Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charran The Chaldæans were the people of that country which had Babylon for its capital. The extent of the country signified by "the land of the Chaldæans" must have varied at different periods.

when his father was dead According to the order of the narrative in Genesis, this seems to be so, but when the ages of Terah and Abraham are noticed, it appears that Abraham left Haran before his father's death. For Terah was 70 years old when Abraham was born (Genesis 11:26), and Abraham was 75 years old when he departed out of Haran (Genesis 12:4), so that of Terah's 205 years there were yet (205 145) = 60 years unexpired when his son went away. On this Jewish literature has the explanation (Midrash Rabbahon Genesis, cap. 39) that God absolved Abraham from the care of his father, and yet, that Abraham's departure from Terah should not lead others to claim the same relaxation of a commandment for themselves, Terah's death is noticed in Holy Writ before Abraham's departure, and it is also added, to explain the mention of death, that "the wicked (and among them Terah is reckoned, see Joshua 24:2) are called dead while they are alive."

he removed him i.e. God caused him to migrate. There is a slight vagueness in the English, but none in the Greek.

Continues after advertising
Continues after advertising