1 Hospodin řekl Abramovi: „Vyjdi ze své země, ze svého příbuzenstva a ze svého otcovského domu do země, kterou ti ukážu.
2 Udělám z tebe veliký národ a požehnám ti, oslavím tvé jméno a budeš požehnáním.
3 Požehnám těm, kdo ti budou žehnat, a prokleji ty, kdo tě budou proklínat. V tobě budou požehnána všechna pokolení země.“
4 Abram se vydal na cestu, jak mu řekl Hospodin, a s ním šel i Lot. Když Abram vyšel z Charanu, bylo mu sedmdesát pět let.
5 Vzal s sebou svou ženu Sáraj, svého synovce Lota, všechen majetek, který měli, a všechnu čeleď, kterou získali v Charanu, a dali se na cestu do země Kanaán. Když přišli do země Kanaán,
6 Abram ji prošel až k místu Šekem, k dubu More. Tehdy byli v zemi Kanaánci.
7 Hospodin se zjevil Abramovi a řekl: „Tvému potomstvu dám tuto zemi!“ Abram tam vystavěl oltář Hospodinu, který se mu zjevil.
8 Odtamtud pak vytáhl do hor na východ od Betelu a postavil tam svůj stan mezi Betelem na západě a Hajem na východě. Vystavěl tam oltář Hospodinu a vzýval jeho jméno.
9 Pak putoval dál směrem k Negebu.
10 V zemi nastal hlad. Abram sestoupil do Egypta, aby se tam načas usadil, neboť v zemi byl stále větší hlad.
11 Když se už blížil k Egyptu, řekl své ženě Sáraj: „Vím, že jsi krásná žena.
12 Až tě Egypťané uvidí, řeknou si: ‚To je jeho žena’ – mne zabijí a tebe ponechají naživu.
13 Řekni tedy, že jsi má sestra, aby se mi kvůli tobě vedlo dobře a abych díky tobě zůstal naživu.“
14 Když Abram přišel do Egypta, viděli Egypťané, že ta žena je velmi krásná.
15 Viděli ji faraonovi úřednici, vychválili ji faraonovi a žena byla odvedena do faraonova paláce.
16 Abramovi se kvůli ní dobře vedlo: měl brav a skot, osly, otroky, otrokyně, oslice a velbloudy.
17 Ale Hospodin stihl faraona a jeho dům těžkými ranami kvůli Sáraj, Abramově ženě.
18 Tu si zavolal faraon Abrama a řekl: „Cos mně to udělal? Proč jsi mi neoznámil, že je to tvá žena?
19 Proč jsi řekl: ‚Je to má sestra’ – takže jsem si ji vzal za ženu? Tady máš svou ženu, vezmi si ji a jdi!“
20 Faraon dal kvůli němu rozkazy mužům, aby ho vyprovodili ven i s jeho ženou a se vším, co měl.
Matthew Henry - Concise Commentary 1 God made choice of Abram, and singled him out from among his fellow-idolaters, that he might reserve a people for himself, among whom his true worship might be maintained till the coming of Christ. From henceforward Abram and his seed are almost the only subject of the history in the Bible. Abram was tried whether he loved God better than all, and whether he could willingly leave all to go with God. His kindred and his father's house were a constant temptation to him, he could not continue among them without danger of being infected by them. Those who leave their sins, and turn to God, will be unspeakable gainers by the change. The command God gave to Abram, is much the same with the gospel call, for natural affection must give way to Divine grace. Sin, and all the occasions of it, must be forsaken; particularly bad company. Here are many great and precious promises. All God's precepts are attended with promises to the obedient. 1. I will make of thee a great nation. When God took Abram from his own people, he promised to make him the head of another people. 2. I will bless thee. Obedient believers shall be sure to inherit the blessing. 3. I will make thy name great. The name of obedient believers shall certainly be made great. 4. Thou shalt be a blessing. Good men are the blessings of their country. 5. I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee. God will take care that none are losers, by any service done for his people. 6. In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Jesus Christ is the great blessing of the world, the greatest that ever the world possessed. All the true blessedness the world is now, or ever shall be possessed of, is owing to Abram and his posterity. Through them we have a Bible, a Saviour, and a gospel. They are the stock on which the Christian church is grafted.
4 Abram believed that the blessing of the Almighty would make up for all he could lose or leave behind, supply all his wants, and answer and exceed all his desires; and he knew that nothing but misery would follow disobedience. Such believers, being justified by faith in Christ, have peace with God. They hold on their way to Canaan. They are not discouraged by the difficulties in their way, nor drawn aside by the delights they meet with. Those who set out for heaven must persevere to the end. What we undertake, in obedience to God's command, and in humble attendance on his providence, will certainly succeed, and end with comfort at last. Canaan was not, as other lands, a mere outward possession, but a type of heaven, and in this respect the patriarchs so earnestly prized it.
6 Abram found the country peopled by Canaanites, who were bad neighbours. He journeyed, going on still. Sometimes it is the lot of good men to be unsettled, and often to remove into various states. Believers must look on themselves as strangers and sojourners in this world,
Hebre 11:8,
Hebre 11:13,
Hebre 11:14. But observe how much comfort Abram had in God. When he could have little satisfaction in converse with the Canaanites whom he found there, he had abundance of pleasure in communion with that God, who brought him thither, and did not leave him. Communion with God is kept up by the word and by prayer. God reveals himself and his favours to his people by degrees; before, he had promised to show Abram this land, now, to give it to him: as grace is growing, so is comfort. It should seem, Abram understood it also as a grant of a better land, of which this was a type; for he looked for a heavenly country,
Hebre 11:16. As soon as Abram was got to Canaan, though he was but a stranger and sojourner there, yet he set up, and kept up, the worship of God in his family. He not only minded the ceremonial part of religion, the offering of sacrifice; but he made conscience of seeking his God, and calling on his name; that spiritual sacrifice with which God is well pleased. He preached concerning the name of the Lord; he taught his family and neighbours the knowledge of the true God, and his holy religion. The way of family worship is a good old way, no new thing, but the ancient usage of the saints. Abram was rich, and had a numerous family, was now unsettled, and in the midst of enemies; yet, wherever he pitched his tent, he built an altar: wherever we go, let us not fail to take our religion along with us.
10 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 not deliver us, many a time, out of straits and distresses which we bring ourselves into, by our own sin and folly, we should be ruined. He deals not with us according to our deserts. Those are happy chastisements that hinder us in a sinful way, and bring us to our duty, particularly to the duty of restoring what we have wrongfully taken or kept. Pharaoh's reproof of Abram was very just: What is this that thou hast done? How unbecoming a wise and good man! If those who profess religion, do that which is unfair and deceptive, especially if they say that which borders upon a lie, they must expect to hear of it; and they have reason to thank those who will tell them of it. The sending away was kind. Pharaoh was so far from any design to kill Abram, as he feared, that he took particular care of him. We often perplex ourselves with fears which are altogether groundless. Many a time we fear where no fear is. Pharaoh charged his men not to hurt Abram in any thing. It is not enough for those in authority, that they do not hurt themselves; they must keep their servants and those about them from doing hurt.