Abraham (Genesis 12:1–4; Genesis 12:10–20; Genesis 13:8–9; Genesis 14:18–20; Genesis 15:1–6; Genesis 17:1–8; Genesis 18:22–33; Genesis 21:1–5; Genesis 22:1–18; Genesis 23:1–20; Genesis 24:1–9; Genesis 25:7–10; John 8:56–58; Romans 4:1–3; Galatians 3:6–9; Hebrews 11:8–19; James 2:21–23)

Friend of God, Father of Many Nations

Abram, son of Terah, called by the LORD to leave his country, who went to Canaan with Sarai and Lot, believed the promise of a son, was renamed Abraham, interceded for Sodom, received Isaac at a hundred years old, offered him on Moriah, buried Sarah at Machpelah, and died in a good old age.

He is first named as Abram, a son of Terah, whose wife “Sarai was barren; she had no child” (Genesis 11:30). The LORD said to him, “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto the land that I will show thee” (Genesis 12:1), and “Abram went, as Jehovah had spoken unto him” (Genesis 12:4). In Canaan he built altars and called upon the name of the LORD. In famine he went down into Egypt and told Sarai, “Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister” (Genesis 12:13), and Pharaoh took her. He gave Lot the choice of the land, rescued him from the kings who had taken him captive, was blessed by Melchizedek, and refused the goods of the king of Sodom (Genesis 13-14).

Childless, Abram heard the LORD say, “So shall thy seed be” (Genesis 15:5); “And he believed in Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). He hearkened to Sarai’s plan, and Hagar bore Ishmael (Genesis 16). At ninety-nine years old he was told, “Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham” (Genesis 17:5), and he and the males of his house were circumcised. He entertained three men by the oaks of Mamre, and stood before the LORD pleading for Sodom: “shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25). Again he said of Sarah, “She is my sister” (Genesis 20:2), and Abimelech took her. Isaac was born when Abraham was a hundred years old, and Hagar and Ishmael were sent away (Genesis 21).

God proved Abraham: “Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac” (Genesis 22:2). Abraham bound Isaac on the altar, and the angel of the LORD stayed his hand. He mourned Sarah and bought the cave of Machpelah, sent his servant to take a wife for Isaac, took Keturah, and “died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years” (Genesis 25:8). Later Scripture speaks of “the seed of Abraham my friend” (Isaiah 41:8). The New Testament quotes Genesis 15:6:“For what saith the scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness” (Romans 4:3), and James adds, “and he was called the friend of God” (James 2:23). Hebrews writes, “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out unto a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing whither he went” (Hebrews 11:8), and “By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up Isaac … accounting that God is able to raise up, even from the dead” (Hebrews 11:17-19). Jesus said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad” (John 8:56), and “Before Abraham was born, I am” (John 8:58).

Strengths

• Believed God
• Obeyed the call
• Fear of God
• Hospitality
• Pleaded for Sodom
• Sought peace with Lot
• Refused the spoils
• Friend of God

Weaknesses

• Said Sarah was his sister
• Left Hagar in Sarai's hand

Themes

• Call and promise
• Faith reckoned for righteousness
• Covenant and circumcision
• Seed and land
• Intercession
• Trial on Moriah

Called to leave his country (Genesis 11:26–32; Genesis 12:1–9)

The LORD tells Abram to go from his country and father's house; he departs from Haran at seventy-five with Sarai and Lot, passes through Canaan, and builds altars.

Called to leave his country

Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; Haran died in Ur of the Chaldees, and “Sarai was barren; she had no child” (Genesis 11:30). Terah took Abram, Lot and Sarai “to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there” (Genesis 11:31).

“Now Jehovah said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto the land that I will show thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and be thou a blessing” (Genesis 12:1-2). “And in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).

“So Abram went, as Jehovah had spoken unto him. And Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran” (Genesis 12:4). At Shechem the LORD appeared and said, “Unto thy seed will I give this land” (Genesis 12:7), and Abram built an altar there (Genesis 12:7). Between Beth-el and Ai he “builded an altar unto Jehovah, and called upon the name of Jehovah” (Genesis 12:8).

Sarai taken into Pharaoh's house (Genesis 12:10–20)

In a famine Abram goes down into Egypt and bids Sarai say she is his sister; Pharaoh takes her, the LORD plagues his house, and Pharaoh sends them away.

Parts from Lot (Genesis 13:1–18)

Strife arises between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot; Abram offers Lot his choice of the land, Lot chooses the Plain of the Jordan, and the LORD renews the promise to Abram.

Rescues Lot; meets Melchizedek (Genesis 14:1–24)

Abram pursues the kings who took Lot with three hundred and eighteen trained men, is blessed by Melchizedek and gives him a tenth, and refuses the goods of the king of Sodom.

Believes the LORD (Genesis 15:1–21)

The LORD promises the childless Abram an heir of his own body and seed like the stars; he believes, and the LORD makes a covenant with him over the divided pieces.

Believes the LORD

“After these things the word of Jehovah came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward” (Genesis 15:1). Abram answered, “O Lord Jehovah, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless” (Genesis 15:2), and the LORD said, “he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir” (Genesis 15:4).

“And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:5-6).

When the LORD spoke of the land, Abram asked, “whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?” (Genesis 15:8). He divided a heifer, a she-goat and a ram, and when the sun went down, “a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him” (Genesis 15:12). “Behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces. In that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram” (Genesis 15:17-18).

Hearkens to Sarai; Hagar bears Ishmael (Genesis 16:1–16)

Sarai gives her Egyptian handmaid Hagar to Abram and he hearkens; Hagar conceives and despises Sarai, Abram leaves the maid in Sarai's hand, Sarai deals hardly with her, and the angel of the LORD finds her in the wilderness.

Renamed Abraham; the covenant of circumcision (Genesis 17:1–27)

At ninety-nine Abram hears God Almighty give the covenant, the new name Abraham, and the promise of Isaac by Sarah; he and every male of his house are circumcised.

Renamed Abraham; the covenant of circumcision

“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be thou perfect” (Genesis 17:1). Abram fell on his face, and God said, “Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee” (Genesis 17:5). God also said, “As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be” (Genesis 17:15).

“Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? And Abraham said unto God, Oh that Ishmael might live before thee!” (Genesis 17:17-18). God answered, “Nay, but Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name Isaac” (Genesis 17:19), and “as for Ishmael, I have heard thee” (Genesis 17:20).

“This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee: every male among you shall be circumcised” (Genesis 17:10). “And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him” (Genesis 17:23).

Three visitors; pleads for Sodom (Genesis 18:1–33; Genesis 19:27–29)

Abraham hastens to feed three men by the oaks of Mamre, hears that Sarah shall have a son, and draws near to the LORD to plead for Sodom, from fifty righteous down to ten.

Three visitors; pleads for Sodom

“And Jehovah appeared unto him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth” (Genesis 18:1-2). He hastened to Sarah, ran to the herd, and “stood by them under the tree, and they did eat” (Genesis 18:8). The LORD said, “Sarah thy wife shall have a son” (Genesis 18:10), and “Is anything too hard for Jehovah?” (Genesis 18:14).

“And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do” (Genesis 18:17), and told him “the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great” (Genesis 18:20). “But Abraham stood yet before Jehovah. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou consume the righteous with the wicked?” (Genesis 18:22-23).

“That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked … shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25). He said, “Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes” (Genesis 18:27), and went on to forty-five, forty, thirty, twenty, and “peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake” (Genesis 18:32).

In the morning Abraham looked toward Sodom, and “the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace” (Genesis 19:28). “God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow” (Genesis 19:29).

Sarah taken by Abimelech at Gerar (Genesis 20:1–18)

At Gerar Abraham says of Sarah, She is my sister; Abimelech takes her, God warns him in a dream and he restores her, and Abraham prays and God heals his household.

Isaac born; Hagar and Ishmael sent away (Genesis 21:1–21)

Sarah bears Isaac when Abraham is a hundred; at Sarah's word, and God's, Abraham sends Hagar and Ishmael away, and God hears the lad in the wilderness.

Offers Isaac on Moriah (Genesis 22:1–19)

God proves Abraham and bids him offer Isaac for a burnt-offering; Abraham binds his son, and the angel of the LORD stops him and a ram is offered in his stead.

Offers Isaac on Moriah

“God did prove Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham; and he said, Here am I. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of” (Genesis 22:1-2). “And Abraham rose early in the morning” (Genesis 22:3), and on the third day saw the place afar off. He told his young men, “I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship, and come again to you” (Genesis 22:5). Genesis records no word of his thoughts on the way.

Isaac asked, “where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?” (Genesis 22:7) and Abraham said, “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son: so they went both of them together” (Genesis 22:8). “And Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son” (Genesis 22:9-10).

“And the angel of Jehovah called unto him out of heaven … Lay not thy hand upon the lad … for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me” (Genesis 22:11-12). Abraham saw a ram caught in the thicket and offered it “in the stead of his son” (Genesis 22:13), and called the place “Jehovah-jireh” (Genesis 22:14).

“By myself have I sworn, saith Jehovah … in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice” (Genesis 22:16-18).

Buries Sarah at Machpelah (Genesis 23:1–20)

Sarah dies at Hebron; Abraham mourns, bargains with the children of Heth, weighs four hundred shekels of silver to Ephron for the cave of Machpelah, and buries her there.

Buries Sarah at Machpelah

“And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her” (Genesis 23:2). He spoke to the children of Heth: “I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight” (Genesis 23:4).

They answered, “thou art a prince of God among us” (Genesis 23:6). Abraham bowed himself to the people, asked for the cave of Machpelah that belonged to Ephron, and said, “for the full price let him give it to me” (Genesis 23:9). Ephron offered it as a gift, but Abraham said, “I will give the price of the field; take it of me” (Genesis 23:13).

“And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant” (Genesis 23:16). “And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan” (Genesis 23:19).

Sends his servant for a wife for Isaac (Genesis 24:1–9; Genesis 24:67)

Old and blessed in all things, Abraham makes his servant, the elder of his house, swear to take a wife for Isaac from his kindred and not to bring Isaac back thither; Isaac takes Rebekah.

Keturah, Isaac his heir, and death (Genesis 25:1–11)

Abraham takes Keturah, gives all he has to Isaac and gifts to the sons of the concubines, dies at a hundred and seventy-five, and is buried by Isaac and Ishmael beside Sarah.

Sarah (Genesis 11:29–30; Genesis 17:15–16; Genesis 23:1–2)

His wife, first Sarai, who was barren, whom God renamed Sarah and promised would bear him a son.

Isaac (Genesis 21:1–5; Genesis 22:1–13; Genesis 25:5)

The son Sarah bare to him at the set time, whom he circumcised at eight days, offered on Moriah, and made his heir.

Ishmael (Genesis 16:15–16; Genesis 21:9–14; Genesis 25:9)

His son by Hagar, circumcised at thirteen, sent away with his mother, and present with Isaac at his burial.

Hagar (Genesis 16:1–4; Genesis 21:14–21)

Sarai’s Egyptian handmaid, given to Abram as a wife, who bore Ishmael and was sent away into the wilderness.

Lot (Genesis 12:4–5; Genesis 13:8–12; Genesis 14:14–16; Genesis 19:29)

His brother’s son, who went with him from Haran, chose the Plain of the Jordan, was taken captive and rescued, and was sent out of Sodom.

Terah (Genesis 11:26–32)

His father, who took him from Ur toward Canaan and died in Haran.

Rebekah (Genesis 24:1–9; Genesis 24:67)

The wife Abraham’s servant brought for Isaac, whom Isaac took into his mother Sarah’s tent.

Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18–20; Hebrews 7:1–2)

King of Salem and priest of God Most High, who brought bread and wine, blessed Abram, and received a tenth of all.

Abimelech (Genesis 20:1–18; Genesis 21:22–32)

King of Gerar, who took Sarah, restored her at God’s word, and later made a covenant with Abraham at Beer-sheba.

Pharaoh (Genesis 12:14–20)

King of Egypt, who took Sarai into his house and rebuked Abram after the LORD plagued his house.

Ephron the Hittite (Genesis 23:8–18)

Owner of the field and cave of Machpelah, from whom Abraham weighed out four hundred shekels of silver.

The LORD (Genesis 12:1–3; Genesis 15:18; Genesis 22:1–2; James 2:23)

Called him out of his country, made covenant with him, tested him on Moriah; Scripture says he was called the friend of God.

Jesus (John 8:56–58)

Told the Jews, Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and, Before Abraham was born, I am.

Major sections

• Genesis 11:27–13:18
• Genesis 14–15
• Genesis 16–17
• Genesis 18–21
• Genesis 22
• Genesis 23–25

More illuminations · Harbinger's Lamp