CONTEXT: Genesis 1-11 tells the story of human history from the beginning to Abram. It is a dismal history that includes the Fall (chapter 3), the murder of Abel (4:1-16), wickedness and the Flood (chapters 6-8), Noah's nakedness and the cursing of Canaan (9:18-27), and the story of Babel (11:1-9). These chapters include five curses (3:15, 17; 4:11; 8:21; 9:25), but "after each act of divine judgment there are corresponding acts of grace." (Spina, 22). The man and woman do not die immediately. God marks Cain, but does not kill him. God preserves Noah, his family, and the animals from the flood. Noah cursed Canaan (9:26-27), but Canaan lives to become a nation (10:15-20). "However, the pattern breaks down with the Babel story. There is no corresponding act of grace in that episode"
Chapter 10 lists the descendants of Noah and his sons (Shem, Ham, and Japheth), and is often referred to as the Table of Nations because the descendants of each son become various nations. In the story of Abram's call, God promises Abram, "I will make of you a great nation" and "I will bless those who bless you" (12:3). The close proximity of these promises and the Table of Nations (chapter 10) cannot be coincidental. God singles out Abram for a special call, but will use Abram as a vehicle to bless the rest of the human race.
Chapter 11 lists the descendants of Shem (11:10-26) and Terah, Abram's father (11:27-32). Of particular interest are the following:
If chapters 1-11 present a dismal history, chapters 12-50 present a brighter future characterized by God's promises and blessings (although the people in these chapters remain quite human and capable of sin - sin that has consequences).
In 12:1-3 we are presented with a fivefold blessing that counters the five curses of chapters 1-11 (Mathews, Vol. 1a, 51; Vol. 1b, 105). This is a lovely symmetry that reveals the balance between God's judgment and God's salvation work - a balance always favoring salvation. That is not to say that salvation will be universal, but rather that God is always at work redeeming his creation. Blessing rather than cursing is God's plan and preference.
A review of the geography is in order. Both Ur and Haran are cities in Mesopotamia, the area bounded by the Euphrates River on the south and the Tigris River on the north. These two rivers run from northwest to southeast, separated by a large wedge of fertile land, and empty into the Persian Gulf. The area bounded by the rivers constitutes a significant portion of modern Iraq (in the south) and Syria (in the north) and lies several hundred miles east of the Mediterranean Sea - east of modern Lebanon and Israel. It was the home of several well-developed early cultures, including Babylonia.
GENESIS 12:1-3. GO TO THE LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU
1Now Yahweh said to Abram, "Get out of your country, and from your relatives, and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. All of the families of the earth will be blessed in you."
"Now Yahweh said to Abram, "Get out of your country, and from your relatives, and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you."(v. 1). This verse is the great turning point in human history. As noted above, chapters 1-11 present a dismal human history, but chapters 12-50 are characterized by God's promise and blessing.
"Get out of your country, and from your relatives, and from your father's house" (v. 1b). There is a progressive movement at work here. God first mentions Abram's country - the place that Abram has called home for 75 years (v. 4). Then God mentions Abram's kindred - his extended family. Finally, God mentions Abram's "father's house" - his immediate family. In a series of concentric circles, Abram's country would be the large, outer circle. His kindred would be the middle, medium circle. His father's house would be the small center circle. It would be difficult in that patriarchal culture to leave one's country. It would be more difficult to leave one's extended family. It would be wrenching to leave one's immediate family.
"to the land that I will show you" (v. 1c). In verse 5a, Abram sets out for Canaan in obedience to God's command, but in verse 1c God said only that he will show Abram where to go, leaving the destination unnamed. God seldom lays out a complete roadmap when he calls us. He usually specifies only the next stop along the way - and often tells us only the direction to start moving. It is frustrating to be on the receiving end of such a call. When dealing with God, only faith can save us from anxiety.
"I will make of you a great nation" (v. 2a). Keep in mind the proximity of this promise to the Table of Nations in chapter 10, where the text lists many nations. Unlike ordinary nations, Abram will become a great nation, one that stands above the crowd.
"I will bless you" (v. 2b). God's first promise is a solitary blessing, having to do with Abram alone. The other three blessings of verses 2-3 involve others: God will make Abram's name great so that he will be a blessing to others (v. 2c). Those who bless Abram will be blessed (v. 3a). And in Abram all the families of the earth will be blessed (v. 3b). God's blessing of Abram is unique to Abram, but it also serves a wider purpose.
"make your name great" (v. 2c). These words recall the people of Babel who sought to make a name for themselves by building a city and a tower (11:4). God frustrated their self-serving project, and the only name that they made for themselves was Babel (confusion). That contrasts nicely with God's promise to Abram, the one whom he has chosen. Abram will not need to build cities or towers to make his name great, but his great name will be a gift from God. Abram needs only obey the command, "Go!"
"you will be a blessing" (v. 2d). Scholars debate the translation of this phrase. It could mean "you shall be blessed" or "you will be a source of blessing to others" or "you shall be a blessing."
"I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you" (umeqalelka - holds you in contempt). (v. 3a). God will repay those who bless Abram with blessings. There is a sense of equity here - blessing as a reward for blessing and cursing in response to cursing. In the event of cursing, there is a nuance in the Hebrew that deserves notice. While most English translations say "the one who curses you I will curse," there are two different Hebrew words (umeqalelka and a'or) with different meanings ("hold in contempt" and "curse"). This verse might better be translated, "the one who holds you in contempt I will curse" (Wenham, 276-277).
"All of the families of the earth will be blessed in you." (v. 3b). God is the giver of these promises and Abram is the receiver. There is little sense of quid pro quo (equal exchange) here. God's promises are sweeping and generous. In return God requires only that Abram obey his command to go (v. 1). In chapter 15, God will formalize these promises in a covenant and will initiate a covenant ceremony.
GENESIS 12:4-5a. SO ABRAM WENT
4So Abram went, as Yahweh had spoken to him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed out of Haran. 5aAbram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother's son, all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls whom they had gotten in Haran, and they went to go into the land of Canaan. Into the land of Canaan they came.
"So Abram went, as Yahweh had spoken to him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed out of Haran" (v. 4). Abram obeys the call of the Lord without question or complaint. "Abraham is presented as the perfectly faithful man. He is called and he goes. He relies only on the name (12:8) and the word (12:1-4a) of this god who has suddenly inverted his life. The call of God has been fully embraced. That is where the history of Israel begins (Brueggemann, Interpretation, 125).
"Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother's son, all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls whom they had gotten in Haran, and they went to go into the land of Canaan" (v. 5a). Abram's father, Terah, started earlier to travel to Canaan, but along the way settled in Haran (11:31). The text doesn't tell us Terah's reason for settling rather than proceeding on, but it does tell us that he died in Haran (11:32). Perhaps he stopped in Haran because he found it pleasant. Perhaps he stopped to consolidate his family and resources before continuing his journey. Perhaps the infirmity that would eventually lead to his death had begun to weaken him. We don't know. In any event, Abram, obeying God's call, now sets out to go where his father had earlier intended to go. In doing so, however, he is not living out Terah's dream, but is rather answering God's call.
GENESIS 12:5b-7. TO YOUR OFFSPRING I WILL GIVE THIS LAND
5b and they went to go into the land of Canaan. Into the land of Canaan they came. 6Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. The Canaanite was then in the land. 7Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your seed." He built an altar there to Yahweh, who appeared to him.
"Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem" (v. 6a). Coming from Haran, Abram most likely enters Canaan from the north and travels to Shechem, which is located in the hill country near Mounts Ebal and Gerizim-a few miles west of the Jordan River and midway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea-40 miles (65 km.) north of Jerusalem.
"to the oak of Moreh" (v. 6b). This oak will have continuing significance in the biblical story. When Rachel and Leah bring household gods along, Jacob will follow God's call to get rid of them by burying them under this oak (Genesis 35:4). Joshua will set up a stone at this oak tree as a sign of the covenant between God and Israel (Joshua 24:26). The lords of Shechem will make Abimelech king by this tree (Judges 9:6).
"The Canaanite was then in the land" (v. 6c). Abram cannot claim this land yet, because it belongs to the Canaanites.
"I will give this land to your seed" (v. 7a). God promises, however, that he will give the land to Abram's offspring. Abram will spend most of the rest of his life in Canaan, but will own only the cave at Machpelah that he purchases as a grave for Sarah (23:19). Only after the Exodus will Abram's offspring truly possess this land.
"He built an altar there to Yahweh, who appeared to him" (v. 7b). The building of an altar (and presumably offering a sacrifice there) is an act of worship-an act by which Abram acknowledges his encounter with God-an act of obeisance and gratitude. Abram will build altars at various places as he travels (13:18; 22:9), and Isaac and Jacob will continue that tradition (26:25; 35:7).
GENESIS 12:8-9. AND ABRAM JOURNEYED ON BY STAGES
8He left from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to Yahweh and called on the name of Yahweh. 9Abram traveled, going on still toward the South.
"He left from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to Yahweh and called on the name of Yahweh" (v. 8). Bethel and Ai are located about 12 miles (19 km.) north of Jerusalem. Bethel will continue to be important to the biblical story. Jacob will erect a pillar at Bethel as an act of worship after experiencing his famous ladder-dream (28:19; see also 35:1ff.).
"and pitched his tent" (v. 8). Pitching his tent contrasts with he built...an altar. The tents are dismantled, but the altars are left standing" (Hamilton, 378).
"Abram traveled, going on still toward the South" (v. 9). As noted above, the Negeb (also known as the Negev) is a desert area southwest of the Dead Sea. Abram has traveled from north to south in Canaan, which gave him an opportunity to see the land that his offspring will possess. The Negeb is in the far south region of Canaan, which positions Abram for his next journey-to Egypt (12:10ff.).
POSTSCRIPT:
This is not the last time that God will call Abram to step out in faith. Later, God will command Abraham (God changed his name at v. 17:5), "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you" (22:2). Abraham will obey, and God will send an angel to prevent the execution.
These two calls by God to Abraham - the first to cut off ties to his past (12:1) and the second to cut off ties to his future (22:2) - serve throughout the rest of the Bible as the gold standard for faithfulness, obedience, and discipleship. Not many people ever reach that standard, but Abraham stands as a reminder of what is possible. These stories not only challenge us to give God our all, but also assure us that God is faithful - that God will reward our faithfulness.
We can be sure that Jesus knew these two stories like the back of his hand - nothing would have been more familiar to him. These stories of Abram/Abraham's faithfulness to God's call to leave his home (12:1) and to sacrifice his son (22:2) form the background for several of Jesus' pronouncements: "For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law" (Matthew 10:35). "He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn't worthy of me" (Matthew 10:37).
Gen. 12:1-9 - T. Constable Exposition
OVERVIEW - Terah and Abram's obedience 11:27-12:9: All that Moses wrote in this view (Genesis 11:27 to Genesis 12:9) deals with Abram and his future in the Promised Land. Abram obeyed the Lord's command to relocate to a land that God would give to him and his descedants with the promise that he would become a blessing to the rest of the world. Abram's example of obedience is a model for all believers to forsake all else to obtain the promised blessings of God and to serve Him by becoming a blessing to others.
A. The divine promises 12:1-9
1. God's word 12:1-3
NOTE: Abram's example of obedience is a model for all believers to forsake all else to obtain the promised blessings of God and to serve Him by becoming a blessing to others.
v. 1: Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you' - This section begins with a waw disjunctive in the Hebrew text translated "Now" in the NASB. It introduces an independent circumstantial clause (cf. Genesis 1:2). Probably the revelation in view happened in Ur. The NIV captures this with the translation "The Lord had said to Abram." So the beginning of chapter 12 flashes back to something that happened in Ur even though chapter 11 ends with Abram in Haran. Stephen's statement in Acts 7:2 supports this interpretation. Stephen quoted the Septuagint translation of this verse in Acts 7:3.
vv. 2-3: 2 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; 3 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." - Abram had only a promise from God. We see his faith in his willingness to obey God strictly in the confidence that what God had promised He would perform (Hebrews 11:8). This divine promise was the seed from which the Abrahamic Covenant grew (ch. 15). The promise here included few details; it was only a general promise of descendants (Genesis 12:2) and influence (Genesis 12:2-3). The Hebrew text says, "be a blessing" (Genesis 12:2), not "you shall be a blessing." This was a command rather than a prediction. However as Abram blessed others he would become a blessing, God would make his life more rich and powerful, and he would enrich the lives of others.
2. Abram's response 12:4-9
v. 4: 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. - Since Lot voluntarily chose to accompany Abram, he probably believed the promises as well (cf. Ruth). Abram's call had been to separate from his pagan relatives, so he was not disobedient by allowing Lot to accompany him.
vv. 5-6: 5 Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. 6 Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. - Abram's first settlement was in Shechem. The towns on the main caravan route southwest-ward from the Euphrates which figure significantly in the Abram stories, are Shechem, Bethel, Hebron, and Gerar.
v. 7: The Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. - In response to God's promise to give Abram the land where he stood the patriarch built an altar and worshipped Yahweh. This was Abram's characteristic response to God's grace. Abram's altars were more permanent structures than his tents. He continued living as a pilgrim and stranger in a land that he did not yet possess (Hebrews 11:9-10).
v. 8: 8 Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. - Abram proceeded south and encamped between Bethel and Ai just north of Salem (Jerusalem). Again he built an altar to worship Yahweh and called on His name in worship.
v. 9: Abram journeyed on, continuing toward the Negev. - He next continued south toward the Negev (lit. dry), perhaps because of a shortage of food for his grazing animals (Genesis 12:10). The nation of Israel in Moses' day shared the same call that God had extended to Abram. She was to leave her place of residence, Egypt, and go to a Promised Land to worship and serve God there with the promise of blessing. This required faith. We have a similar calling. Believers who walk by faith will forsake much to become part of God's program to bless the world.
Gen. 12:1-9 - Extra Commentary
Verses 12:1-10: Genesis 12:1-9 records the call of Abram and his obedience. The first three verses recorded the call and the promises; the rest of the section describes the obedience of Abram. The passage is constructed on two imperatives. The first is the basic call for Abram to leave the land in verse 1:
Verses 12:1-3, 7: When God established a covenant with Abraham; it was another dramatic turning point in human history. Abraham and his heirs (the nation of Israel) received an unconditional promise.
Under this covenant, God promised to make Israel a great nation, to bless the seed of Abraham, to give him a great name, to make him a blessing, to bless those who blessed him and curse those who cursed him, to give him the Promised Land, and through his descendants to bless all the families of the earth with a Redeemer.
Israel's failure in this dispensation was illustrated by their leaving the land to settle in Egypt, and resulted in bondage there. Israel's final testing under this dispensation occurred when God attempted to draw them back to the land. But they refused Him in unbelief at Kadesh-barnea (Exodus 19:5).
Genesis 12:1 "Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:"
"The Lord ... unto Abram": This passage is the promise whose fulfillment extends all through Scripture (either in fact or in expectation), to Rev. 20. The actual Abrahamic Covenant is introduced (in 12:1-3), actually made (in 15:18-21), reaffirmed (in 17:1-21), then renewed also with Isaac (26:2-5), and Jacob (28:10-17). It is an everlasting covenant (17:7-8; 1 Chron. 16:17; Psalm 105:7-12; Isa. 24:5), which contains 4 elements:
(1) Seed (17:2-7; Gal. 3:8, 16; where it referred to Christ);
(2) Land (15:18-21; 17:8);
(3) A nation (12:2; 17:4); plus
(4) Divine blessing and protection (12:3).
"Get thee out": These elements to Abram are mentioned:
(1) Out of his "country";
(2) Away from his "kindred"; and
(3) Away from his "father's house".
Joshua 24:2 states that his family practiced idolatry. He is not told where he is to go, on "unto a land that I will show thee," which requires faith on his part.
This covenant is unconditional in the sense of its ultimate fulfillment of a kingdom and salvation for Israel (see notes on Rom. 11:1-27), but conditional in terms of immediate fulfillment (17:4). Its national importance to Israel is magnified by its repeated references and point of appeal throughout the Old Testament (2 Kings 13:23; 1 Chron. 16:15-22; Neh. 9:7-8).
Its importance spiritually to all believers is expounded by Paul (see notes on Gal. 3-4; Stephen quoted in Acts 7:3).
When God established a covenant with Abraham, it was another dramatic turning point in human history. Abraham and his heirs (the nation of Israel) received an unconditional promise.
"Into a land": Abram was still in Haran (11:31), when the call was repeated (Acts 7:2), to go to Canaan.
In this first line here we see that this was something that God had said in the past to Abram. God had chosen Abram. He first send him away from the sin ridden city of Ur of the Chaldees. He is telling Abram not to be held back by his family. He told Abram to leave this big, fine, beautiful home in Ur of the Chaldees and go into a strange land.
His father and the family went as far as Haran with him. Many of the people in the ministry face this same thing. They were uprooted from family and friends, and sent away from the security of homes. God will not let any of us look back with longing at things as they were. We must ever be looking for the land to which God has sent us.
Genesis 12:2 "And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:"
If he leaves, there are three promises that Yahweh makes to him. They might even be translated in each case as a cohortative, "Let me":
(1) "Let me "make of thee a great nation", and
(2) "Let me "bless thee," and
(3) "Let me make thy name great."
The last promise certainly contains some irony. The quest for a name had been the driving ambition of the "sons of God (in Genesis 6:1-4), and of the architects of the Tower of Babel (in 11:1-9).
"Name great": Abram's magnificent reputation and legacy was fulfilled materially (13:2; 24:35), spiritually (21:22), and socially (23:6).
Now God will do for Abram what others had so selfishly sought but failed to attain. The last words in verse 2 may be translated so that you shall "be a blessing." Abraham is to be a great nation, be personally blessed, and receive a great name, so that he may be a blessing. Certainly, this is true for us today (Gal. 3:29).
Genesis 12:3 "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."
"Curse him that curseth thee": Those who "curse" Abram and his descendants are those who treat him lightly, despise him, or treat him with contempt. God's curse for such lack of respect and disdain was to involve the harshest of divine judgments. The opposite was to be true for those who bless him and his people.
"In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed": Paul identified these words as "the gospel beforehand to Abraham" (Gal. 3:8).
To whom and how he was to be a blessing are both answered (in verse 3). It may be translated "and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that cursed thee" in order that in you "all families of the earth be blessed".
The promises of blessings were for Abram, if he left family and home, and went where God sent him. The blessing was not just for Abram, but for all the families of the earth who are faithful like Abram (Christians). God promised Abram that he would be a great nation, and his name would be made great, and through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed.
There is an offering of blessing to those who bless Abram. The other side of the coin is a curse, if we curse Abram. Abram is really the father of the Israelites and the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. He truly is a great nation.
Genesis 12:4 "So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram [was] seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran."
Abram's first act of obedience is recorded in verse 4 as he "departed out of Haran".
"Haran" (see note on 11:31). They must have been there for some time because they accumulated a group of people (probably servants).
Genesis 12:5 "And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came."
"The land of Canaan they came" (ca. 2090 B.C).
The second is (in verses 5 and 8), as they came "into the land of Canaan "and "builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord" (4:26):
The Book of Genesis is divided into two main sections. The first 11 chapters deal with the history of the human race, and the last 39 with the family of Abraham. Thus, in the twelfth chapter, God turns our attention from a rebellious humanity recently scattered by the judgment of Babel, to this one family through which the Savior of the world would ultimately come.
You see, Abram left Ur with his father, but his father Terah died and was buried in Haran. Abram continued on to the land of Canaan, as God had instructed him to do. Abram and Sarai had no children, but carried a large company of servants and relatives with them.
Lot was the nearest thing to a son that Abram had, and Abram took Lot with him. Abram was 75 years old when they left Haran.
Genesis 12:6 "And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite [was] then in the land."
"Sichem": A Canaanite town located in the valley between Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim (Deut. 27:4, 12). West of the Jordan about 15 miles and North of Jerusalem about 30 miles. Moreh was most likely a resident of the area for whom the tree was named.
"The Canaanite was then in the land": Moses was writing approximately 700 years after Abram entered the land (ca. 1405 B.C.). The Canaanites, of whom he wrote, were soon to be the opponents of Israel as they entered Canaan.
These were wicked people, and (in Genesis 15:16 and Deuteronomy 7:1-5), they were later to be destroyed because of the abominations they practiced. Right in the locality of God's call for Abram were wicked sinners! It would be hard for him to live for God and be pure.
Sichem was Shechem in other places in the Bible, and was just another spelling of the same word. We will find this city mentioned in the time of Jesus. Jesus fled from the Jews and went to this city. This city was, probably, located on a mountain, since that is what the word means. Some other names for the same place were Sychar and Sychem.
This was located in Palestine. These Canaanites, you remember, were worshipping false gods. God would overthrow them and give this land to Abram's descendants. So many times, promises that God makes are not for the immediate time, but for the future. They will be fulfilled nonetheless. God is true, He keeps His promises.
Genesis 12:7 "And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him."
"I will give this land" (13:15; 15:18; 17:7-8; Gal. 3:16). God was dealing with Abram, not in a private promise, but with a view toward high and sacred interests long into the future, i.e., the land which his posterity was to inhabit as a peculiar people.
The seeds of divine truth were to be sown there for the benefit of all mankind. It was chosen as the most appropriate land for the coming of divine revelation and salvation for the world.
"Altar ... unto the Lord": By this act, Abram made an open confession of his religion, established worship of the true God, and declared his faith in God's promise. This was the first true place of worship ever erected in the Promised Land. Isaac would later build an altar also to commemorate the Lord's appearance to him 26:24-25), and Jacob also built one in Shechem (33:18-20).
Not many people have had the Lord to appear to them. When He does, they will build an altar, as well. God promised the land of Canaan to Abram's descendants. Abram did not question how, or when, God would do this, Abram showed his belief, and sincerity, and humbleness by building an altar and worshipping.
Genesis 12:8 "And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, [having] Beth-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."
"Beth-el ... Hai": Beth-el, 7 miles North of Jerusalem, was named later by Abraham (28:19). Hai (also known as Ai), was 2 miles East of Beth-el, where Joshua later fought (Joshua chapters 7 and 8).
The word "Beth-el" means house of God. "Hai" was another name for Ai, which means ruins; we will read about this area a number of times in this study.
Everywhere that Abram went, his first action was to build an altar to the Lord, and this was no exception. He prayed to God here (called upon the name of the Lord). Abram knew that he had to depend on God entirely.
Genesis 12:9 "And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south."
"Toward the south": Abram moved toward the Negev into a less desirable area for raising crops but better for his vocation as a herdsman, perhaps engaging also in merchant activity.
