language · Gen 12:4–5 · ✓ Approved

Abram goes, and they arrive

Says וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו יְהוָה is “and Abram went, as the Lord had spoken to him”; BSB has “as the Lord had directed him.” Vayyelekh (“and he went”) is the verb of lekh in 12:1. בֶּן־חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה is “a son of five years and seventy year,” the Hebrew way of stating an age (the lexicon: “5 years + 70 year Gn 12⁴”).

Says In 12:5 רְכוּשָׁם אֲשֶׁר רָכָשׁוּ is “their goods that they had gathered,” noun and verb from one root. הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂוּ בְחָרָן is “and the persons that they had made in Haran”; BSB has “people they had acquired.” The verse ends וַיָּבֹאוּ אַרְצָה כְּנָעַן (“and they came to the land of Canaan”); in 11:31 they had come only עַד־חָרָן (“as far as Haran”).

Implies Abram goes as the Lord has spoken: the going repeats the word of the command.

Uncertain Keil and Driver take the “persons they had made” as slaves acquired; others read the phrase as people won over to Abram’s God. The verb “make” allows both. No lean is taken here.

Claims

Saysוַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו יְהוָה is “and Abram went, as the Lord had spoken to him”; BSB has “as the Lord had directed him.” Vayyelekh (“and he went”) is the verb of lekh in 12:1. בֶּן־חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה is “a son of five years and seventy year,” the Hebrew way of stating an age (the lexicon: “5 years + 70 year Gn 12⁴”).
SaysIn 12:5 רְכוּשָׁם אֲשֶׁר רָכָשׁוּ is “their goods that they had gathered,” noun and verb from one root. הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂוּ בְחָרָן is “and the persons that they had made in Haran”; BSB has “people they had acquired.” The verse ends וַיָּבֹאוּ אַרְצָה כְּנָעַן (“and they came to the land of Canaan”); in 11:31 they had come only עַד־חָרָן (“as far as Haran”).
ImpliesAbram goes as the Lord has spoken: the going repeats the word of the command.
UncertainKeil and Driver take the “persons they had made” as slaves acquired; others read the phrase as people won over to Abram’s God. The verb “make” allows both. No lean is taken here.

Citations

OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 12:4–5 (WLC/OSHB; morph HC/Vqw3ms HC/Acbpa HTd/Ncbsa HVqp3cp)
BSB public domain Gen 12:4–5 (BSB)
BDB CC BY 4.0 BDB 1906, p. 988 (leaf n1011), archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft, s.v. H7657 “seventy”; checked against the printed page (scan)
Keil–Delitzsch, Pentateuch 1 public domain Keil, Pentateuch vol. 1 (Clark, Martin trans., 1868), on Gen 12:5, p. 195 (leaf n198); checked against the printed page (scan); paraphrased
Driver, Genesis (Westminster) public domain Driver, The Book of Genesis (Westminster, 4th ed.), on Gen 12:5, p. 146 (leaf n247); checked against the printed page (scan); paraphrased

Sources OSHB CC BY 4.0 BSB public domain BDB CC BY 4.0 Keil–Delitzsch, Pentateuch 1 public domain Driver, Genesis (Westminster) public domain

2026-11-12

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