Genesis 20:1

Genesis 20:1

And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

a. NLT: Abraham moved south to the Negev and lived for a while between Kadesh and Shur, and then he moved on to Gerar. While living there as a foreigner,

b. NIV: Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar,

c. YLT: And Abraham journeyeth from thence toward the land of the south, and dwelleth between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourneth in Gerar;

d. Amplified Bible: Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the South country (the Negeb) and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur; and he lived temporarily in Gerar.

e. Septuagint: And Abraam removed thence to the southern country, and dwelt between Cades and Sur, and sojourned in Gerara.

f. Stone Edition Chumash:Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the south and settled between Kadesh and Shur, and he sojourned in Gerar.

1. “And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country…”

a. Abraham [85 * ‘Abraham] [Strong: contracted from 1 and an unused root (probably meaning to be populous); father of a multitude; Abraham, the later name of Abram:--Abraham.]

b. journeyed [5265 * naca’] [Strong:  a primitive root; properly, to pull up, especially the tent-pins, i.e. start on a journey:--cause to blow, bring, get, (make to) go (away, forth, forward, onward, out), (take) journey, march, remove, set aside (forward), X still, be on his (go their) way.]

c. south [5045 * negeb] [Strong: from an unused root meaning to be parched; the south (from its drought); specifically, the Negeb or southern district of Judah, occasionally, Egypt (as south to Palestine):--south (country, side, -ward).]

d. country [776 * ‘erets] [Strong: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth, field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.]

1). Abraham had lived in Mamre for approximately 20-21 years, since the time that he and Lot separated because of the strife between their herdman in Genesis 13.

a). Genesis 13:5-11 And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.

13:6 And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.

13:7 And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.

13:8And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.

13:9 Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

13:10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.

13:11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.

2). While Lot chose the cities of the plain because of their prosperity, Abram chose to live on the plain of Mamre, which is present day Hebron.

a). Genesis 13:14-18 And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:

13:15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.

13:16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

13:17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.

13:18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.

3). Abram came into the land at age 75 (Genesis 12:4). Then you had the wrong move to Egypt to escape the famine (Genesis 12:10-20), and the fiasco over Sarai, which probably took perhaps a year. Then the whole group moves back to Canaan to the Bethel area which is where the strife between Lot’s herdsmen and Abram’s herdsmen begins. It is here because of the strife that they separate. I’m guessing that a year or two transpired for the move back to Canaan and the strife to grow to the point where separation was needful. So my guess is Abram was probably about 78 or 79 at the time he moved to Mamre. In Genesis 20:1 He moved from Mamre to Gerar immediately after the destruction of the four cities of the plain, which was about or within a year previous to the birth of Isaac. God promised Abraham in Genesis 17:21 that Isaac would be born about a year later. Not long after in Genesis 18, God told both Abraham and Sarah that a son would be born to them, “At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life…” (Genesis 18:14). Because Abraham was 100 years old at the time of Isaac’s birth (Romans 4:19), that would mean they lived in Mamre for about 20 or 21 years.

2. “…and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.”

a. dwelled [3427 * yashab] [Strong: a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:--(make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, X marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(- tle), (down-)sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry.]

b. Kadesh [6946 * Qadesh] [Strong: the same as 6945; sanctuary; Kadesh, a place in the Desert:--Kadesh.]

c. Shur [7793 * Shuwr] [Strong: the same as 7791; Shur, a region of the Desert:--Shur.]

d. sojourned [1481 * guwr] [Strong: a primitive root; properly, to turn aside from the road (for a lodging or any other purpose), i.e. sojourn (as a guest); also to shrink, fear (as in a strange place); also to gather for hostility (as afraid):--abide, assemble, be afraid, dwell, fear, gather (together), inhabitant, remain, sojourn, stand in awe, (be) stranger, X surely.]

e. Gerar [1642 * Grar] [Strong: probably from 1641; a rolling country; Gerar, a Philistine city:--Gerar.]

1). Gerar is about 35 miles to the south west of Mamre. Abraham moved here immediately after the destruction of the cities of the plain in Genesis 19. Probably just days earlier Abraham and Sarah had an afternoon encounter with God and two angels. There is good reason to believe that the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah prompted the move.