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GENESIS CHAPTER 12
OBSERVATION STAGE
The purpose of
the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand within the
normative rules of language, context and logic 
.which limits the observer to the content
offered by the book of Genesis. This will serve to avoid going on
unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more importantly, it will provide the
framework for a proper and objective comparison with passages located
elsewhere in Scripture.
Remember that something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in view.
(v. 11:27 NAS) "Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. And Haran begat Lot.
(v. 11:28 NAS) And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
(v. 11:29 NAS) And Abram and Nahor took them wives: The name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.
(v. 11:30 NAS) And Sarai was barren; She had no child
(v. 11:31 NAS) And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abrahm's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
(v. 11:32 NAS) And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.
(v. 12:1 NKJV) Now the LORD had said [imperfect - had been saying] to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, from your family [lit. relatives], and from your father's house, To a land that I will show you.
(v. 11:27 NAS) "Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. And Haran begat Lot. (v. 11:28 NAS) And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. (v. 11:29 NAS) And Abram and Nahor took them wives: The name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. (v. 11:30 NAS) And Sarai was barren; She had no child (v. 11:31 NAS) And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. (v. 11:32 NAS) And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran. (v. 12:1 NKJV) Now the LORD had said [imperfect - had been saying] to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, from your family [lit. relatives], and from your father's house, To a land that I will show you." =
Gen 11:27-32 indicate that when Abraham resided in Ur of the Chaldees, capital of Sumer, in Mesopotamia; "Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abrahm's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan" - the LORD's promised land. Hence it is evident at this point, that the LORD had already communicated with Abram while he was in Ur to leave his country, etc. But first the group went hundreds of miles northeast to Haran, of the land of Aram - the home of his father, instead of eastward to the land of Canaan. Notice that Abram did not heed the LORD saying to him to leave his country, (Ur, not Haran); his family and his father's household to go to Canaan when he was in Ur. Instead, Abram went first in the wrong direction to Haran, his father's home town and stayed with his father until he died. Whereupon the text beginning at Genesis chapter 12:1 changed its focus to Abram at the time when the LORD began appearing and speaking to him - which was from the time he dwelt in Ur of the Chaldees in Mesopotamia, to the time when he departed from Haran and went directly to Canaan at the Terebinth Tree of Moreh.
For the Hebrew verb "wayyO'mer" rendered "had said" in "Now the LORD had said [imperfect - literally, had been saying] to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, [Ur] from your family [lit. relatives], and from your father's house, To a land that I will show you,' " (Gen 12:1), is in the imperfect tense. The imperfect tense here indicates a sequence in time in the sense that the LORD had kept on saying to Abram from the time he was in his country of Ur in Mesopotamia to go from his land, his family and his father's household, to a land that He would show Abram. Hence there were persistent calls (and evidently appearances) made by the LORD to Abram to separate himself from his country, family, and father's household as opposed to a one time command.
Since Abram's society was pagan, it is implied in Gen 12:1 that the LORD appeared to Abram in a manner which demonstrated His glory and His power so that Abram could verify Who the LORD was and heed His words; much like the time when the LORD appeared to Abram when he arrived at Shechem, at the Terebinth Tree at Moreh in the promised land, (Gen 12:6-7).
(Gen 12:6 NKJV) "Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land."
(Gen 12:7 NKJV) Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, 'To your descendants I will give this land.' And there he built an altar to the LORD, Who had appeared to him."
(Acts 7:2 NKJV) "And he said, 'Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran."
So it took some time for Abram to comply to the LORD's request, evidently because Abram was so attached to his father, family and pagan way of life. And when he did set out directly for Canaan, he still took his nephew Lot and a number of household servants.
(v. 12:5 NKJV) "Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan."
Since Abram and his family were prosperous in Ur and Haran, having acquired considerable possessions and servants; then to leave all of this to go to an unknown land speaks of knowing of and trusting in the LORD's power and promise of prosperity and ownership. Hence the fact that the LORD told Abraham to go to a land the LORD will show him implied that the LORD would enable Abram to prosper in and own that land, once he settled there.
Note that the promise of ownership of the land is corroborated in Gen 15:7. Furthermore, Ur - Abram's country of origin, (not Haran), is indicated in this verse as the land from which the LORD was saying to Abram to leave:
(Gen 15:7 NKJV) "He also said to him, 'I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.' "
Hence the time of the LORD saying to go forth began when Abram was in Ur.
(v. 12:2 NAS) "[The LORD said to Abram] And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing.
(v. 12:3 NAS) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.' "
(v. 11:30 NAS) "And Sarai was barren; She had no child (v. 12:1 NKJV) Now the LORD had said [imperfect tense - had been saying] to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, from your family [lit. relatives], and from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. (v. 12:2 NAS) And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing. (v. 12:3 NAS) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed. ' " =
(Gen 12:2 Interlinear) "we'e'eskA .................legôy .......gAdôl wa'abArekkA
......................................."and I will make you to nation great ..and I will bless you
wa'agaddelâ ................semekA .....wehyEh .....berAkâ"
and I will make great .your name .so become .blessing"
(v. 3:14 NKJV) "So the LORD God said to the serpent: 'Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.' (v. 3:15 NKJV) And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel... (v. 12:1 NKJV) Now the LORD had said [imperfect - had been saying] to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, from your family [lit. relatives], and from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. (v. 12:2 NAS) And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing. (v. 12:3 NAS) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed. ' " =
By virtue of the imperfect tense Hebrew verb "wayyO'mer" rendered "had said [imperfect - had been saying]" (NKJV) which tense portrays repeated action in the past, verse 12:1 stipulated that the LORD had repeatedly said from the time when Abram was in Ur that Abram was to go from his native land Ur, (cf. Gen 15:7), to a land He will show Abram; whereupon, beginning in verse 12:2, the LORD promised Abram to make him a great nation. Notice that the phrase is not 'I will make you ruler of a great nation.' but "I [the LORD] will make you a great nation," i.e., Abram himself will become a great nation. Since a nation is an entity of a great number of individuals, and since Abram will become a great nation, then Abram, in spite of being childless for decades, is to have and live to see a great number of physical descendants over whom he will rule. Verse 12:2 goes on to say, "And I [the LORD] will bless you [Abram] and make your name great; And so you will be a blessing." So Abram is to effect a great number of the people of the earth in some great manner, affording to them great blessing over a great length of time, for it takes time for one to live to have a nation of descendants and by that become a great name throughout all the earth for all history.
Verse 12:3 continues the LORD’s declarations of Abram’s future by stating a number of astounding predictions which indicate that the LORD specifically selected Abram out of the sea of humanity in human history for His special and eternal purpose: "And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." Unlike the word ‘world’ which might be limited in time and geography if it were present in the context of Gen 12:3, the Hebrew word rendered "earth" in the NKJV in the context of Gen 12:3 encompasses the entire globe of the earth for all time. So the phrase "all the families of the earth" encompasses all mankind throughout history from all points of the earth.
A picture is presented of the LORD sovereignly selecting Abram from Ur of the Chaldees out of the sea of humanity to go to the promised land to be His vessel, (cf. 12:1). The LORD will then supernaturally enable Abram, whose wife has been barren and childless for decades, (cf. Gen 11:30) - both of whom are very old and unable to have children to have such a great name, i.e., have such a worldwide reputation of doing great and godly things and be such a great nation of many physical descendants that in Abram will all the families of the earth throughout history and eternity be blessed through the seed of Abram. This is evidently a fulfillment of the promise of God to provide for the eternal reconciliation of man to God relative to sin and the restoration of mankind's sovereignty over the earth through the miraculous Seed of the woman - a Messiah-Savior, evidently through the seed of Abram, (cf. Gen 3:14-15). That fact alone - that the Messiah-Savior of the world will be a descendant of Abram, will make Abram a great nation and a great name, for in him through that Messiah-Savior will be an opportunity for eternal life and blessing for all the families of the earth throughout history.
Hence an eternal time frame is in view. All of this is with an emphasis on the LORD's sovereign enablement in moving Abram to a faithful position in the land He will show Abram so as to fulfill His promises unilaterally and supernaturally. This was to begin with Abram getting out of his country, going from his family and his father's house to a land He will show Abram, (v. 12:1).
(v. 12:1 NKJV) "Now the LORD had said [imperfect - had been saying] to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, from your family [lit. relatives], and from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. (v. 12:2 NAS) "And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing. (v. 12:3 NAS) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed. ' " =
The Hebrew word "we'e'esekhA" rendered "and I will bless you" in verse 12:2 in the NAS refers to the LORD's empowerment for success, prosperity, fecundity, longevity, etc., i.e., temporal benefits as well as spiritual and eternal ones. In view of the context which includes God's plan for man's reconciliation to Himself and the restoration of mankind's sovereignty over the earth, (cp. Gen 3:14-15), evidently through Abram becoming a great nation wherein all the families of the earth will be blessed, the blessings will evidently be eternal as well.
(v. 3:14 NKJV) "So the LORD God said to the serpent: 'Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.' (v. 3:15 NKJV) And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel... (v. 12:1 NKJV) "Now the LORD had said [imperfect - had been saying] to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, from your family [lit. relatives], and from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. (v. 12:2 NAS) "And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing. (v. 12:3 NAS) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed. ' " =
The LORD promised to make Abram a great nation and to make Abram's name great and in Abram will all the families of the earth be blessed. This implies that through the LORD working in Abram's life, Abram as a great nation will have a worldwide reputation of doing great and godly things wherein all the families of the earth will be blessed - implying for all time! All of this is a part of God's plan for mankind's eternal reconciliation with Him and for the restoration of mankind's sovereignty over the earth. Abram as a great nation and Abram's great name will be connected to the LORD in a manner which will be known throughout the world for all time as the individual, (Abram), and the nation through whom descended the Messiah-Savior of the world. Hence an eternal timeframe is in view. All of this is with an emphasis on the LORD's sovereign enablement in moving Abram to a faithful position in the land He will show Abram so as to fulfill His promises unilaterally and supernaturally. This was to begin with Abram getting out of his country, going from his family and his father's house then through making Abram a great nation, a great name and a blessing to all the people of the world by being the vessel through whom the LORD will provide eternal reconciliation of man to God and restoration of the sovereignty of humanity over the earth via a Messiah-Savior.
(v. 3:14 NKJV) "So the LORD God said to the serpent: 'Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.' (v. 3:15 NKJV) And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel... (v. 12:1 NKJV) Now the LORD had said [imperfect - had been saying] to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, from your family [lit. relatives], and from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. (v. 12:2 NAS) And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing. (v. 12:3 NAS) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.' "'' =
In Gen 12:2c, the Hebrew verb "wehyEh," is in the imperative (command) tense and literally means "so you shall be" [a blessing] as it is rendered in the NAS. The use of the imperative (command) tense in 12:2c follows and is subordinate to the previous imperative tense in 12:1: [The LORD kept on saying to Abram] "Get out from your country, your family and your father's house..."
[Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar, 2nd Edition, E Kautzsch, Ed., Oxford Press, London, 1910, p. 325]:
"The imperative when depending ... upon another imperative. In this case the first imperative contains, as a rule, a condition, while the second declares the consequence which the fulfilment of the condition will involve. The imperative is used for this declaration, since the consequence is, as a matter of fact, intended or desired by the speaker."
Hence 12:2c conveys the result of Abram becoming a great nation and a great name: "In him all the families of the earth will be blessed" - when he leaves his land, relatives and house of his father and enters the promised land, following what the LORD said to do in 12:1. This implies that the LORD will enable Abram to enter the land and be a blessing to all the families of the earth of all time forever by becoming a great nation and a great name, because God's promises to Abram are sovereign, unilateral and eternal and evidently a part of God's plan for mankind's eternal reconciliation and restoration of sovereignty over the earth, (Gen 3:14-15).
(v. 12:3 NAS) "And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed. ' " =
Notice that the LORD repeats His promise that if Abram moves into the promised land that all the families of the earth, (of all history), will be blessed "in Abram" implying God's enablement of such a universal blessing to all the families of the earth in time through what He promises to do through Abram.
In view of the fact that God, Whose frame of reference is sovereign and eternal, is making a declaration that He will make Abram a great nation, bless him and make his name great, and so shall Abram be a blessing to the world, a blessing to all the families of the earth, (Gen 12:2-3); we must conclude that this is the LORD's eternal plan revealed earlier in Genesis chapter 3 to provide eternal reconciliation of man to Himself and restore mankind's sovereignty over the earth through the Seed of the woman, Eve through enabling Abram to become a great nation and a great name.
In order to become a great nation and a great name in God's sight as He promised and in Abram will all the families of the earth be blessed, Abram had to be a blessing worldwide throughout the ages. A local, temporary benefit is not in view. Blessings through Abram in ancient times such as trade, peace and power would be limited to a local and temporal and come to an end. The promises of the LORD cannot be limited to temporal blessings for a limited time in one region of the world, i.e., only for individuals on one side of the ancient world during Abram's lifetime. That would hardly be a blessing of any consequence such that God would announce it to Abram as a promise to all the families of the earth. Hence humanity of all ages to be blessed in a spiritual and eternal sense as well as temporal must be in view. The LORD's promises to Abram lead to the eternal reconciliaton of all mankind of all ages to God and the restoration of the sovereignty of mankind over the earth for all times in history, i.e., forever.
(v. 3:14 NKJV) "So the LORD God said to the serpent: 'Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.' (v. 3:15 NKJV) And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel... (v. 12:2 NAS) And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing. (v. 12:3 NAS) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.' "" =
Genesis chapter 3 declares God's plan for the eternal reconciliation of man to God and the restoration of mankind's sovereignty over the earth through an individual descendant of Eve which chapter 12 implies will be fulfilled through the LORD's making Abram a great nation and in Abram through his seed will be an opportunity for eternal life and blessing for all mankind throughout the ages and eternity. The context of previous chapters in Genesis has indicated that mankind is sinful and estranged from God for which He has a plan for reconciling mankind to Himself through the seed of Eve which will evidently be through the seed of Abram wherein all individuals have the opportunity to be blessed with spiritual reconciliation with God and eternal life with Him resulting in the restoration of mankind's authority over the earth.
[The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Vol. 2, Frank E Gaebelein, Gen. Ed., Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, Mich., 1990, p. 111]:
"1-5 We have already suggested that by placing the call of Abraham after the dispersion of the nations at Babylon (11:1-9), the author intended to picture Abraham's call as God's gift of salvation in the midst of judgment. As a way of sustaining this theme even further, the author has patterned the account of Abraham's call and blessing after an earlier account of a similar gift of salvation in the midst of judgment, the conclusion of the Flood narrative... The similarities between the two narratives are striking, showing that Abram, like Noah, makes a new beginning as well as a return to God's original plan of blessing 'all mankind' (cf. 1:28)"
*** EXCERPT FROM GENESIS CHAPTER 3 ***
(v. 3:14 NKJV) "So the LORD God said to the serpent: 'Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.' "
(v. 3:14 NKJV) "So the LORD God said to the serpent: 'Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.' " =
God spoke to the particular serpent in the garden of Eden in a manner consistent with one who had demonstrated highly intelligent, subtle and evil qualities but wholly inconsistent with such an earthly creature as God had created it. For of all the earthly creatures, only man was created to have a soul which reflected the image of God thereby providing such high intelligence and capacity to exercise rulership over all the other created beings on the earth. Hence we may conclude that the serpent in view in Genesis 3 was possessed / influenced by another highly superior created being other than the two humans God had created; which leaves an angelic being. So for deceiving Eve and causing her and Adam to sin, (Gen 3:1-7), the LORD GOD cursed the serpent who was possessed by a rebellious angelic creature named in other passages as Satan, God's adversary. God cursed the serpent more than any other creature, relegating serpents now to crawl on their bellies, eating dust as a sign of judgment upon Satan's rebellion. Previous text in Genesis does not describe such an intelligent and evil being, but other passages in Scripture corroborate and provide more details on this. In view of the significance of this confusion, we will divert from Genesis chapter 3 in order to corroborate this.
"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.' "
Notice that God created man last of all of the earthly beings. And He created only man in His image to rule over the earth. Hence whomever God was addressing when He spoke to the serpent in the Garden of Eden, was not one of the only two humans at that time, and it was a being that displayed greater than the high intelligence of man and even had the image of God, and the capacity for rulership of the other creatures, including man! And lastly, it displayed evil behavior which is not characteristic of the creatures that God had created on the earth.
2) [Compare Gen 1:25, 31 NIV]:
(v. 1:25 NIV) "God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
(v. 1:31 NIV) God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning - the sixth day."
Notice that no non-human earthly creature was equipped by God when He created living beings to behave in an evil manner. God said that what He had created was good - very good, not evil.
Hence the serpent had to have been possessed by a superior created being who had chosen to do evil and usurp the authority of God as demonstrated in Gen 3:1-6. The only highly intelligent creature in the image of God left besides two humans, Adam and Eve, who might be suspect of such behavior, was the most powerful angelic creature, Lucifer the fallen angel, renamed Satan, literally meaning Adversary [of God]:
(v. 1) '''''The word of the LORD came to me:
(v. 2) ''''Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, '''This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "In the pride of your heart you say, 'I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas.' But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god.
(v. 3) Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you?
(v. 4) By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries.
(v. 5) By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart has grown proud." '''
[The Bible Knowledge Commentary, OT, Walvoord & Zuck, Eds, Victor Books, USA, 1988, p. 1282]:
"28:1-5. Ezekiel's third message against Tyre was directed specifically to the ruler of Tyre. 'Ruler'... Ezekiel had prophesied against the whole city; he was now singling out the city's leader for a special word from God. This ruler was Ehtbaal III, who ruled from 591-590 B.C. TO 573-772 B.C.
The underlying sin of Tyre's king was his pride, which prompted him to view himself as a god... Evidently in Ezekiel's day the kings of Tyre believed they were divine.
The king's claims to deity were false. God said, You are a man and not a god. Ethbaal III was only a mortal. Evidently he felt he had wisdom that only a god could possess. In a statement dripping with irony Ezekiel asked the king, Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you? The 'Daniel' in view was probably the Prophet Daniel... He had already achieved a reputation for his wisdom in the courts of Nebuchadnezzar... The irony was that Ethbaal III felt his wisdom exceeded that of even Daniel who served the country that would ultimately defeat Tyre. Daniel who attributed all his wisdom to God, (cf. Dan 2:27-28), was much wiser than Ethbaal III, who claimed to be a god.
Ethbaal III had been able to use his wisdom and skill to acquire material possessions. His lucrative trade had produced great wealth, including gold and silver, but it also increased his pride (his heart had grown proud)."]
(v. 6) '''Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "Because you think you are wise, as wise as a god,
(v. 7) I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations; they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce your shining splendor.
(v. 8) They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die a violent death in the heart of the seas.
(v. 9) Will you then say, 'I am a god,' in the presence of those who kill you? You will be but a man, not a god, in the hands of those who slay you.
(v. 10) You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. I have spoken," declares the Sovereign LORD." '''
[BKC, op. cit., pp. 1282-3]:
"28:6-10. God would not let the pride (vv. 2, 5) of Tyre's ruler go unchallenged. The foreigners whom God would bring against Tyre had already been identified as the Babylonians (26:7-11). Babylon was ruthless... in her treatment of others... Unimpressed with Ethbaal's beauty and wisdom, Babylon would destroy him in a violent way in the heat of the seas (cf. 27:26). When slaim by his enemies, it would be evident that he was no god. Ethbaal III was removed from his throne by Nebuchadnezzar in 573-572 B.C. and Baal II was put in his place. Ethbaal III paid a high price for rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar. In fact Ethbaal would die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. While the Phoenicians practiced circumcision, Ezekiel's words conveyed a meaning that went beyond this cultural practice. To 'die the death of the uncircumcised' meant to die in shame (cf. 32:30)... This king who claimed to be a god would suffer an ignoble death as a man."
Notice that verses 1-10 refer to the actual king of Tyre of history which predicts what actually happened in history: his defeat under military attack and violent death "in the heart of the seas... at the hands of his foreigners"]
(v. 11) '''''The word of the LORD came to me:
(v. 12) ''''Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: '''This is what the Sovereign Lord says: "You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
(v. 13) You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.
[Note that the setting of vv. 11-19 is not the earthly one of the time of the king of Tyre. The king of Tyre never took residence in the garden of Eden, nor was he adorned with every precious stone prepared at the moment of his creation, nor was he a guardian cherub angel. Furthermore, it cannot be figurative, for the details are not consistent with the person of the king of Tyre himself. It is however consistent with an actual angelic being - one of great power who beyond the capacity of the human king of Tyre, was the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty who dwelt in Eden, the garden of God, was adorned with every precious stone set in gold, which was created on the day he was created. Note that the human king of Tyre would be referred to as being born not created in a mature state. This perfect being is the one who was behind the evil actions of the human King of Tyre ]
(v. 14) You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.
[Note that a cherub angel was one of supreme authority and power, fully capable of doing what the Serpent did in the garden of Eden, (Gen 3:1-15) Furthermore, it is stipulated that this cherub angel was ordained by God to such a position and was on the holy mount of God among what is described as "the fiery stones". None of this corresponds with a viable description of the human king of Tyre, symbolic or otherwise]
(v. 15) You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.
[Notice that Lucifer, the name of the angelic creature in view, (cf. Isa 14:12-14), was blameless and perfect in his ways from the day that he was created, until wickedness was found in him. Also note that the King of Tyre was not blameless from the day he was created, but born in sin]
(v. 16) Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.
(v. 17) Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings."
[Notice that this angelic being was expelled from the mount of God in heaven to the earth with no restriction of his behavior so he still could choose to express his evil anywhere on the earth, including the Garden of Eden which he evidently did, (cf. Gen 3:1-15)]
(v. 18) By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching.
(v. 19) All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.'''''
[BKC, op. cit., p. 1283]:
"28:11-19.... Ezekiel was not describing an ideal man or a false god in verses 11-26. But his switch from 'ruler' to 'king' and his allusions to the Garden of Eden do imply that the individual being described was more than human. The best explanation is that Ezekiel was describing Satan who was the true 'king' of Tyre, the one motivating the human 'ruler' of Tyre. Satan was in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:1-7), and his chief sin was pride (1 Tim 3:6). He also had access to God's pressence (cf. Job 1:6-12). Speaking of God's judging the human 'ruler' of Tyre for his pride (Ezek 28:1-10), the prophet lamented the satanic 'king' of Tyre who was also judged for his pride (vv. 11-19). Tyre was motivated by the same sin as Satan, and would suffer the same fate.
Ezekiel described the beauty and perfection of Satan as God originally created him (vv. 12-15a). He was the model of perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. God did not create Satan as some prime minister of evil. As with all God's Creation, Satan was a perfectly created being - one of the crowing achievements in God's angelic realm.
Satan was given an exalted place; he was in Eden, the garden of God. Eden was the epitome of God's beautiful Creation on earth (cf. Gen 2:8-14). Satan's beauty matched that of Eden: every precious stone adorned him. Ezekiel listed nine gemstones in describing Satan's beauty... The precious stones probably symbolized Satan's beauty and high position.
God had anointed Satan as a guardian cherub (Ezek 28:14). The cherubim... were the 'inner circle' of angels who had the closest access to God and guarded His holiness (cf. 10:1-14). Satan also had free access to God's holy mount (28:14), heaven, and he walked among the fiery stones (cf. v. 16)... God's fiery wall of protection (cf. Zech 2:5)... Ezekiel was stating that Satan had access to God's presence.
As originally created by God, Satan was blameless... til wickeness was found in him (Ezek 28:15) and he sinned (v. 16). The sin that corrupted Satan was self-generated. Created blameless, his sin was pride, (1 Tim 3:6), because of his beauty. Satan spoiled his wisdom because of his splendor... Satan's pride led to his fall and judgment.
Though Ezekiel presented the fall of Satan as a single act, it actually occurred in stages. Satan's initial judgment was his expulsion from the position of God's anointed cherub before His throne. God expelled him from the mount of God (heaven, v. 16; cf. v. 14). Satan was cast from God's government in heaven (cf. Luke 10:18) but was still allowed access to God (cf. Job 1:6-12; Zech 3:1-2)...
One of the elements of Satan's sin was his widespread dishonest trade. The word for trade comes from the verb 'rAkal' which means 'to go about from one to another.' Ezekiel had used that noun in speaking of Tyre's commercial activities (Ezek 28:5)... Ezekiel was comparing the human 'prince' of Tyre and his satanic 'king.'
So Ezekiel used a word that could convey a broad meaning. Satan's position in heaven involved broad contact with many elements of God's creation much as the prince of Tyre's position enabled him to contact many nations.
Though Ezekiel was describing the 'ultimate' ruler of Tyre, Satan, the purpose of the lament was to speak of the city's destruction. So he began to blend the characteristics of the satanic king with the human ruler. Satan would be cast to the earth (v. 17), and the king of Tyre would also be cast down before other kings, his enemies. Satan's ultimate destiny will be the lake of fire (cf. Rev 21:10), and the defeat and death of the human ruler of Tyre was pictured as being consumed by fire (Ezek 28:18). Both Satan's and Tyre's defeats would shock those nations who had followed them. They would be appalled because of Satan's and Tyre's horrible end (cf. 27:35-36)."
(v. 14:12 YLT) "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! "
At this point in chapter 14 the subject switches from the king of Babylon who is portrayed as fallen in physical death to Sheol, in the depths of the earth, to the same fate as other rulers, to a rebellious angelic being as if the latter were somehow responsible for the former's cruel rulership on earth.
The Hebrew word "heylel" rendered "Lucifer" in the KJV literally means light bearer, or morning star which the latter most readily fits the context since such a light bearer is portayed as coming from heaven above and is referred to in verse 12 as "son of the dawn" which implies a light bearer above the earth at dawn, i.e., a morning star. The planet Venus is often referred to as the morning star.
The term Lucifer in fourth century Latin was a name for Venus, the morning star. The Latin word Lucifer is composed of two words: lux, or in the genitive form used lucis, (meaning "light") and ferre, which means "to bear" or "to bring." So, the word Lucifer means bearer of light as does "heylel" in the Hebrew. Hence the name Lucifer has been adopted over into English to mean "light bearer" and in specific contexts such as Isa 14:12, refers to the fallen angel, later named Satan, as rendered in a number of key versions, (KJV, NKJV, etc.).
On the other hand, since the beginning of verse 14:12 describes a morning star having fallen from heaven; and since stars don't occupy the heaven where God's throne resides; and since a star would destroy the earth if it fell to it; then we can conclude that verse 12 is figurative, with a literal meaning behind it. "Heylel" is further described as having fallen from heaven to the ground, i.e., to the earth resulting in weakening the "gowy" literally people or nations, i.e., mankind, corroborating that "Heylel" refers to an angelic being. Hence we can conclude that verse 12 portrays an angelic being who has fallen from his residence in heaven, evidently having committed some kind of offense toward God, i.e., sin; was cast down to earth where his actions caused mankind to weaken, i.e., become sinful]
(v. 13 NIV) You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.
(v. 14) I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'
[The reason why an angelic being was thrown out of heaven is made clear in verses 13 and 14: Lucifer aspired to ascend to heaven to raise his throne above the stars of God which most likely refers to angelic beings because the position of inanimate stars in the heavens is hardly something for an angelic being who already has access to heaven and the throne room of God to aspire to]
(Job 1:6 NIV) "One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them.
(Job 1:7 NIV) The LORD said to Satan, 'Where have you come from?' Satan answered the LORD, 'From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.
(Job 1:8 NIV) Then the LORD said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.'
(Job 1:9 NIV) 'Does Job fear God for nothing?' Satan replied.
(Job 1:10 NIV) 'Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.
(Job 1:11 NIV) But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.'
(Job 1:12 NIV) The LORD said to Satan, 'Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.' Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD."
[So the evil angel Satan = literally, "Adversary" of God], roamed the earth "going back and forth in it" looking for faults in humans in order to show them to God. He especially opposed God when God blessed, protected and enabled Job to walk blameless before Him. In Job 1:11, Satan indicated that he wanted to provoke an individual to curse God to His face by causing him great harm, (Job 1:11). Such an angel demonstrated a capability, willingness and availability on earth to possess the serpent in the garden of Eden and deceive Eve into sinning, (cf. Gen 3:1-15).
(v. 3:15 NKJV) "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."
TWO SPIRITUAL (NOT BIOLOGICAL) SEEDS ARE IN VIEW:
(v. 3:15 NKJV) "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." =
The Hebrew words "zar’akhA" and "zar’Ahh' " rendered "your seed" and "her Seed" respectively in 3:15 in the NKJV usually has a biological connotation; but in Genesis 3:15, the Hebrew words "zar’akhA" and "zar’Ahh' " refer to:
1) Those individuals - angelic and human - who deliberately follow, i.e., are given 'birth' as seed of the Agent (Satan) who possessed the serpent and caused Eve to sin. Note that that Agent is a spiritual being, not a physical one, hence seed has a spiritual connotation, not a physical one. Furthermore, all of the seed of Satan were declared by God to be at enmity with the woman and her Seed.
2) The second word rendered seed in Genesis 3:15 which is rendered with a capital "S" in the NKJV, is portrayed as resulting in a male physical descendant of the woman, Eve, in 3:15c: "He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." The word seed when it is used to portray a physical descendant, normally refers to a seed which biologically comes from the male; but in the case of Gen 3:15, the phrase "the seed of the woman" is stipulated as opposed to the normal phrase 'the seed of the man.' Hence the word "Seed" in this case refers to a Seed which must be produced supernaturally and spiritually by God into a female physical descendant of the woman, Eve, in order to result in an individual male descendant of that woman. The Seed of the woman, Eve, is futher portrayed as representing the whole human race - a Messiah-Savior, hence the capital "Seed" - in doing battle with Satan and his seed to regain the lost sovereignty of the human race, usurped by Satan; and to provide an opportunity for every individual human being to be eternally reconciled with God relative to sin.
(v. 3:15 NKJV) "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." =
The word "yeshûphekhA," [Str. # 7779], rendered "he will crush [lit. bruise]" contains the word "shûph" which occurs twice in 3:15 and connotes a striking blow which is purposed to cause destruction.
The LORD GOD spoke to Satan who possessed the serpent in the garden and caused Adam and Eve to sin, usurping their position of authority over the world. He said, "And I [the LORD GOD] will put enmity, [i.e., decree mutual hostility] between you [Satan] and the woman [Eve, who is the mother of all humanity, (cf. 3:20)].
Notice from Gen 3:1 on, it was not Satan's intent to have hostility, but to gain sovereignty over Eve, humanity and the world. He successfully deceived and hence manipulated her and Adam so as to usurp their position and God's authority given to them by God over the earth.
... and [enmity] between your seed and her Seed =
[And there was also decreed by God to be enmity between the seed of Satan, i.e., those who chose to rebel against the LORD GOD, to be spiritually like Satan: unbelieving and rebellious angelic and human beings. They are 'birthed' by Satan in the sense of choosing to rebel against God after Satan's example. Satan evidently makes a constant effort to tempt others to follow him in rebellion against God]
and her Seed =
[= a single individual is portrayed in 3:15b considering the next phrase in 3:15c, ("He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel"), which has a single individual in view. This Individual is stipulated as the Seed of the woman, Eve, portraying a supernatural birth via a spiritually provided Seed to impregnate a female descendant of Eve to give birth to a male descendant Who will represent all of humanity in battle with Satan and his seed to regain the lost sovereignty of the human race over the world and provide an opportunity for every individual human being to be eternally reconciled with God relative to sin.
The LORD GOD then said, 'He [the single individual Messiah Savior] shall bruise [strike] your head, [ i.e., deliver a mortal blow via an act which destroys Satan and the evil he did and restores humanity to its original sinless state]
and you [Satan] will bruise [strike] his heel, [i.e., deliver a non-mortal blow, i.e., cause him injury but not mortal to His existence and purpose, giving Him the victory over sin for all humanity over Satan and his evil work which caused Adam and Eve to sin, destroy their relationship with God and lose control of their rulership over the world to Satan]
****** END OF EXCERPTS FROM GEN 3 ******
(v. 12:3 NAS) "And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.' "
(v. 3:14 NKJV) "So the LORD God said to the serpent: 'Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.' (v. 3:15 NKJV) And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel... (v. 12:1 NKJV) Now the LORD had said [imperfect - had been saying] to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, from your family [lit. relatives], and from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. (v. 12:2 NAS) "[The LORD said to Abram] And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing. (v. 12:3 NAS) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.' " =
God promises to bless those that bless Abram, curse those that curse him and in Abram all the families of the world will be blessed. The LORD's promise of a seed of the woman Eve - a Messiah-Savior representing all of humanity to defeat Satan and his seed resulting in the availability of eternal reconciliation of man with God and the restoration of the sovereignty of humanity over the earth. All of this will be accomplished by the LORD through Abram becoming a great nation and a great name and in Abram will all the families of the earth be so blessed.
With the promises given in vv. 3:14-15 and 12:2-3, to which are attached the LORD's persistent saying to Abram to go to the land He will show him, (v. 12:1); verse 12:3 goes on to a perspective of the world's response to Abram as the LORD fulfills His promises through him.
The Hebrew word "wa'avakhAh" is rendered "and I will bless" in verse 12:3 of the NAS. It refers to the LORD empowering one for success, prosperity, fecundity, longevity, etc., i.e., temporal and spiritual benefits to those who bless Abram - that being the nature of the LORD and His blessings. Evidently the LORD has promised to protect Abram as His servant and messenger to the world and so that what the LORD promised Abram would be enabled and protected. To those that bless Abram, i.e., provide him with empowerment for success, prosperity, fecundity, longevity, peace will themselves be so blessed by the LORD; and those who curse Abram in word or deed - the opposite, they will be so cursed by the LORD. Note that the LORD'S promises to Abram are tied directly to His sovereign and supernatural enablement of Abram to have the promises fulfilled in and through him.
(v. 12:4 NAS) "So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran."
(v. 12:1 NKJV) "Now the LORD had said [imperfect - had been saying] to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, from your family [lit. relatives], and from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. (v. 12:2 NAS) [The LORD said to Abram] And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing. (v. 12:3 NAS) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.' (v. 12:4 NAS) So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran." =
So Abram departed once more for the land the LORD will show him, this time from Haran at the age of 75. He was still not in total conformity with the LORD's command: He took Lot, his nephew who is a relative and the servants Abram acquired in Haran from his father's household. Note that the Hebrew verb "dibber" rendered "had spoken" in 12:4 in the NAS, is in the Piel stem which portrays intensification of the action of the verb indicating that the Lord often had said or fully explained. It is in the perfect tense, hence it indicates a completed action in the past before Abram's departure. This corroborates verse 12:1 referring to Abram's time in Ur when the LORD had graciously kept on saying to Abram to go from his land, family and father's house - a constant and gracious call of separation to him as opposed to a one time sharp command. Evidently there were years between when the LORD had first spoken to Abram in Ur and when he finally departed from Haran for the promised land. Yet the LORD remained faithful, repeatedly reiterating His promises to Abram to bring him graciously to faithfulness so that He can bless him and make his name great and in him all the families of the earth will be blessed. This sovereign persistance and graciousness on the part of the LORD implies that He will enable Abram to have the promises fulfilled in him, corroborating the promises as unilateral and not dependent upon Abram meeting certain conditions.
(v. 11:27 NAS) "Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. And Haran begat Lot. (v. 11:28 NAS) And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. (v. 11:29 NAS) And Abram and Nahor took them wives: The name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. (v. 11:30 NAS) And Sarai was barren; She had no child (v. 11:31 NAS) And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. (v. 11:32 NAS) And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran. (v. 12:1 NKJV) Now the LORD had said [imperfect - had been saying] to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, from your family [lit. relatives], and from your father's house, To a land that I will show you (v. 12:2 NAS) [The LORD said to Abram] And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing. (v. 12:3 NAS) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.' (v. 12:4 NAS) So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran." =
Abram demonstrated incredible faith in the LORD. Recall that he was living in a pagan society which was a stranger to the LORD. Abram's lifestyle was a settled and prosperous one in Ur the capital city of Sumer of the Chaldean civilization; and his family was with him in a prosperous household containing many servants. Whereupon the LORD, Who was not one of Abram's pagan gods asked Abram to leave all of this behind and go to a land about which Abram was told nothing. And Abram trusted in the LORD and began to do that.
(v. 12:5 NKJV) "Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan."
(v. 11:31 NAS) "And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abrahm's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. (v. 12:1 NKJV) Now the LORD had said [imperfect - had been saying] to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, from your family [lit. relatives], and from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. (v. 12:2 NAS) And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing (v. 12:3 NAS) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.' (v. 12:4 NAS) So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. (v. 12:5 NKJV) Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan" =
So now Abram took his wife Sarai, Lot his brother's son, all their possessions and people they acquired in Haran and left for and arrived at the promised land of Canaan a 600 mile journey.
Notice that Abram was still not strictly in compliance with what the LORD asked when he took Lot, his brother's son (family), and the people they acquired in Haran with him.
Finally, notice that the land the LORD was to show Abram was the land of Canaan as previously stated in Gen 11:31 that the LORD in Gen 12:1 had said [imperfect - had been saying] He would show him:
1) [Compare Gen 11:31-12:1 NAS]:
(v. 11:31 NAS) "And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abrahm's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. (v. 12:1 NKJV) Now the LORD had said [imperfect - had been saying] to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, from your family [lit. relatives], and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you.' "
(v. 11:31 NAS) "And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abrahm's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. (v. 12:1 NKJV) Now the LORD had said [imperfect - had been saying] to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, from your family [lit. relatives], and from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. (v. 12:2 NAS) And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing (v. 12:3 NAS) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.' (v. 12:4 NAS) So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. (v. 12:5 NKJV) Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan." =
It is evident from the imperfect tense in "The LORD had said [imperfect - had been saying]" in 12:1 and the perfect tense in "as the LORD had spoken" in 12:4 that the LORD repeatedly reiterated His promises to Abram even after Abram's delays and failures. It is implied then that the LORD will fulfill His promises, even working through all of Abram's delays and failures, moving him toward faithfulness. Hence the LORD's promises are in effect unilateral with an emphasis upon bringing about Abram's faithfulness as opposed to conditions placed upon Abram in order for the LORD to fulfill His promises.
(v. 12:6 NKJV) "Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land."
(v. 12:1 NKJV) "Now the LORD had said [imperfect - had been saying] to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, from your family [lit. relatives] And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. (v. 12:2 NAS) [The LORD said to Abram] And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing. (v. 12:3 NAS) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.' (v. 12:4 NAS) So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. (v. 12:5 NKJV) Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. (v. 12:6 NKJV) Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth [lit. large tree] of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land." =
Abram entered the land of Canaan and traveled to the place of Shechem as far as " 'Elôn Môreh" [the great tree of Moreh = lit. teacher]. Shechem is one of the oldest cities in the Palestinian area. It is located about 30 miles north of Jerusalem. The Hebrew word 'Elôn' refers to a large tree, not to a specific species of tree as some versions have it. The Hebrew word "Môreh" refers to the word teacher. So " 'Elôn' Môreh" rendered "the terebinth tree of Moreh" in the NKJV refers to a well known place marked by a large landmark tree under which a teacher regularly provided teaching. The "terebinth"(NKJV) is a tree which grows to a thirty foot maximum - a well known species of tree in the Palestinian area. On the other hand, most versions translate the word "'Elôn' " with 'oak.' another large, well known tree species for that area.
[TWOT, R. Larid Harris, Ed., Moody Press, Chicago, 1980, p. 20, #45i]:
"The tree figures often in Abraham's travels (Gen 12:6, 13:18; 14:13; 18:1... Deut 11:30... Jud 9:37... Apparently certain such trees became so famous as landmarks that they were generally recognized by all as suitable for specifying rendezvous."
Note that the Canaanites were in the land that Abram had entered into. This was the land the LORD promised to show Abram implying occupation and ownership; yet the Canaanites are declared as in the land - an obstacle at that time to Abram owning or even settling anywhere in the land. Nothing in the text indicates that the Canaanites were going to move out of their land; nor were there specific actions the LORD stipulated He would take toward that end. On the other hand, it is evident that it is the LORD's intention to move out the Canaanites in order to provide Abram with the promised land. In any case, Abram has not yet evidenced a willingness to permanently settle in the land as he had done in Ur - a decided lack of trust in the LORD to deliver him from the Canaanites if they opposed his occupation of the land. Later on when Abram went into Egypt the LORD intervened and Abram and Sarai were indeed protected from harm, the promises remained intact and Abram was blessed with great wealth - without Abram's calling on the name of the LORD for deliverance. Certainly if the LORD could and did this to Pharaoh and Egypt, He would do it to the Canaanites.
(v. 12:17 NKJV) "But the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.
(v. 12:18 NKJV) And Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?
(v. 12:19 NKJV) Why did you say, 'She is my sister'? [That] I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.
(v. 12:20 NKJV) So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had."
(v. 12:7 NKJV) "Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, 'To your seed I will give this land.' And there he built an altar to the LORD, Who had appeared to him."
(Gen 12:1 NKJV) "Now the LORD had said [imperfect - had been saying] to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, from your family [lit. relatives] And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. (Gen 12:2 NAS) [The LORD said to Abram] And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing. (Gen 12:3 NAS) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.' (Gen 12:4 NAS) So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. (Gen 12:5 NKJV) Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. (Gen 12:6 NKJV) Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth [lit. large] tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. (Gen 12:7 NKJV) Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, 'To your seed I will give this land.' And there he built an altar to the LORD, Who had appeared to him." =
(Gen 12:7a Hebrew) "wayyErA' ............yehwAh ...............'el-'avrAm
.................................."and He appeared Yahweh [LORD] to Abram
wayyO'mer .lezar'akhA ..'ettEn .......'eth-hA'Arets .hazzO'th"
and He said .to your seed I will give .the land ..........the this"
Note that the Hebrew word ".lezar'akhA" rendered "to your seed" contains the noun "zar'a" for seed which is in its masculine singular form in this verse.
[Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, R. Laird Harris, Ed, Moody Press, Chicago, 1980, pp. 252-4]:
"zera'. Sowing, seed, offspring...
The most important theological usage [of this word rendered 'seed'] is found ... commencing with Gen 3:15, [where] the word 'seed' is regularly used as a collective noun in the singular. This technical term is an important aspect of the promise doctrine, for Hebrew never uses the plural of this root to refer to 'posterity' or 'offspring.'... Thus the word designates the whole line of descendants as a unit, yet it is deliberately flexible enough to denote either one person who epitomizes the whole group, [such as the Man of the Promise, Jesus Christ], or the many persons in that whole line of natural and/or spiritual descendants (of Abraham)."
So as Abram came to Shechem
in the land of Canaan as far as the Terebinth tree at Moreh, where the
LORD again appeared to him and reminded him of His promise to give Abram
and his seed possession of the land. Whereupon Abram built an altar to the
LORD in order to facilitate worship of Him as his LORD God. God's promise
of giving the land to Abram's seed has in view an everlasting possession
since it came through the LORD with no limitation on its duration and it
was to be the possession of all descendants of Abram. For the LORD had
promised (1) that He would make Abram a great nation which implied many
descendants and rulership forever via a Messiah-Savior, the Seed of Abram;
(2) that He would bless Abram in the promised land which implies temporal
and spiritual prosperity and longevity unto eternal life; (3) that He
would make Abram's name great in the promised land, which implies enabling
Abram to be faithful in doing great and godly things as part of God's plan
for man's eternal reconciliation with him and restoration of mankind's
sovereignty over the earth through a descendant of Abram; (4) Whereby the
LORD declared that in Abram all the families of the earth - forever -
would be blessed inplying the temporal and eternal as part of God's plan
for man's eternal reconciliation with Him and restoration of mankind's
sovereignty over the earth through a descendant of Abram, (Gen 12:2-3
).
And through a moment of faith in Him would there be provision for one of
an atoning sacrifice for ones sins unto eternal life. And this One will
rule over the Eternal Kingdom of God forever.
But at this point in Abram's life, he and his wife Sarai were childless, at advanced ages and unable to have children, (Gen 11:30). Hence a supernatural event is inherent in the promise of the LORD.
Recall that Abram was permanently settled in Ur - a substantial and sophisticated city in the Chaldees when the LORD began saying to him to move out. He was not familiar with the nomadic lifestyle which he embarked upon when he began to follow the instructions of the LORD. Yet when he got to the land he never settled anywhere indicating that Abram had not fully trusted in the LORD's promise, which evidently included trusting in the LORD to take eliminate the Cananite ownership and presence which was an ever present threat.
Notice that the LORD once more declared His promises to Abram without any conditions for Abram to meet, hence the promises continued to be unilateral with an emphasis on the LORD's sovereign enablement in moving Abram into a faithful position wherein the LORD would provide the circumstances and enablement of Abram to nurture and increase his trust in the LORD's deliverance of him. Hence, along the narrowing sides of a funnel of circumstance and faith, Abram is sovereignly moved toward the center of faithfulness that leads to the fulfillment of God's unilateral promises to him.
The building of an altar to the LORD was a physical memorial of the LORD's appearance to Abram and an affirmation of Abram's acceptance of and worship of the LORD, implying a faith in the LORD as his God; and in the promise He made to Abram and his seed. That the altar was built in the midst of pagan Canaanite territory was a highly visible testimony to those who worshipped other gods.
(v. 12:8 NKJV) "And he moved [lit. moved on] from there to the mountain east [lit. seaward] of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west [lit. seaward] and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD."
(v. 12:5 NKJV) "Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. (v. 12:6 NKJV) Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth [lit. large] tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. (v. 12:7 NKJV) Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, 'To your seed I will give this land.' And there he built an another altar to the LORD, Who had appeared to him. (v. 12:8 NKJV) And he moved [lit. moved on] from there to the mountain east [lit. seaward] of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west [lit. seaward] and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD." =
(v. 12:8 Hebrew) "wayya'attEq ........mishshAm hAhArAh ...........miqqdhem .levêth-'El
............................."and he moved on from there to the mountain .of the east to Bethel
wayyEt .................'AhlOh .bêth-El .miyyAm wehA'â .....miqqedhem wayyiven-shAm
and he spread out .his tent Bethel ..seaward and the Ai of the east ..and he built there
mizbEach lâhwAh .....wayyiqorA ....beshEm .............yehwAh"
altar ........to Yahweh and he called on the name of .Yahweh"
Note that possession or even settlement in the land of Canaan was apt to create problems with the ever present Canaanites - tantamount to war. Hence Abram was still not evidencing trust in the LORD to deliver him from the Canaanites. He continues to move southward through the land without settling in. It is evident that He is not in a position to take possession of it yet. So Abram moves through the central hill country to a mountain east of Bethel with Bethel itself on the west. Bethel was one of the sacred places of the Canaanites which was used to practice idolatry, Abram pitched his tent with Ali on the east, a village among some ruins about 10 miles north of Jerusalem. There Abram builds an altar to the LORD which served among other things for Abrams calling on the name of the LORD and to testify to the Canaanites of the God Abram worshipped and served.
The Hebrew word "wayyiqorA beshEm" is literally "and he called on the name of Yahweh." To call on the name of someone conveys a trust in the capacity and reputation of the individual toward some end. It was customary when one called on the name of the LORD to make proclamation of the LORD in public by name - a witness and testimony of the LORD to the Canaanites. Hence we have in view, Abram beginning to show evidence of trusting in the capacity of the LORD to deliver him unto what the LORD had promised him and all that that entails. The very fact that Abram had left Ur and Haran and traveled to a foreign and potentially hostile land, and built altars so he could call upon the LORD corroborates that his faith in the LORD was growing.
(v. 12:9 NKJV) "So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South [= lit., the Negev]"
(v. 12:5 NKJV) "Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. (v. 12:6 NKJV) Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth [lit. large] tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. (v. 12:7 NKJV) Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, 'To your seed I will give this land.' And there he built an altar to the LORD, Who had appeared to him. (v. 12:8 NKJV) And he moved [lit. moved on] from there to the mountain east [lit. seaward] of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west [lit. seaward] and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. (v. 12:9 NKJV) So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South [= lit., the Negev]." =
(v. 12:9 Hebrew) "wayyissa' .............'avrAm hAlôkh .wenAsôa' ..........hanneghbAh"
............................."and he pulled out .Abram .going ...and pulling .out .to the Negeb"
Abram continues southward toward in the Negev - a barren desert area south of Hebron - still unwilling to trust in the LORD and permanently settle in Canaan. The Hebrew verb "wayyissa' " rendered "journeyed" in the NKJV is in the imperfect tense portraying an incomplete or indefinite action which is fortified further by the Hebrew infinitive for that same verb, "wenAsôa' " literally, "to go on" and rendered "going on still" in the NKJV. This serves to emphasize a continual action of traveling southward toward the dry and barren Negev desert area south of Hebron because Abram was still unwilling to permanently settle in the land given the presence of the Canaanites who could and most certainly would stop him unless the LORD were to intervene: Whom Abram had not yet trusted in to protect him.
(v. 12:10 NKJ) "Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land."
(v. 12:1 NKJV) "Now the LORD had said [imperfect - had been saying] to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, from your family [lit. relatives] And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. (v. 12:2 NAS) And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing. (v. 12:3 NAS) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed. (v. 12:5 NKJV) Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. (v. 12:6 NKJV) Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth [lit. large] tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. (v. 12:7 NKJV) Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, 'To your seed I will give this land.' And there he built an altar to the LORD, Who had appeared to him. (v. 12:8 NKJV) And he moved [lit. moved on] from there to the mountain east [lit. seaward] of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west [lit. seaward] and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. (v. 12:9 NKJV) So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South [= lit., the Negev]. (v. 12:10 NKJ) Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land." =
Since the LORD repeatedly said to Abram to go to the promised land and He would bless him, and promised to protect him while he resided there via blessings and cursings, and since Abram's move out of the land to Egypt was not stipulated by the LORD, then in view of the LORD's character and promises we must conclude that provisions for blessing, survival and protection would have been provided for by the LORD while Abram resided in the promised land during the famine and not elsewhere. Furthermore, moving out of the land was not part of the LORD's plan - even during famine in the land. As a matter of fact, the LORD promised blessing and protection to Abram when he resided in the promised land and not elsewhere, (vv. 12:1-3). So going elsewhere opened Abram up to harm for it was outside of the realm of the promises of the LORD, especially since Abram's group was a small one compared to neighboring societies and nations. Nevertheless, Abram takes matters into his own hand, instead of trusting in the LORD to provide for him. He moves out of the land the LORD had shown him in the face of a severe famine there and traveled into Egypt, exposing himself to harm.
(v. 11 NKJV) "And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, 'Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance.'
(v. 12 NKJV) Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.
(v. 13 NKJV) Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.' "
(v. 12:1 NKJV) "Now the LORD had said [imperfect - had been saying] to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, from your family [lit. relatives] And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. (v. 12:2 NAS) And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing. (v. 12:3 NAS) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed. (v. 11 NKJV) And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, 'Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance.' (v. 12 NKJV) Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. (v. 13 NKJV) Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.' " =
Had Abram remained in the land and not gone to Egypt, he would have been under God's blessing and protection and not have exposed himself to the danger of being harmed. This was part of the LORD's promises to Abram, wherein He promised to bless those who bless Abram and curse those who cursed him while he resided in the land, (vv. 12:1-3). But Abram goes his own way and when he travels into Egypt, he plans to present a half-truth to the Egyptians by declaring that Sarai, his half sister-wife, (cf. Gen 20:12), is his sister so as to avoid the possibility that if he presented the truth that Sarai, who Abram stipulates was an extraordinarily beautiful woman, was his wife, then someone might claim her as his own and move to kill Abram.
(v. 20:11) '''Abraham replied, "I said to myself, 'There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.'
(v. 20:12) Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife.' " '''
Furthermore, it was the custom that if Abram was Sarai's brother, then one who pursues possession of Sarai must make arrangements with Abram to take possession of Sarai by providing suitable wealth in trade - thus sparing Abram's life. There is evidently little concern by Abram for Sarai's welfare, who has been exposed to becoming a slave or forced to be a wife to a stranger due to Abram's journey out of the land. Nor did Abram give concern for the potential abrogation of the LORD'S promises to Abram because Sarai might no longer be Abram's wife and he was no longer residing in the promised land - both key to the fulfillment of the LORD's promises to Abram.
(v. 12:14 NKJV) "So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful.
(v. 12:15 NAS) Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.
(v. 12:16 NKJV) He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels."
(v. 12:10 NKJ) "Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. (v. 12:11 NKJV) And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, 'Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance.' (v. 12:12 NKJV) Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. (v. 12:13 NKJV) Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I[c] may live because of you.' (v. 12:14 NKJV) So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. (v. 12:15 NAS) Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. (v. 12:16 NKJV) He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels." =
The Egyptians saw that Sarai was so beautiful that the officials of Pharaoh praised her to Pharaoh, whereupon he took Sarai and brought her into his house as his possession. There is not a word about any objection by Abram of the loss of his wife. Nor did Abram call upon the LORD in the manner that he had at the altars he had built. All that is reported here is the wealth of sheep, oxen, donkeys, human slaves and camels which Abram received, pointing to Abram's resignation in the matter, even acceptance of it in view of the great wealth that Pharaoh bestowed upon him and Pharaoh's power to destroy and kill him. One might recall that Sarai was still barren after years of marriage which might have contributed to Abram's callousness toward Sarai.
(v. 11:30 NAS) "And Sarai was barren; She had no child."
Furthermore, Abrams faithless and callous actions discounted the capacity of the LORD to fulfill His promises - after all the grace the LORD had extended toward Abram all those years and wayward miles that Abram journeyed.
(v. 12:17 NKJV) "But the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.
(v. 12:18 NKJV) And Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?
(v. 12:19 NKJV) Why did you say, 'She is my sister'? [That] I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.
(v. 12:20 NKJV) So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had."
(v. 12:1 NKJV) "Now the LORD had said [imperfect - had been saying] to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, from your family [lit. relatives] And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you (v. 12:2 NAS) And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing. (v. 12:3 NAS) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed. (v. 12:10 NKJ) "Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. (v. 12:11 NKJV) "And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, 'Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance.' (v. 12:12 NKJV) Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. (v. 12:13 NKJV) Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I[c] may live because of you.' (v. 12:14 NKJV) So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. (v. 12:15 NAS) Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. (v. 12:16 NKJV) He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels. (v. 12:17 NKJV) But the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. (v. 12:18 NKJV) And Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? (v. 12:19 NKJV) Why did you say, 'She is my sister'? [That] I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way. (v. 12:20 NKJV) So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had." =
Because of the predicament Abram put the promises of the LORD in, which includes placing Sarai at risk as a slave / wife of Pharaoh, the LORD unilaterally stepped in and caused great plagues to come upon Pharaoh and his house. This confirms that God's promises to Abram are indeed unilateral and He will supernaturally intervene in order to fulfill them. Verse 12:3 promised protection of Abram and when Pharaoh brought cursing down upon Abram by taking Sarai under the threat of his power, the LORD answered with cursing of His own. From verse 12:18, it is evident that the LORD made the situation concerning Abram and Sarai very clear to Pharaoh via plagues on Pharaoh and his household, for Pharaoh is portrayed as knowing that the plagues were created as a result of his taking Sarai from Abram and into his household. Furthermore, Pharaoh knew that Sarai was Abram's wife and not his [blood] sister. He did not harm Abram evidently for fear that the power behind the plagues would turn against him and his household all the more. It is not made clear in the passage how Pharaoh got this information but Pharaoh implies and the passage makes it clear Who is behind it all: the LORD, the God that Abram worships: (v. 12:17). The LORD Himself may have provided the information directly to Pharaoh; but it is also possible that Pharaoh with his pagan point of view, determined that the plagues were due to a more powerful diety than the ones he submitted to Who produced the plagues because of Pharaoh's recent dealings with Abram for Sarai. Pharaoh's officials might easily have obtained the information from Abram's household that Sarai was Abram's wife and not his blood sister. In any event, Pharaoh brings Sarai back to Abram and tells him to go on his way out of Egypt with all of the possessions Pharaoh gave him.
It is interesting to note that Pharaoh was not portrayed as being interested in a relationship with the God of Abram Whose power was exerted over him and his household, and obviously superior to the pagan gods he worshipped. He just wanted to be clear from the power which caused the plagues, so he sent Sarai back to Abram and told them to depart.
Recall that if the LORD would turn mighty Pharaoh and Egypt around to protect Abram and rescue Sarai and see to it that Abram returns to the promised land not only safely but considerably wealthier in order for the LORD to fulfill His promises, then He certainly would have delivered Abram from harm from the famine in the land or the Canaanites who were no match compared to Pharaoh and the Egyptians - whom the LORD handled quite easily.
So with the plagues in mind, Pharaoh wants nothing more to do with Abram of his God. He has commanded his men to send Abram with Sarai his wife restored to him away, including all that Pharaoh has given him.