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Abraham

malePatriarchal

Meaning: “Father of many nations

Abraham was called by God to leave his homeland and became the father of the Hebrew nation, receiving God's covenant promise of descendants as numerous as the stars.

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Biography

Abraham (originally named Abram) was born in Ur of the Chaldeans. God called him to leave his country, his people, and his father's household for a land He would show him, promising to make him into a great nation (Genesis 12:1-3).

Abraham journeyed to Canaan with his wife Sarah and his nephew Lot. God established a covenant with him, promising that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore (Genesis 15).

When Sarah remained childless, she gave her servant Hagar to Abraham, who bore him Ishmael. Later, when Abraham was 100 years old, God fulfilled His promise and Sarah bore Isaac, the child of promise (Genesis 21).

Abraham's faith was tested when God commanded him to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah. Abraham obeyed, and at the last moment God provided a ram in Isaac's place, reaffirming His covenant (Genesis 22).

After Sarah's death, Abraham took Keturah as another wife, who bore him several more sons. Abraham died at the age of 175 and was buried beside Sarah in the cave of Machpelah (Genesis 25).

He is remembered throughout Scripture as the father of faith and the ancestor of Israel, the Ishmaelites, and — through Isaac and Jacob — the twelve tribes.

Life Timeline

2091 BC

Called by God to leave Haran for Canaan

Genesis 12:1-4
2080 BC

God establishes covenant, promises descendants

Genesis 15:1-6
2080 BC

Hagar bears Ishmael

Genesis 16:15
2066 BC

Isaac is born to Sarah

Genesis 22:1-14
2029 BC

Sarah dies, buried at Machpelah

Genesis 23:1-2
1991 BC

Abraham dies at age 175

Genesis 25:7-8

On the Bible timeline

Abraham belongs to the Creation & the Early World era (Beginning – c. 2100 BC).

  1. c. 2400 BC (traditional)The Flood
  2. c. 2200 BCThe Tower of Babel

Family Tree

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Themes & lessons from Abraham

Biblical themes that run through the passages where Abraham appears.

Abraham33×Burnt Offering, the14×Self-Denial12×Circumcision7×Covenant, the7×Vision6×Children, Good5×Obedience to God5×Canaanites, the3×Jews, the3×Quotations and Allusions3×Types of Christ3×Afflictions Made Beneficial2×Children2×Conception, Miraculous2×Mountains2×Sacrifices2×Years2×

People they appear with

Isaac3×
Eliezer1×
Sarah1×
Ishmael1×
Ephron1×

Places in their story

Damascus1×
Mount Moriah1×
Mamre1×
Cave of Machpelah1×
Beer-lahai-roi1×

Scripture Appearances

41 verses in 1 book
Genesis41 verses

Genesis 12:1

Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

Genesis 12:2

And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

Genesis 12:3

And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Genesis 15:1

After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

Genesis 15:2

And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?

Genesis 15:3

And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

Genesis 15:4

And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

Genesis 15:5

And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

Genesis 15:6

And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Genesis 17:1

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

Genesis 17:2

And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

Genesis 17:3

And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

Genesis 17:4

As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

Genesis 17:5

Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

Genesis 17:6

And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

Genesis 17:7

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

Genesis 17:8

And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

Genesis 21:1

And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken.

Genesis 21:2

For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

Genesis 21:3

And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.

Genesis 21:4

And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.

Genesis 21:5

And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

Genesis 22:1

And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

Genesis 22:2

And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

Genesis 22:3

And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

Genesis 22:4

Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

Genesis 22:5

And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

Genesis 22:6

And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

Genesis 22:7

And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

Genesis 22:8

And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Genesis 22:9

And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

Genesis 22:10

And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

Genesis 22:11

And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

Genesis 22:12

And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

Genesis 22:13

And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

Genesis 22:14

And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah–jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.

Genesis 25:7

And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.

Genesis 25:8

Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.

Genesis 25:9

And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;

Genesis 25:10

The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.

Genesis 25:11

And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahai–roi.

Frequently asked about Abraham

Who was Abraham in the Bible?

Abraham was called by God to leave his homeland and became the father of the Hebrew nation, receiving God's covenant promise of descendants as numerous as the stars.

What does the name Abraham mean?

The name Abraham means “Father of many nations”.

What did Abraham do in the Bible?

Abraham served as patriarch, shepherd, of the tribe of Hebrew.

Who were Abraham's children?

Abraham's children include Isaac, Ishmael.

Where does Abraham appear in the Bible?

Abraham is mentioned 41 times across 1 book: Genesis.

What can we learn from Abraham?

The story of Abraham touches on themes of abraham, burnt offering, the, self-denial, circumcision — explore each to study the lessons drawn from Abraham's life.

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