Commentary on Genesis 12:1-9

Get up and go! (verses 1–3)

When I was learning biblical Hebrew, I was intrigued by the phrase in Genesis 12:1: lekh lekha.¹ It consists of two simple words from the same verbal root, lakha (“to go, come; to walk”). Literally translated as “go forth, yourself,” lekh lekha occurs only twice in the Hebrew Bible: Genesis 12 and 22. Despite its simplicity, the phrase introduces the pivotal story of God calling Abram and bestowing on him a divine promise to make of him a great nation.²

The broad, sweeping narrative of Genesis 1–11 shifts abruptly in Genesis 12 to focus on one man, Abram. The passage begins with a threefold command from God for Abram to leave his native land, birthplace, and father’s house—the place where he belonged—and go to a land God would show him. Each prepositional phrase intensifies the weight of the imperative. Did God question whether Abram would obey?

After all, God expected Abram—at age 75—to leave familiar sights, sounds, and smells: the towering ziggurats, merchants bartering in crowded marketplaces, and the aroma of roasting meats. Technically, Abram’s homeland was Ur of the Chaldeans (11:28), but he and his family were living in Haran at this time. Thus, the call is less about leaving a single geographical place and more about leaving behind the old so that God could do something new.

God does not appear before Abram but nonetheless speaks to him. God declares a threefold promise: descendants, wealth, and a great reputation. God promises not only to make Abram a numerous people but also to establish them as a political entity in a land God would reveal—“I will make of you a great nation” (verse 2).

God concludes with a promise: “I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (verse 3). This kind of blessing formula was common in the ancient world. Here, it conveys divine protection for Abram against those who might wish him harm. The passive form suggests that by invoking Abram’s name, people bless themselves—“May God make you as blessed as Abraham.”³

Some Christians interpret Genesis 12:3 as establishing an eternal covenant obligating support for the modern state of Israel and the Jewish people. For example, US Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) sparked controversy during a Twitter video interview with Tucker Carlson when he defended US support for Israel’s conflict with Iran based on the belief that “those who bless Israel will be blessed.”⁴ He declared that he learned this lesson in Sunday school. Although he did not cite the verse explicitly, he was invoking Genesis 12:3. According to this view, individuals and nations receive tangible benefits for supporting modern Israel—taken to be the same as biblical Israel.

A new home (verses 4–9)

Abram obeys God’s command and sets out from Haran toward Canaan. The imperative lekh lekha—“go forth, yourself”—can be understood as God calling Abram alone. The text does not specify that Abram should bring family or possessions. It implies full separation from his father’s household. Yet Abram travels with his nephew Lot, his wife Sarai, and his possessions, including slaves (verses 4–6). The text does not explain their destination choice, especially since God had not yet identified the land. It does note that Canaan was already inhabited—it was not terra nullius (“land belonging to no one”).

Abram journeys through Canaan to Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. There, the text is explicit that God appears to him. God confirms that this land will belong to his descendants—the first theophany in the Bible. Abram responds by building an altar. He continues to Bethel, where he pitches his tent and builds a second altar to worship God. From there, he journeys on (verse 9).

Call narratives in the Hebrew Bible typically describe an encounter between the deity and an individual, followed by a commission—or in Abram’s case, a promise. Likewise, if you are reading this, it is probable that you, too, have experienced a sense of God calling you to go: to seminary, to serve, to proclaim. These stories usually center on the person summoned, giving little to no attention to the impact on their families—just as God’s call to Abram notably omits Sarai and Lot.

Even when God’s call does not require relocating, families still bear the weight of the demands placed on the one who is called. And when responding to God’s call does involve picking up and moving—sometimes multiple times—to a new ministry setting or place, the strain on families can be even greater. As a community, we can seek ways to support families even as we support those called by God to serve.

God’s promise to bless Abram was not contingent on Abram’s obedience—as a reward for trusting God—but others would be blessed in Abram nonetheless. Those who interpret Genesis 12:3 as a mandate for unwavering support of the modern state of Israel reduce God to a transactional deity who dispenses favor only to those who defend Israel. Instead, Genesis 12:3 affirms that all peoples will consider themselves blessed because God first blessed Abram. “May God make you as blessed as Abraham.”

Notes

1. Parashat Lekh-Lekha (Genesis 12:1–17:27) is the third weekly portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading.
2. God changes Abram’s name to “Abraham” in chapter 17.
3. Julie Galambush, Reading Genesis: A Literary and Theological Commentary (Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys, 2018), 58.
4. Cruz’s view belongs to a theological teaching called “dispensationalism.” For explanation see Jonathan Newman, “Ted Cruz, Dispensationalism, and the State of Israel,” Mises Institute, June 20, 2025, https://mises.org/power-market/ted-cruz-dispensationalism-and-state-israel.