Bible HebrewAbraham Genesis 12:1–2 · Genesis 22:1
Genesis turns to one family. Notice the commands and the promises spoken in the first person, “I will…”.
Genesis 12:1
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־אַבְרָם לֶךְ־לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ
Wayyōmer yəḥawwe ʾel-ʾavrām lekh-ləkhā mēʾarṣəkhā ūmimmōladhtəkhā ūmibbēth ʾāvīkhā ʾel-hāʾāreṣ ʾăsher ʾarʾekkā
“And yəḥawwe said to Abram, “Go, for yourself, from your land and from your relatives and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you.””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer | and (he) said |
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
| אֶל | ʾel | to |
| אַבְרָם | ʾavrām | Abram |
| לֶךְ | lekh | go |
| לְךָ | ləkhā | (for) yourself |
| מֵאַרְצְךָ | mēʾarṣəkhā | from your land |
| וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ | ūmimmōladhtəkhā | and from your relatives |
| וּמִבֵּית | ūmibbēth | and from the house of |
| אָבִיךָ | ʾāvīkhā | your father |
| אֶל | ʾel | to |
| הָאָרֶץ | hāʾāreṣ | the land |
| אֲשֶׁר | ʾăsher | that |
| אַרְאֶךָּ | ʾarʾekkā | I will show you |
- לֶךְ: לֶךְ is the imperative “go!”. The added לְךָ (“for you”) points the action back at the person: “go, you yourself” or “go for your own sake”. Translations handle it differently.
- מֵאַרְצְךָ: Three “from” phrases, each narrower than the last: your land, then your relatives, then your father's house.
- אַרְאֶךָּ: Hiphil (causative) of רָאָה, “see”: “I will cause you to see”, that is, “I will show you”. The ending ךָ is “you”.
Genesis 12:2
וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל וַאֲבָרֶכְךָ וַאֲגַדְּלָה שְׁמֶךָ וֶהְיֵה בְּרָכָה
Wəʾeʿeśkhā ləghōy gādhōl waʾăvārekhkhā waʾăghaddəlā shəmekhā wehyē bərākhā
“And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great; and be a blessing.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ | wəʾeʿeśkhā | and I will make you |
| לְגוֹי | ləghōy | into a nation |
| גָּדוֹל | gādhōl | great |
| וַאֲבָרֶכְךָ | waʾăvārekhkhā | and I will bless you |
| וַאֲגַדְּלָה | waʾăghaddəlā | and I will make great |
| שְׁמֶךָ | shəmekhā | your name |
| וֶהְיֵה | wehyē | and be |
| בְּרָכָה | bərākhā | a blessing |
- וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ: Three verbs begin with א: אֶעֶשְׂךָ, אֲבָרֶכְךָ, אֲגַדְּלָה. א is the prefix for “I” in the imperfect, so the same speaker says each one: “I will…”.
- גָּדוֹל: The adjective follows the noun: גּוֹי גָּדוֹל, “a nation great”, that is, “a great nation”.
- וֶהְיֵה: וֶהְיֵה is an imperative, “and be!”. Some translations read it as a result: “so that you will be a blessing”.
Genesis 22:1
וַיְהִי אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְהָאֱלֹהִים נִסָּה אֶת־אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי
Wayhī ʾaḥar haddəvārīm hāʾēlle wəhāʾĕlōhīm nissā ʾeth-ʾavrāhām wayyōmer ʾēlāw ʾavrāhām wayyōmer hinnēnī
“And it was after these things that God tested Abraham. And he said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִי | wayhī | and it was |
| אַחַר | ʾaḥar | after |
| הַדְּבָרִים | haddəvārīm | the things |
| הָאֵלֶּה | hāʾēlle | these |
| וְהָאֱלֹהִים | wəhāʾĕlōhīm | and God |
| נִסָּה | nissā | tested |
| אֶת | ʾeth | (object marker) |
| אַבְרָהָם | ʾavrāhām | Abraham |
| וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer | and (he) said |
| אֵלָיו | ʾēlāw | to him |
| אַבְרָהָם | ʾavrāhām | Abraham |
| וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer | and (he) said |
| הִנֵּנִי | hinnēnī | here I am |
- וְהָאֱלֹהִים: The subject comes before the verb: וְהָאֱלֹהִים נִסָּה, “and God tested”. The usual storytelling order is verb first (as in וַיֹּאמֶר). Putting the subject first breaks the chain and gives the reader background: we are told this is a test before Abraham is.
- וַיֹּאמֶר: Two וַיֹּאמֶר (“and he said”) in a row, with no names. Context shows who speaks: first God, then Abraham.
- הִנֵּנִי: הִנֵּה “here, look” + נִי “me”: “here I am”, a reply that means “I'm present and listening”.
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