The Meaning of Genesis 12:6 Explained

Genesis 12:6

KJV: And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

YLT: And Abram passeth over into the land, unto the place Shechem, unto the oak of Moreh; and the Canaanite is then in the land.

Darby: And Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

ASV: And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Shechem, unto the oak of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Abram  passed through  the land  unto the place  of Sichem,  unto the plain  of Moreh.  And the Canaanite  [was] then  in the land. 

What does Genesis 12:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 12:1-9 - God's Call And Promise To Abram
God's commands are always associated with promises. Count the shalls and wills here. He does not give His reasons, but He is lavish of His promises. The keynote of Abram's life was Separation. Step by step, until country, kindred, Lot, worldly alliances and fleshly expedients were one by one cast aside and he stood alone with God! Though he knew not whither he went, the father of the faithful obeyed, and crossed the wide and perilous deserts. It was this absolute and unquestioning obedience that endeared him to God. Let us ever obey and step out, though it seems as though there were nought but seething mist. We shall find it solidify under the tread of faith. Read Romans 4:16; Hebrews 11:8. Notice the combination of the Tent and Altar. The tent-life is natural to the man whose portion is God; and where he pitches his tent he will rear his altar. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 12

1  God calls Abram, and blesses him with a promise of Christ
4  He departs with Lot from Haran, and comes to Canaan
6  He journeys through Canaan,
7  which is promised to him in a vision
10  He is driven by famine into Egypt
11  Fear makes him feign his wife to be his sister
14  Pharaoh, having taken her from him, is compelled to restore her
18  Pharaoh reproves Abram, whom he dismisses

What do the individual words in Genesis 12:6 mean?

And passed through Abram the land to the place of Shechem as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh And the Canaanite [was] at that time in the land
וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ר אַבְרָם֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ עַ֚ד מְק֣וֹם שְׁכֶ֔ם עַ֖ד אֵל֣וֹן מוֹרֶ֑ה וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י אָ֥ז בָּאָֽרֶץ

וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ר  And  passed  through 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
אַבְרָם֙  Abram 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָם  
Sense: original name of Abraham.
בָּאָ֔רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מְק֣וֹם  the  place 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.
שְׁכֶ֔ם  of  Shechem 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁכֶם 
Sense: son of Hamor, the chieftain of the Hivites at Shechem at the time of Jacob’s arrival.
עַ֖ד  as  far  as 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
אֵל֣וֹן  the  terebinth  tree 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אֵלֹון  
Sense: tree, great tree, terebinth.
מוֹרֶ֑ה  of  Moreh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹורֶה  
Sense: the oak tree at Shechem where Abram stopped when he first entered Canaan; close to the mountains of Ebal and Gerizim.
וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י  And  the  Canaanite  [was] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כִּנְעָן 
Sense: descendant of inhabitant of Canaan n.
אָ֥ז  at  that  time 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אָז  
Sense: then, at that time.
בָּאָֽרֶץ  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.