Genesis 12:5

substance or goods. A characteristic word in P (cf. Genesis 13:6; Genesis 31:18; Genesis 36:7; Genesis 46:6).

souls i.e. the slaves and retainers. The movement of Abram out of Haran was evidently on the scale of a large migration, such as was not infrequent among the nomad peoples of Western Asia.

into the land of Canaan The journey from Haran to Canaan would entail (1) the crossing of the river Euphrates, (2) the traversing of Hamath and Syria, (3) the entrance into N. Palestine. On an ancient tradition that, on the way, Abram conquered Damascus, see Josephus who quotes Nicolaus of Damascus: "Abraham reigned in Damascus, having come with an army from the country beyond Babylon, called the land of the Chaldaeans."