the Patriarchal Narratives,” in Biblical and Other Studies, Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Univ. Press, 1963, pp. 15–28.)
In Genesis Abraham is said to have insisted that Sarah was his sister because he feared for his life. The incident is clarified in the book of Abraham where we learn it was revealed to Abraham that Sarah would maintain that she was his sister (see Abr. 2:21–25).
This placed the burden on Sarah. Would she risk her own rights as wife in order to preserve the life of her husband as the Lord had asked? Indeed, Sarah’s visit to Egypt became a period of intense trial for her. Even though the Lord protected her from the pharaoh’s intent to make her his wife—and protected her virtue—the pharaoh was nevertheless allowed to take her into his household (Gen. 12:15–20). We see, then, that Egypt represented at the same time a haven from the famine and a place of testing for Sarah. SEPT. 1980 BIBLICAL EGYPT: LAND OF REFUGE, LAND OF BONDAGE ]
13 Say, I pray thee, [ Will you please do this. Here it appears to be Abram's idea but in Abr 2:22-25 it is God's idea. ] thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; [ So that we can stay together in mortality. This was a time of testing for Sarah - the Lord has said that we all must be tested. This was a time when Sarah was to be tested. She would have to risk her own rights as a wife in order to preserve the life of Abraham. While the Lord did protect her from marring the Pharaoh, and thus keeping her virtue intact he did require her to submit to the plan not knowing what the outcome would be. The Lord usually does not show us the end before we begin - he does require that we trust him; that he has a plan and will take care of us. Here Sarah was learning this principle for herself. ] and my soul shall live because of thee. [ See Abr 2:21-25. ]
14 ¶ And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.
15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended JST: "and commanded her to be brought before Pharaoh." [ Recommended. ] her before Pharaoh: and the woman [ Sarah. ] was taken into Pharaoh’s house. [ The Lord required Sarah to say that she was Abraham's sister and now at the pharaoh's house her own virtue was at stake. Now think about the other side of the story for a moment. God has commanded Abraham to do this, so in essence Abraham is giving up his rights to Sarah, God told him to do this as a result Abraham is in a way sacrificing Sarah. We see that Abraham will do whatever God wants - Abraham does not know how this is going to turn out - he figures tha the Pharaoh will have his way with his wife - how heart wrenching for Abraham. Abraham might have wondered how God's promises of seed would come through him if he was required to sacrifice his wife as well. How God will this work out? This version makes Abraham look like he is scared, but we need to remember who gave Abraham the command. ]
16 And he [ The Pharaoh. ] entreated Abram well for her sake: [ The Pharaoh wanted to win over Abraham so he treated him with great respect and rewarded him handsomely in order to gain additional favor with Sarah. So the king is saying I will take Sarai as my own, and in the process I will bless you for letting me have her. ] and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.
17 And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife. [ Now, as soon as he came into Egypt, it happened to Abram as he supposed it would; for the fame of his wife's beauty was greatly talked of; for which reason Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, would not be satisfied with what was reported of her, but would needs see her himself, and was preparing to enjoy her; but God put a stop to his unjust inclinations, by sending upon him a distemper, and a sedition against his government. Another part of a Coronation Ceremony is that a Queen has to be consecrated with the King. A King cannot be coronated without a queen. This is the story of Esther in our Old Testament. When Abraham and Sarah enter Egypt together, it is the time of the coronation, where the king will also take a wife. The Lord informs Abraham that he needs to instruct Sarah to tell the Pharaoh that Abraham is her brother; otherwise Abraham's life would be forfeit. Sarah was the most beautiful, graceful, and talented among all the women in the kingdom. Sarah was indeed taken into Pharaoh and became his queen for three years. The story is told in the Midrash that one day Abraham's nephew Lot is standing around with the servants of the of Pharaoh, and overhears them saying among themselves that ever since Pharaoh married that new queen, he gets sick every afternoon and has consequently not ever been the husband to his queen. Lot tells the servants that if the Pharaoh had not taken the wife of Abraham, he would not have ever been sick! Of course, the servant runs to tell Pharaoh that his queen is actually the wife of Abraham. Pharaoh gets mad and returns Sarah to Abraham, including the dowry he had given Sarah (which included Hagar and many flocks and herds), and tells them to leave his kingdom! It was because of the coronation that Sarah is also tested and her sacrifice is recorded. Just as Abraham was tested when asked to sacrifice Isaac, Sarah's test was to marry Pharaoh. Her marriage was never consummated because Pharaoh was “sick” every single day, so the story goes. That was her test!
And when he inquired of the priests how he might be freed from these calamities, they told him that this his miserable condition was derived from the wrath of God, upon account of his inclinations to abuse the stranger's wife. He then, out of fear, asked Sarai who she was, and who it was that she brought along with her. And when he had found out the truth, he excused himself to Abram, that supposing the woman to be his sister, and not his wife, he set his affections on her, as desiring an affinity with him by marrying her, but not as incited by lust to abuse her. He also made him a large present in money, and gave him leave to enter into conversation with the most learned among the Egyptians; from which conversation his virtue and his reputation became more conspicuous than they had been before.
2. For whereas the Egyptians were formerly addicted to different customs, and despised one another's sacred and accustomed rites, and were very angry one with another on that account, Abram conferred with each of them, and, confuting the reasonings they made use of, every one for their own practices, demonstrated that such reasonings were vain and void of truth: whereupon he was admired by them in those conferences as a very wise man, and one of great sagacity, when he discoursed on any subject he undertook; and this not only in understanding it, but in persuading other men also to assent to him. He communicated to them arithmetic, and delivered to them the science of astronomy; for before Abram came into Egypt they were unacquainted with those parts of learning; for that science came from the Chaldeans into Egypt, and from thence to the Greeks also. The Works of Flavius Josephis Book 1 Chapter 8 : 1-2 ]
18 And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
19 Why saidst thou, She is my sister? [ What were you thinking Abram? You said she was your sister and I took her to wife. If I would have slept with her I would have committed adultery. I was about to do that. No wonder God plagued me. ] so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.
[ So here is your wife back, and go. ]
20 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.
[ So the Pharaoh send them on their way with all that he has bestowed upon them. So if Abraham would have came in and said that she was his wife in the first place. Well Abraham would have be no doubt killed. However, the Lord has blessed Abraham and Sarah here. Not only are they both spared the anguish but they leave richer than when they came. As a result Pharaoh also gets to understand that there is someting about these two that God would come to me and protect them. So when Abraham chooses to tell about God the Pharaoh is inclined to listen. ]
[ Before we move forward we should take pause to take note that when viewed in retrospect, however, his residence in the royal palace may well have proven of great benefit. He was there for two years, (1QapGen 20.18, in Martinez and Tigchelaar, Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition, 1:43) associating with the most learned men of the realm and learning the Egyptian language and lore so well that he would use them as a vehicle to write for his posterity what we now have as the precious Book of Abraham. ]