Genesis 12:16

_AND HE ENTREATED ABRAM WELL FOR HER SAKE: AND HE HAD SHEEP, AND OXEN, AND HE ASSES, AND MENSERVANTS, AND MAIDSERVANTS, AND SHE ASSES, AND CAMELS._ He entreated Abram well for her sake. Marriage negotiations in the East are a sort of purchase-certain amount of presents being always assigned to the relatives. The gifts which Pharaoh bestowed on Abram were just what one pastoral chief would give to another. Slavery existed in Egypt, both male and female slaves being employed in the household and in the fields. Sheep, oxen, and donkeys were as common in ancient Egypt as they are in that country still. Camels have not been discovered in the delineations of the monuments, and, being probably not numerous, are mentioned last. Horses do not find a place in the enumeration, because, though Egypt was famous for the breed, they were employed only in war chariots, and hence, were unsuitable to Abr...

10-20 There is no state on earth free from trials, nor any character free from blemishes. There was famine in Canaan, the glory of all lands, and unbelief, with the evils it ever brings, in Abram the father of the faithful. Perfect happiness and perfect purity dwell only in heaven. Abram, when he must for a time quit Canaan, goes to Egypt, that he might not seem to look back, and meaning to tarry there no longer than needful. There Abram dissembled his relation to Sarai, equivocated, and taught his wife and his attendants to do so too. He concealed a truth, so as in effect to deny it, and exposed thereby both his wife and the Egyptians to sin. The grace Abram was most noted for, was faith; yet he thus fell through unbelief and distrust of the Divine providence, even after God had appeared to him twice. Alas, what will become of weak faith, when strong faith is thus shaken! If God did no...

Verse Genesis 12:16. _HE HAD SHEEP, AND OXEN, C._] As some of these terms are liable to be confounded, and as they frequently occur, especially in the Pentateuch, it may be necessary to consider and fix their meaning in this place. SHEEP צאן _tson_, from _tsaan_, to be _plentiful_ or _abundant;_ a proper term for the eastern sheep, which almost constantly bring forth _twins_, Cant. Song of Solomon 4:2, and sometimes _three_ and even _four_ at a birth. Hence their great fruitfulness is often alluded to in the Scripture. See Psalms 65:13; Psalms 144:13. But under t

- XXXVIII. Abram in Egypt 15. פרעה _par‛oh_, Par‘oh, “ouro.” Coptic for “king,” with the masculine article pi. or p. P-ouro, “the king.” If we separate the article p. from the Hebrew form, we have רעה _re‛oh_ for king, which may be compared with רעה _ro‛eh_, “pastor, leader,” and the Latin _rex_, king. This is the common title of the Egyptian sovereigns, to which we have the personal name occasionally added, as Pharaoh-Necho, Pharaoh-Hophrah. Genesis 12:1 This first visit of Abram to Mizraim, or Egypt, is occasioned by the famine in the land of promise. This land is watered by periodical rains. A season of drought arrests the progress of vegetation, and brings on a

EXPOSITION GENESIS 12:10 AND THERE WAS A FAMINE. רָעָב, from a root signifying to hunger, the primary. idea appearing to lie in that of an ample, _i.e._ empty, stomach (Gesenius, Furst). The term is used of individuals, men or animal (Psalms 34:11; Psalms 50:12); or of regions (Psa 41:1-13 :55). IN THE LAND. Of Canaan, which, though naturally fertile, was, on account of its imperfect cultivation, subject to visitations of dearth (cf. Genesis 26:1; Genesis 41:56), especially i

AND HE ENTREATED ABRAM WELL FOR HER SAKE,.... Pharaoh was very complaisant to him, showed him great respect, and bestowed many favours on him on account of Sarai, whom he took to be his sister, and which were done, that he would consent that she might be his wife: AND HE HAD SHEEP, AND OXEN, AND HE ASSES, AND MENSERVANTS, AND MAIDSERVANTS, AND SHE ASSES, AND CAMELS; which were, some at least, if not all, the gifts of Pharaoh to him, or otherwise there seems to be no reason why they should be made mention of here. The Jews say g, that Pharaoh, because of the love he had to Sarai, gave to her by writing all his substance, whether silver or gold, or servants or farms, and also the land of Goshen for an inheritance; and therefore the children of Israel dwelt in the land of Goshen, because it was Sarai our mother's, say they. g Pirke Eliezer, c. 26....

CHAPTER 12 THE FIRST EVENTS IN ABRAM'S LIFE _ 1. The call and the promise (Genesis 12:1)_ 2. Abram's obedience (Genesis 12:4) 3. The second communication of Jehovah (Genesis 12:7) 4. Abram in Egypt and first denial of Sarai (Genesis 12:10) We come now to a new beginning, the Abrahamic covenant. It marks the beginning of that wonderful race, the seed of Abraham, the people of Israel. Abraham's name is mentioned 74 times in the New Testament. How closely his history is interwoven into New Testament doctrine. This may be learned by consulting the following passages:...

GENESIS 12:1 TO GENESIS 25:18. THE STORY OF ABRAHAM. In this section the three main sources, J. E, P are present. Gunkel has given strong reasons for holding that J is here made up of two main sources, one connecting Abraham with Hebron, the other with Beersheba and the Negeb. The former associates Abraham with Lot. (For details, see ICC.) On the interpretation to be placed on the figures of Abraham and the patriarchs, see the Introduction. The interest, which has hitherto been diffused over the fortunes of mankind in general, is now concentrated on Abraham and his posterity, the principle of election narrowing it down to Isaac, Ishmael being left aside, and then to Jacob, Esau being excluded....

AND. Note the Figure of speech _Polysyndeton._ See App-6, emph. each class of property. All these pictured on the Monuments in Egypt. SHEEP, &C. No _horses_ in Egypt till 18th Dynasty....

Genesis 12:10 to Genesis 13:2. Abram in Egypt. (J.) The narrative in this section should be compared with the similar ones in 20, 26. It is repellent to our sense of honour, chivalry, and purity. It is true that Abram's cowardice is reproved, and that the action of the Egyptian Pharaoh is represented in a more favourable light. On the other hand, Abram, though dismissed from the court, leaves Egypt enriched with great spoil. By a subterfuge he had hoped to save his own life at the cost of his wife's honour. His cowardly deceit is detected: and his life is not imperilled. Sarai's honour is spared; and the patriarch withdraws immensely enriched in possessions. This story, doubtless, would not have appeared so sordid to the ancient Israelite as it does to us. Perhaps the cunning, the detection, and the increase