language · Gen 12:6–7 · ✓ Approved

Shechem, the oak of Moreh and “to your seed”

Says וַיַּעֲבֹר אַבְרָם בָּאָרֶץ (“and Abram passed through the land”; the lexicon: “pass over, through, by, pass on”) runs עַד מְקוֹם שְׁכֶם עַד אֵלוֹן מוֹרֶה (“as far as the place of Shechem, as far as the oak of Moreh”). Moreh has the form of a participle of “teach” or “direct”; the Greek reads “τὴν δρῦν τὴν ὑψηλήν” (“the high oak”). וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי אָז בָּאָרֶץ is “and the Canaanite was then in the land,” a collective singular.

Says In 12:7 וַיֵּרָא יְהוָה (“and the Lord appeared”) is a passive of “see”: the God who will “show” the land (12:1) is seen. לְזַרְעֲךָ אֶתֵּן אֶת־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת is “to your seed I will give this land” (BSB “offspring”).

Implies The promise of the land to the seed is given here and unfolded later, as in 13:14–17.

Uncertain Zera‘ (“seed”) may be collective, singular, or both; Gal 3:16 reads it as singular. Moreh may be a landmark’s name or, as Driver argues, an oracle tree (“An oracular tree.”). No lean is taken here.

Claims

Saysוַיַּעֲבֹר אַבְרָם בָּאָרֶץ (“and Abram passed through the land”; the lexicon: “pass over, through, by, pass on”) runs עַד מְקוֹם שְׁכֶם עַד אֵלוֹן מוֹרֶה (“as far as the place of Shechem, as far as the oak of Moreh”). Moreh has the form of a participle of “teach” or “direct”; the Greek reads “τὴν δρῦν τὴν ὑψηλήν” (“the high oak”). וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי אָז בָּאָרֶץ is “and the Canaanite was then in the land,” a collective singular.
SaysIn 12:7 וַיֵּרָא יְהוָה (“and the Lord appeared”) is a passive of “see”: the God who will “show” the land (12:1) is seen. לְזַרְעֲךָ אֶתֵּן אֶת־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת is “to your seed I will give this land” (BSB “offspring”).
ImpliesThe promise of the land to the seed is given here and unfolded later, as in 13:14–17.
UncertainZera‘ (“seed”) may be collective, singular, or both; Gal 3:16 reads it as singular. Moreh may be a landmark’s name or, as Driver argues, an oracle tree (“An oracular tree.”). No lean is taken here.

Citations

OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 12:6–7 (WLC/OSHB; morph HNp HC/Td/Ngmsa HC/VNw3ms HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms)
BSB public domain Gen 12:6–7 (BSB)
BDB CC BY 4.0 BDB 1906, p. 716 (leaf n739), archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft, s.v. H5674 “pass over, through, by, pass on”; checked against the printed page (scan)
LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Gen 12:6, text and apparatus. LXX: Swete, vol. 1 (1901), p. 19 (leaf n50). Checked against the printed page (scan).
Driver, Genesis (Westminster) public domain Driver, The Book of Genesis (Westminster, 4th ed.), on Gen 12:6, p. 146 (leaf n247); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted

Sources OSHB CC BY 4.0 BSB public domain BDB CC BY 4.0 LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Driver, Genesis (Westminster) public domain

Quotations from LXX (Swete) are used under CC BY-SA 4.0 · Credits

2026-11-12

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