Chapter
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
Verse
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Genesis 12:6
ESV Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.
NIV Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.
NASB Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanites were in the land at that time.
CSB Abram passed through the land to the site of Shechem, at the oak of Moreh. (At that time the Canaanites were in the land.)
NLT Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites.
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.
NKJV Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land.

What does Genesis 12:6 mean?

God called Abram to leave his home behind, and go to a land God would show to him. God also gave Abram great and powerful promises that He would bless him and make him a great nation.

Abram believed God and went. He entered the land of Canaan, which would become the Promised Land (Genesis 12:7). He traveled across it, perhaps walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee on his way to a town called Shechem. Joshua 20:7 describes Shechem as being "in the hill country of Ephraim," roughly in the center of the land.

In Shechem, Abram goes to a tree called the oak of Moreh. The Hebrew term moreh means "teacher." It's possible this tree was in an oak grove used by the Canaanites in their religious cults. It was a common practice of these cults to use nature, including trees, to seek messages from their gods. Perhaps Abram came to this place hoping to hear from the Lord. That's what will happen in the following verse.

The verse reminds us that the Canaanites possessed the land at this time.
Expand
Expand
Expand
What is the Gospel?
Download the app:
BibleRef.com is part of Got Questions Ministries

For answers to your Bible questions, please visit