Bible Characters
Who Was Abraham in the Bible? Father of Israel and Example of Faith
Abraham was the man God called out of Ur and Harran to go to the land of Canaan, where God promised to make him into a great nation and to bless all peoples through him (Genesis 12:1-3). He is the ancestor of the Israelites through his son Isaac and grandson Jacob. The New Testament presents him as the model of a person made right with God through faith (Romans 4:3).
His story runs from Genesis 11:26 to 25:10. He was first named Abram (Genesis 17:5).
Abraham at a Glance
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Name meaning | Abram means "exalted father"; Abraham is explained as "father of many" (Genesis 17:5) |
| Testament | Old Testament, with many New Testament references |
| Key books | Genesis, Romans, Galatians, Hebrews, James |
| Time period | About 2000 BC (traditional dating) |
| Family | Father Terah; wife Sarah; sons Ishmael, Isaac, and six sons by Keturah |
| Known for | God's covenant promises, faith credited as righteousness, the offering of Isaac |
Early Life in Ur and Harran
Abram was the son of Terah and a descendant of Shem (Genesis 11:10-26). He grew up in Ur of the Chaldeans with his brothers Nahor and Haran (Genesis 11:27-28). His wife Sarai was unable to have children (Genesis 11:30).
Terah took Abram, Sarai, and his grandson Lot and set out for Canaan, but they settled in Harran instead (Genesis 11:31). Terah died there at 205 years old (Genesis 11:32). Joshua later noted that Terah's family had worshiped other gods (Joshua 24:2).
God's Call and Promises
God spoke to Abram with a command and a set of promises:
"The LORD had said to Abram, 'Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you.'" (Genesis 12:1, NIV)
God promised to make him a great nation, to bless him, to make his name great, and to bless all peoples on earth through him (Genesis 12:2-3). Abram left Harran at 75 years old, taking Sarai, Lot, their possessions, and the people they had acquired (Genesis 12:4-5).
At Shechem, God promised the land to his offspring, and Abram built an altar (Genesis 12:6-7).
The Detour to Egypt
A famine drove Abram to Egypt (Genesis 12:10). Afraid the Egyptians would kill him to take his wife, he told Sarai to say she was his sister (Genesis 12:11-13). Pharaoh took her into his palace, and the LORD struck Pharaoh's household with diseases until he sent them away (Genesis 12:15-20). Abram repeated the same deception later with Abimelek, king of Gerar (Genesis 20:1-18).
Lot, the Battle of the Kings, and Melchizedek
Abram and Lot both had large flocks, and their herders began to quarrel (Genesis 13:5-7). Abram let Lot choose first. Lot took the well-watered plain of the Jordan near Sodom, and Abram stayed in Canaan (Genesis 13:8-12). God then told Abram to look in every direction and promised him all the land he could see, with offspring as countless as the dust of the earth (Genesis 13:14-17).
When a coalition of four kings captured Lot, Abram pursued them with 318 trained men from his household and rescued Lot and the stolen goods (Genesis 14:12-16). On his return, Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, brought out bread and wine and blessed him. Abram gave him a tenth of everything (Genesis 14:18-20). You can read more about this figure in our profile of Melchizedek in the Bible.
The Covenant and Abraham's Faith
Abram was still childless and asked God how the promises could be fulfilled (Genesis 15:2-3). God took him outside and told him to count the stars, saying his offspring would be as numerous (Genesis 15:5). The next verse records his response:
"Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness." (Genesis 15:6, NIV)
God then confirmed the covenant in a ceremony with divided animals. A smoking firepot and a blazing torch passed between the pieces (Genesis 15:9-17). God told Abram his descendants would be strangers and slaves in another country for 400 years and would then come out with great possessions (Genesis 15:13-14).
Hagar and Ishmael
After ten years in Canaan, Sarai gave her Egyptian servant Hagar to Abram so she could build a family through her (Genesis 16:1-3). Hagar conceived, conflict followed, and Hagar fled until the angel of the LORD sent her back (Genesis 16:4-9). She bore Ishmael when Abram was 86 (Genesis 16:15-16).
New Names and the Sign of Circumcision
When Abram was 99, God renamed him Abraham because he would be the father of many nations (Genesis 17:1-5). God made circumcision the sign of the covenant for every male in his household (Genesis 17:9-14). Sarai was renamed Sarah, and God said she would bear a son (Genesis 17:15-16). Abraham laughed at the idea of a child born to a man of 100 and a woman of 90 (Genesis 17:17). God said the son would be named Isaac and the covenant would continue through him (Genesis 17:19).
Visitors at Mamre and the Fall of Sodom
Three visitors came to Abraham's tent near the great trees of Mamre. He served them a meal, and the LORD said Sarah would have a son about the same time next year (Genesis 18:1-10). Sarah laughed to herself, and the LORD asked whether anything is too hard for him (Genesis 18:12-14).
The LORD then told Abraham he would investigate the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:20-21). Abraham interceded, asking God to spare the city for 50 righteous people, and then for 45, 40, 30, 20, and finally 10. God agreed each time (Genesis 18:23-32). Ten were not found. Angels led Lot, his wife, and his two daughters out, and the cities were destroyed (Genesis 19:15-25).
The Birth of Isaac
The LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. She bore Isaac when Abraham was 100 years old (Genesis 21:1-5).
At Isaac's weaning feast, Sarah saw Ishmael mocking and asked Abraham to send Hagar and her son away (Genesis 21:8-10). Abraham was distressed, but God told him to listen to Sarah and promised to make Ishmael into a nation as well (Genesis 21:11-13). God provided water for Hagar and Ishmael in the desert of Beersheba (Genesis 21:14-19).
The Test on Mount Moriah
Some time later, God told Abraham to take Isaac, his only son whom he loved, to the region of Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering (Genesis 22:1-2). Abraham rose early and went (Genesis 22:3). When Isaac asked where the lamb was, Abraham said God would provide it (Genesis 22:7-8).
Abraham bound Isaac on the altar and took the knife, and the angel of the LORD stopped him (Genesis 22:9-12). Abraham saw a ram caught by its horns and sacrificed it instead of his son. He named the place "The LORD Will Provide" (Genesis 22:13-14). God repeated his promises with an oath (Genesis 22:15-18). Hebrews says Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead (Hebrews 11:17-19).
Sarah's Death and Abraham's Final Years
Sarah died at 127 in Hebron (Genesis 23:1-2). Abraham bought the field and cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite for 400 shekels of silver and buried her there (Genesis 23:16-19). It is the first land in Canaan the text records him owning.
He sent his senior servant to his relatives in Aram Naharaim to find a wife for Isaac, and the servant returned with Rebekah (Genesis 24:1-4, 10, 67). Abraham later married Keturah, who bore him six sons (Genesis 25:1-2). He left everything he owned to Isaac and gave gifts to his other sons (Genesis 25:5-6).
Abraham died at 175 years old. Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah beside Sarah (Genesis 25:7-10). His grandson Jacob and great-grandson Joseph carried the family story forward.
Abraham in the New Testament
The New Testament refers to Abraham in several ways:
- Ancestor of Jesus: Matthew's genealogy opens by calling Jesus the son of David, the son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1).
- Justified by faith: Paul cites Genesis 15:6 to show that Abraham was counted righteous before he was circumcised (Romans 4:3, 9-11).
- Father of believers: Those who have faith are called children of Abraham (Galatians 3:6-9).
- Faith that obeys: Hebrews lists his leaving home, living in tents, and offering Isaac as acts of faith (Hebrews 11:8-19).
- Friend of God: James connects his faith with his actions and notes he was called God's friend (James 2:21-23; see also 2 Chronicles 20:7 and Isaiah 41:8).
- Jesus's claim: Jesus said that before Abraham was born, he existed, using the words "I am" (John 8:58).
Lessons from Abraham's Life
- Faith responds to God's word. Abram left Harran without knowing the destination, based on God's promise (Genesis 12:4; Hebrews 11:8).
- God counts faith as righteousness. Abraham's standing with God rested on believing God (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3-5).
- Faith and failure can exist in the same person. Abraham lied about Sarah twice and took Hagar as a wife, yet God kept his covenant (Genesis 12:13; 16:2; 20:2).
- God keeps his promises on his timetable. Isaac was born 25 years after the call from Harran (Genesis 12:4; 21:5).
- God provides. On Moriah, God supplied the substitute sacrifice (Genesis 22:13-14).
Where Abraham Appears in the Bible
- Genesis 11:26 to 25:10 (main narrative)
- Exodus 3:6 and many later references to "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob"
- 2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8; Isaiah 51:2
- Matthew 1:1-2; Luke 16:22-31; John 8:31-58
- Acts 7:2-8; Romans 4; Galatians 3; Hebrews 6:13-15; Hebrews 11:8-19; James 2:21-23
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did God change Abram's name to Abraham?
God changed his name when he was 99 years old because he would become the father of many nations (Genesis 17:5). The new name marked God's covenant promise to him.
How old was Abraham when Isaac was born?
Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born (Genesis 21:5). Sarah was about 90 (Genesis 17:17).
How old was Abraham when he died?
Abraham died at 175 years old (Genesis 25:7). Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, where Sarah was buried (Genesis 25:9-10).
Where was Abraham from?
Abraham grew up in Ur of the Chaldeans and later lived in Harran before moving to Canaan (Genesis 11:31; 12:4-5). Stephen noted that God first appeared to him in Mesopotamia (Acts 7:2).
Why is Abraham called the father of faith?
The Bible says Abraham believed the LORD and it was credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). Paul uses him as the example that people are made right with God through faith, and calls believers his children (Romans 4:11; Galatians 3:7).