So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Though the text emphasizes Abram's obedience to God's command, it subtly highlights his reliance on his nephew Lot and his substantial household goods as he begins this monumental journey. This detail shows that even as Abram steps into divine purpose, he doesn't do so alone or as a minimalist, but brings his established life with him.
So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After God's call and promises, Abram packs up his family and possessions, leaving behind the familiar life in Haran. This departure marks a pivotal moment, as he ventures into the unknown land of Canaan under God's direction, accompanied by his nephew Lot.
Why did Abram leave everything behind? It wasn't a whim or a suggestion, but a divine directive that set his life on an entirely new path.
The verse emphasizes that Abram didn't just leave; he departed 'as the LORD had spoken unto him.' This highlights the absolute necessity of God's command as the foundation for Abram's actions.
The Word as the Starting Point
Seventy-five years old. Most people at that age are settling down, not starting over. Yet, for Abram, this was just the beginning.
Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. This detail is crucial because it reveals God's willingness to use individuals at any stage of life, even when it seems inconvenient or late.
A Mature Start
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Abram's departure from Haran at age 75 marks a pivotal moment, demonstrating his faith and obedience after the death of his father Terah. This journey sets the stage for God's unfolding plan to establish a great nation through him.
c. 2166 BC
Terah Departs Ur
Terah, Abram's father, leads his family, including Abram, Sarai, and Lot, from Ur of the Chaldees towards the land of Canaan. They settle in Haran.
c. 2150 BC
Death of Terah
Terah dies in Haran at the age of 205. This event removes the patriarchal authority that may have kept Abram from fully obeying God's call.
c. 2150 BC— this verse
Abram Departs Haran
At 75 years old, Abram, obeying God's renewed command, leaves Haran for Canaan, taking Sarai, Lot, and their possessions.
c. 2150 BC
Abram Enters Canaan
Abram arrives in the land of Canaan, a place inhabited by the Canaanites, and begins his journey through it, setting up altars to the Lord.
c. 2150 BC
Famine Drives Abram to Egypt
A severe famine in Canaan forces Abram to travel down to Egypt, where he fears for his life due to his wife Sarai's beauty.
c. 2150 BC
Abram Returns to Canaan
After being expelled from Egypt due to plagues sent upon Pharaoh's household because of Sarai, Abram returns to Canaan, now wealthier but having learned a hard lesson about trusting God fully.
This passage highlights Abraham's faith as he obeyed God's call to go to a place he did not know, directly paralleling his departure from Haran.
Acts 7:4Stephen's speech recounts God's initial call to Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia (before Haran), emphasizing that Abraham's obedience began before his journey from Haran, aligning with the idea that the call was reaffirmed or continued.
Genesis 15:1-6Following his departure from Haran, God directly addresses Abram again, reassuring him with promises of numerous descendants and inheritance of the land, which is the ultimate goal of his obedient journey.
Galatians 3:17This passage connects the covenant made with Abraham 430 years before the Law to his departure, underscoring the significance of this journey as a foundational moment for God's redemptive plan through Abraham's lineage.
calvinGenesis 12:1-20: "Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:"
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.
Et cepit Abram Sarai uxorem suam, et Lot filium fratris sui, et omnem substantiam q…
gillGenesis 12:4: "So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran."
So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him,.... Or, "when the Lord had spoken to him", as Cocceius renders the words; when he had called him a second time, even when in Haran, immediately after the death of his father Terah; as soon as ever the words were spoken to him before recorded, he immediately prepared and got all thing…
Though the text emphasizes Abram's obedience to God's command, it subtly highlights his reliance on his nephew Lot and his substantial household goods as he begins this monumental journey. This detail shows that even as Abram steps into divine purpose, he doesn't do so alone or as a minimalist, but brings his established life with him.
After God's call and promises, Abram packs up his family and possessions, leaving behind the familiar life in Haran. This departure marks a pivotal moment, as he ventures into the unknown land of Canaan under God's direction, accompanied by his nephew Lot.
After God's call and promises, Abram packs up his family and possessions, leaving behind the familiar life in Haran. This departure marks a pivotal moment, as he ventures into the unknown land of Canaan under God's direction, accompanied by his nephew Lot.
"So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran." — Though the text emphasizes Abram's obedience to God's command, it subtly highlights his reliance on his nephew Lot and his substantial household goods as he begins this monumental journey. This detai…
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Last reviewed October 2026