Genesis 12:7 kjv

And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

Genesis 12:7 nkjv

Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

Genesis 12:7 niv

The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

Genesis 12:7 esv

Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

Genesis 12:7 nlt

Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your descendants. " And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

Genesis 12 verses

Genesis 12 7 Meaning

Genesis 12:7 records a pivotal moment where the LORD (Yahweh) directly appeared to Abram, reiterating and specifying the core promise of the Abrahamic Covenant: that the land Abram stood upon would be given to his future descendants. In immediate response to this divine revelation and reaffirmation, Abram built an altar, marking the site as a place of worship and a testament to God's manifested presence and promise.

Genesis 12 7 Context

Genesis chapter 12 marks a pivotal turning point in biblical history, shifting from humanity's general failure and dispersion (chapters 1-11) to God's focused redemptive plan through one chosen man, Abram. Prior to verse 7, Abram has already been called by God to leave his homeland (Ur of the Chaldeans) and his father's house, journeying to an unspecified land that God would show him (Gen 12:1-3). This call included promises of greatness, blessing, and becoming a source of blessing for all families on earth. Abram, in an act of faith, journeyed with his household to Canaan, specifically to Shechem and the terebinth of Moreh (Gen 12:4-6), where the Canaanites were dwelling. It is there, in the land explicitly named, that the LORD appears to him, solidifying the general promise of "a land" into "this land" and further establishing the recipient as his specific "offspring." Abram's response in building the altar immediately follows and confirms his obedient faith and establishment of worship in the land of promise. This verse sets the stage for the rest of Abram's journey and the unfolding covenant history of Israel, rooted in this initial divine promise and human response.

Genesis 12 7 Word analysis

• Then (וַיֵּרָא - vayyera): This "and he appeared" (Hebraic waw-consecutive followed by Niphal imperfect) signifies an immediate, distinct, and divinely initiated action. It highlights a personal theophany (God's visible manifestation) to Abram, an objective reality of God's presence rather than a subjective experience. It is the first direct, visible appearance of God to Abram in the biblical narrative.
• the LORD (יְהוָה - YHWH/Yahweh): The covenant name of God, indicating His personal, eternal, and redemptive character. This name emphasizes God's self-revelation in a relational context, demonstrating His active involvement in human history and with His chosen ones. His appearing as YHWH underscores the trustworthiness of the covenant being established.
• appeared (וַיֵּרָא - vayyera): As mentioned above, a Niphal imperfect, signifying "He caused Himself to be seen," or "He showed Himself." This isn't just an internal communication but an outward manifestation, making the divine promise concretely real and experienced by Abram. It validates the divine nature of the encounter.
• to Abram (אֶל-אַבְרָם - ʾel-ʾAvram): Designates the direct recipient of this specific revelation. His name "exalted father" is fitting for the patriarch through whom God's people would descend. This singular focus shows God's sovereign election.
• and said (וַיֹּאמֶר - vayyomer): This indicates immediate verbal communication following the visual manifestation. It's a direct divine utterance, underscoring the authority and clarity of the message given.
• To your offspring (לְזַרְעֲךָ - lĕzarʿakha): The term zera‘ (seed/offspring) is singular in Hebrew, collectively referring to his future descendants, his lineage, rather than multiple individuals (cf. Gal 3:16, applying this to Christ). This establishes the hereditary nature of the land promise.
• I will give (אֶתֵּן - etten): First person singular, future tense verb, emphasizes God's sovereignty and unilateral decision. God is the active grantor of the promise, not based on Abram's merit but on His divine initiative and grace.
• this land (הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת - haʾaretz hazzot): The demonstrative "this" (hazot) combined with "land" (haʾaretz) anchors the promise to the specific geographical location where Abram currently stood—the land of Canaan. This clarifies the "land that I will show you" from Gen 12:1 and makes the promise tangible and geographically precise.
• So he built (וַיִּבֶן - vayyiven): Indicates Abram's immediate and responsive action. It's a spontaneous act of faith, worship, and recognition of God's presence and promise.
• an altar (מִזְבֵּחַ - mizbeach): A structure for worship, sacrifice, and commemoration. Building an altar signifies dedication to God, a public declaration of allegiance, and a marking of sacred space where God appeared. This altar serves as a tangible memorial of God's promise and presence.
• there (שָׁם - sham): At the very spot where the LORD had appeared. This emphasizes the direct correlation between the divine encounter and Abram's act of worship. The location itself became significant.
• to the LORD (לַיהוָה - laYHWH): Explicitly states the sole recipient of Abram's worship. In a land filled with polytheistic altars, Abram's altar was unequivocally dedicated to the one true God, YHWH.
• who had appeared to him (אֲשֶׁר נִרְאָה אֵלָיו - ʾasher nirʾah ʾelav): This repetition reiterates and confirms the specific reason for building the altar—not merely general devotion, but a direct, personal response to God's specific manifestation to Abram. It's a memory marker of that sacred encounter.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said": This sequence of "appearance" followed by "speech" signifies a divinely initiated encounter designed to convey a message of monumental importance. It establishes direct, personal communication from God, foundational to the unfolding covenant narrative. It’s God revealing Himself actively, not merely a prophet conveying a word.
• "To your offspring I will give this land": This is the core substance of the land promise, stated with clarity and specificity. "Your offspring" signifies a dynastic, covenantal inheritance. "I will give" underlines divine sovereignty and grace. "This land" pinpoints the exact geographical territory, concretizing the prior, more general promise from Gen 12:1. It marks the designated geographical locus of the Abrahamic covenant's fulfillment.
• "So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him": This phrase describes Abram's immediate and faithful response to God's theophany and promise. Building an altar signified worship, thanksgiving, recognition of God's presence, and consecration of the specific location where the divine encounter occurred. It underscored Abram's immediate acceptance of the promise and devotion to YHWH, marking the beginning of dedicated worship in the land. The repetition "who had appeared to him" emphasizes the specific reason for this act, serving as a physical marker and memorial of this momentous event.

Genesis 12 7 Bonus section

• Contrasting with Pagan Beliefs: In the polytheistic world of Abram's time, gods were often localized or associated with specific territories. By YHWH, the universal God, appearing in Canaan and claiming the land for Abram's descendants, it challenged the authority of the local Canaanite deities and asserted His exclusive sovereignty over all creation, including the specific territories claimed by various pagan gods. The altar built to YHWH served as a monotheistic statement against pervasive polytheism.
• Sacred Space: Abram building the altar "there" (at Moreh) transformed a seemingly ordinary place into a sacred space, marked by divine encounter and human worship. This established a precedent for other holy sites throughout Israel's history (e.g., Bethel, Mamre, Zion). It signifies that God chooses to meet His people in specific locations, imbuing them with significance.
• First Explicit Land Promise: While Gen 12:1 mentioned "a land I will show you," verse 7 is the first instance where God specifically indicates which land it is ("this land") while Abram is standing in it. This geographical anchor solidifies the promise and its eventual fulfillment.

Genesis 12 7 Commentary

Genesis 12:7 encapsulates the foundational elements of the Abrahamic Covenant's land promise and Abram's quintessential response of faith and worship. The LORD's appearance (a theophany) signifies divine initiative and the concrete reality of God's interaction with humanity, specifically choosing Abram as the channel for His redemptive plan. The reiteration of the land promise, now specific to "this land" and Abram's "offspring," transitions from a general calling to a specific covenant reality rooted in a particular geography and a particular lineage. This promise of land (Canaan) forms a literal, physical inheritance for Israel, crucial to their identity as God's people.

Abram's immediate act of building an altar highlights his obedient faith and profound recognition of God's presence. Altars in the patriarchal narratives were not just places of sacrifice but monuments commemorating divine encounters, declarations of allegiance, and sites for calling upon the name of the LORD. By building an altar at the very spot of the appearance, Abram consecrated the place and openly identified with YHWH in a pagan land, setting a pattern for Israel's worship. This act solidified the spiritual claim over the land even before physical possession, linking God's promise to human faithful response. It signifies the proper response to divine revelation: humble worship and dedication.

The land promise, reiterated here, evolves through the Old Testament with both literal fulfillment (e.g., Joshua's conquest) and spiritual dimensions, pointing ultimately to a deeper, eternal inheritance in Christ and the New Heavens and New Earth (Heb 11, Rev 21). This verse is a powerful declaration of God's sovereign grace, His specific promises, and His expectation of human faith and worship.