Acts 7:4

New Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does Acts 7:4 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Haran: and from thence, when his father was dead, [God] removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell:” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Haran: and from thence, when his father was dead, [God] removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell:
Acts 7:4 — American Standard Version

Context — Acts 7

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
4Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Haran: and from thence, when his father was dead, [God] removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell:

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans, etc.] The same with Mesopotamia; so Pliny says f265, that “because of Babylon the head of the Chaldean nation — -the other part of Mesopotamia and Assyria is called Babylonia.” And he places Babylon in Mesopotamia; it was out of Ur, in the land of the Chaldeans particularly, that Abraham came, upon his first call: and dwelt in Charan: according to the Jewish writers f266, he dwelt here five years: and from thence, when his father was dead; who died in Haran, as is said in (<011132>Genesis 11:32) and that it was after the death of Terah his father, that Abraham went from thence, is manifest from (<011131>Genesis 11:31,32) (<011204>Genesis 12:4,5)…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“when his father was dead, he removed into this land--Though Abraham was in Canaan before Terah's death, his settlement in it as the land of promise is here said to be after it, as being in no way dependent on the family movement, but a transaction purely between Jehovah and Abraham himself.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Land of the Chaldeans - From Ur of the Chaldees, Genesis 11:31. When his father was dead - This passage has given rise to no small difficulty in the interpretation. The difficulty is this: From Genesis 11:26, it would seem that Abraham was born when Terah was 70 years of age. “And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.” From Genesis 12:4, it seems that Abraham was 75 years of age when he departed from Haran to Canaan. The age of Terah was therefore but 145 years. Yet in Genesis 11:32, it is said that Terah was 205 old when he died, thus leaving 60 years of Terah’s life beyond the time when Abraham left Haran. Various modes have been proposed of explaining this…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“After his father was dead - While Terah lived, Abraham lived partly with him, partly in Canaan: but after he died, altogether in Canaan. Acts 7:5”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“came: Gen 11:31, Gen 11:32, Gen 12:4, Gen 12:5; Isa 41:2, Isa 41:9 Acts 7:5”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification