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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 And Jehovah saith unto Abram, 'Go for thyself, from thy land, and from thy kindred, and from the house of thy father, unto the land which I shew thee. |
Now the LORD had – Previously, before he left Ur. "The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran." (Acts 7:2) B45
Said unto Abram – Individually--not to Terah or Nahor or Haran or anyone else. R2846:6
To one whose heart was full of trust in God. R5809:5
Abram's name signifies "exalted faith." R5169:3
Thy father's house – Thy brethren, etc. B45
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| 2 And I make thee become a great nation, and bless thee, and make thy name great; and be thou a blessing. |
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| 3 And I bless those blessing thee, and him who is disesteeming thee I curse, and blessed in thee have been all families of the ground.' |
I will bless them – Favor them. R3938:5
That bless thee – That favor thee, Abram, or thy natural or spiritual seed. R3938:5
And curse him – Show disfavor toward. R3938:5
All will be destroyed who do not thus become true Israelites. R5810:4
That curseth thee – Injureth. R5169:5
That shows disfavor toward thee or thy seed. R3938:5
And in thee – "And in thy seed, which is Christ." (Gal. 3:16) T83; R5057:3, R4939:3; SM7:1; R5761:4, R5769:5
When your seed shall come. HG120:5
Shall – In due time. E22
This covenant is unconditional. R3108:3
All of God's dealings with the Israelites were in accord with this oath. R5285:3
All families – Not merely the Jews. A58
Every member of our race. CRI40:2; R4715:2
Including those who are in their graves. R5154:1, R4440:5, R5015:6
Be blessed – With an opportunity to return to harmony with God, and with everlasting life. R4557:3, E384; R4537:6, R4939:3, R5057:3, R5177:6, R5269:4, R5768:3; SM93:T, SM7:1; OV193:2
This promise was the good root of the olive tree of Rom. 11:17. R5023:3
By the wonderful provisions of the great Sabbath day. R5072:1
By knowledge, opportunity and assistance. R3108:4
Not by ignoring the law of God, but by being gradually restored so that they can keep it. T83
By the great King and Priest, Jesus; and by the Church, as assistant priests and kings, CR250:3
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| 4 And Abram goeth on, as Jehovah hath spoken unto him, and Lot goeth with him, and Abram [is] a son of five and seventy years in his going out from Charan. |
So Abram departed – "When his father was dead he removed." (Acts 7:4) B46
Typifying the course of the true Church in coming out of Babylon. No doubt Abram's relatives all opposed his course, especially as he "came out not knowing whither he went. (Heb. 11: 8) R2847:1
Was 75 years old – At the time the covenant was made with him. B231
2081 years after the fall in Eden. R3460:2
2081 years before Cornelius' conversion. R3460:2
Out of Haran – As Stephen declared, "when his father was dead." (Acts 7:4) B46
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| 5 And Abram taketh Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they have gained, and the persons that they have obtained in Charan; and they go out to go towards the land of Canaan; and they come in to the land of Canaan. |
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| 6 And Abram passeth over into the land, unto the place Shechem, unto the oak of Moreh; and the Canaanite [is] then in the land. |
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| 7 And Jehovah appeareth unto Abram, and saith, 'To thy seed I give this land;' and he buildeth there an altar to Jehovah, who hath appeared unto him. |
And said – Making the covenant previously promised. B45; R1617:1
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| 8 And he removeth from thence towards a mountain at the east of Beth-El, and stretcheth out the tent (Beth-El at the west, and Hai at the east), and he buildeth there an altar to Jehovah, and preacheth in the name of Jehovah. |
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| 9 And Abram journeyeth, going on and journeying towards the south. |
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| 10 And there is a famine in the land, and Abram goeth down towards Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine [is] grievous in the land; |
There was a famine – Which must have greatly tested Abram's faith. R3938:2
Down into Egypt – Possibly contrary to the Lord's wishes. R3938:3
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| 11 and it cometh to pass as he hath drawn near to enter Egypt, that he saith unto Sarai his wife, 'Lo, I pray thee, I have known that thou [art] a woman of beautiful appearance; |
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| 12 and it hath come to pass that the Egyptians see thee, and they have said, 'This [is] his wife,' and they have slain me, and thee they keep alive: |
Save thee alive – History records the case where one of the kings of Egypt thus forcibly took a beautiful wife away from her husband. Abram had probably heard of this. R2848:2
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| 13 say, I pray thee, thou [art] my sister, so that it is well with me because of thee, and my soul hath lived for thy sake.' |
Say, I pray thee – This is the only blot recorded against Abram's character. This impartiality establishes the truthfulness of the Scriptures. R3938:3
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| 14 And it cometh to pass, at the entering of Abram into Egypt, that the Egyptians see the woman that she [is] exceeding fair; |
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| 15 and princes of Pharaoh see her, and praise her unto Pharaoh, and the woman is taken [to] Pharaoh's house; |
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| 16 and to Abram he hath done good because of her, and he hath sheep and oxen, and he-asses, and men-servants, and handmaids, and she-asses, and camels. |
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| 17 And Jehovah plagueth Pharaoh and his house great plagues for the matter of Sarai, Abram's wife. |
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| 18 And Pharaoh calleth for Abram, and saith, 'What [is] this thou hast done to me why hast thou not declared to me that she [is] thy wife |
Called Abram – This rebuke from a heathen king doubtless proved a great blessing to Abram ultimately. R3938:3
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| 19 Why hast thou said, She [is] my sister, and I take her to myself for a wife and now, lo, thy wife, take and go.' |
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| 20 And Pharaoh chargeth men concerning him, and they send him away, and his wife, an all that he hath. |
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