The Meaning of Genesis 12:5 Explained

Genesis 12:5

KJV: And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

YLT: And Abram taketh Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they have gained, and the persons that they have obtained in Charan; and they go out to go towards the land of Canaan; and they come in to the land of Canaan.

Darby: And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had acquired, and the souls that they had obtained in Haran, and they went out to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

ASV: And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Abram  took  Sarai  his wife,  and Lot  his brother's  son,  and all their substance  that they had gathered,  and the souls  that they had gotten  in Haran;  and they went forth  to go  into the land  of Canaan;  and into the land  of Canaan  they came. 

What does Genesis 12:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 12:1-9 - God's Call And Promise To Abram
God's commands are always associated with promises. Count the shalls and wills here. He does not give His reasons, but He is lavish of His promises. The keynote of Abram's life was Separation. Step by step, until country, kindred, Lot, worldly alliances and fleshly expedients were one by one cast aside and he stood alone with God! Though he knew not whither he went, the father of the faithful obeyed, and crossed the wide and perilous deserts. It was this absolute and unquestioning obedience that endeared him to God. Let us ever obey and step out, though it seems as though there were nought but seething mist. We shall find it solidify under the tread of faith. Read Romans 4:16; Hebrews 11:8. Notice the combination of the Tent and Altar. The tent-life is natural to the man whose portion is God; and where he pitches his tent he will rear his altar. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 12

1  God calls Abram, and blesses him with a promise of Christ
4  He departs with Lot from Haran, and comes to Canaan
6  He journeys through Canaan,
7  which is promised to him in a vision
10  He is driven by famine into Egypt
11  Fear makes him feign his wife to be his sister
14  Pharaoh, having taken her from him, is compelled to restore her
18  Pharaoh reproves Abram, whom he dismisses

What do the individual words in Genesis 12:5 mean?

And took Abram - Sarai his wife and Lot son of his brother all their possessions that they had gathered the people whom they had acquired in Haran and they departed to go to the land of Canaan so they came of Canaan
וַיִּקַּ֣ח אַבְרָם֩ אֶת־ שָׂרַ֨י אִשְׁתּ֜וֹ וְאֶת־ ל֣וֹט בֶּן־ אָחִ֗יו כָּל־ רְכוּשָׁם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָכָ֔שׁוּ הַנֶּ֖פֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־ עָשׂ֣וּ בְחָרָ֑ן וַיֵּצְא֗וּ לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ אַ֣רְצָה כְּנַ֔עַן וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ כְּנָֽעַן

וַיִּקַּ֣ח  And  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
אַבְרָם֩  Abram 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָם  
Sense: original name of Abraham.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
שָׂרַ֨י  Sarai 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׂרַי  
Sense: original name of Sarah the wife of Abram or Abraham.
אִשְׁתּ֜וֹ  his  wife 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
ל֣וֹט  Lot 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֹוט  
Sense: son of Haran and Abraham’s nephew who settled in Sodom and was delivered from its destruction by God.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אָחִ֗יו  of  his  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
רְכוּשָׁם֙  their  possessions 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: רְכוּשׁ  
Sense: property, goods, possessions.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
רָכָ֔שׁוּ  they  had  gathered 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: רָכַשׁ  
Sense: (Qal) to collect or gather property.
הַנֶּ֖פֶשׁ  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
אֲשֶׁר־  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עָשׂ֣וּ  they  had  acquired 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
בְחָרָ֑ן  in  Haran 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: חָרָן 
Sense: a son of Caleb by his concubine Ephah.
וַיֵּצְא֗וּ  and  they  departed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
לָלֶ֙כֶת֙  to  go 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
אַ֣רְצָה  to  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
כְּנַ֔עַן  of  Canaan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּנַעַן 
Sense: the 4th son of Ham and the progenitor of the Phoenicians and of the various nations who peopled the seacoast of Palestine.
וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ  so  they  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
כְּנָֽעַן  of  Canaan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּנַעַן 
Sense: the 4th son of Ham and the progenitor of the Phoenicians and of the various nations who peopled the seacoast of Palestine.