Literal Annotations on Chapter Twelve
Gen 12:1 “Go for yourself (Vade tibi)”
We have previously warned, among the interpretive rules, how Rabbi Solomon wrongly explains such expressions or phrases — as though “Go for yourself” meant “Go for your own advantage,” and “Circumcise for yourself” meant “For your own profit.” This is clearly false.
For later, when the Lord commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son, He said, “Go for yourself.” If you insist that He meant Abraham was to sacrifice his son for his own benefit, then read in the same chapter how Abraham says to his servants: “Stay here.” What benefit could they have gained merely by waiting there — unless you wish to invent one?
Likewise in Numbers 10, where Moses says, “Make for yourself two silver trumpets” — what personal advantage Moses derived from the trumpets is not easy to see.
It is therefore better to say, with other interpreters, that this is simply a phrase of the Hebrew language, rather than to invent unnecessary meanings with Rabbi Solomon.
“From your land”
If this revelation was made in Ur, there is no difficulty regarding the place. But if it was made in Haran, then we must say that it is a Hebraism to call someone’s “land” that in which he dwells — especially if he has lived there a long time.
“Father’s house” means the father’s household.
In Acts 7, Stephen says the revelation was made before Abraham dwelt in Haran; this must be maintained, since in the preceding chapter it was said that Terah went out from Ur to go to the land of Canaan. As we said earlier, the first revelation was in Ur, the second in Haran.
“And from your kindred” means the same as “from your blood relatives and kinsmen.”
“To the land which I will show you”
It should be understood as: “to the land which I will cause you to see,” or “which I will show you.”
How, then, could Abraham know which land it was? Paul in Hebrews 11 says that he did not know where he was going. Therefore, we must say that he was commanded to depart toward the land of Canaan, and he set out in that direction; but he did not yet know it as his own land, nor that it was then promised to him. In this respect, he did not know where he was going.
He did not know that he was going to a land to be given to him and to his seed. Thus Paul says: “By faith Abraham, when called, obeyed to go out into a place which he was to receive for an inheritance, and he went out not knowing where he was going” — that is, not knowing that he was going to a place he would receive as an inheritance.
Gen 12:2 “I will make you into a great nation”
In my judgment, this does not primarily signify the multitude of Abraham’s descendants, but excellence — as if He had said, “I will make you into an exalted nation,” superior to others.
For later He says, “I will multiply you.” And “I will bless you” means: I will do you good; I will bestow many benefits upon you. For we have already said that God’s blessing is nothing other than benefaction.
“And I will exalt your name,” that is, I will make it famous, so that you will be known throughout the whole world.
“And you shall be a blessing” (or “Be a blessing”)
The sense is: You shall be a blessing by which others will bless themselves and theirs, saying, “May the Lord make you like Abraham.”
Or better: You shall be a blessing by which your descendants will bless their children. For in Genesis 28 Isaac says to Jacob, “May God give you the blessing of Abraham,” and in chapter 48 Jacob says of Joseph’s sons, “Let my name be called upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac.”
Thus “Be a blessing” means nothing other than that those who bless themselves or theirs will say, “May the Lord do for you what He did for Abraham,” or “May He make you such as He made him.”
Note also that from barach (to bless) comes berech (knee), because the one who is blessed commonly bends the knee to the one blessing him. Likewise berechah (a pool), which is nothing other than a flowing of waters — just as blessing is a flowing of good things from God.
Gen 12:3 “I will bless those who bless you”
That is, I will do good to those who wish you well or do good to you. For earlier we said that God’s blessing means to do good; a human blessing another human means to wish or do good; and a human blessing God means to praise Him or to desire that He be known and praised by all.
“And him who curses you I will curse”
Two Hebrew verbs are used here: qalal and arar, which the Hebrews and our translators usually treat as synonymous. But earlier I explained and proved that qalal means “to despise” or “to regard lightly,” whereas arar means “to bind” or “to be restrained.”
Thus, literally translated, it would be: “He who despises you or regards you lightly shall be restrained,” that is, shall not be extended in goods, nor in offspring, nor in other blessings.
“And in you shall all the families (or nations) of the earth be blessed”
That is, they shall take you as the model of their blessing, saying, as we said, “May God make you like Abraham,” or “May the blessing of Abraham be upon you.”
He says “all families” because all venerate Father Abraham — Jews, Saracens, and Christians alike.
But since we do not read that Abraham is blessed in this general way by all, we must say that he is to be blessed by all on account of the Messiah.
Gen 12:4a So Abram went out as the Lord had commanded.
ANNOTATIONS
Go forth from your land
What hinders the mind from attaining perfection? The paternal home, the fatherland, and relatives—this place depicts it vividly.
Hence, those whom the Lord wishes to instruct, He separates from such things. For it is said in Hosea 2: Behold, I will seduce her and lead her into the wilderness, and I will speak to her heart.
Here, ponder the word "seduce," and consider that even for those things which are most useful to us, it is necessary for God to "seduce" us.
And see how well the Lord exchanges with Abraham. He commands him to leave the land but promises a better one: Come, He says, into the land which I will show you.
To leave his relatives—at that time, it was considered a vice to seek wives from all peoples, but He persuades him to do so, while promising to make him into a great nation, so that in place of his rustic kin, he may have great ones.
He persuades him to depart from his father's house, but constitutes him as the father of many nations, so that he may make him a father in place of a son, and in place of his father's blessing, he may obtain the blessing of God.
Ponder here what profit there is in losing or risking something for the sake of God.
For, as Bernard says: Because the virgin exposed herself for the sake of God by vowing chastity, made a curse to her children, He gave to her that she might be blessed among women. I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you.
Hear how greatly God esteems the just, so that He wills us to bless them and to curse those who curse them.
Similarly, what sin it is to curse a just man! As Balaam says in Numbers 22: How shall I curse whom the Lord has blessed?
And in the Psalm: They will curse him, and you will bless. Be a blessing.
The blessed not only profit themselves but are also a blessing to others. They are not only saved, but by their salvation others are saved.
They are not only enlightened but also enlighten others. They are not only saved but also save others.
As Christ says in Matthew 5: You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world.
And in Isaiah 49: I have given you as a light to the nations, that you may be my salvation to the ends of the earth.
And in chapter 60: Nations will walk by your light.
Lot went with him. Here we are admonished to care for our relatives, wards, and orphans.
CONTINUE
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