by Erik Jones

We are now introduced to the family that produced God’s chosen people. Abram was one of the three sons of Terah. Abram had two brothers named Nahor and Haran. Lot, who would become a major part of Abram’s life later, was the son of Haran (making him Abram’s nephew).

Here are some further details we learn about this family:

• Abram’s father, Terah, worshipped idols—not the true God (Joshua 24:2). This shows that not every individual in the family line with which God chose to work was righteous. Terah’s name indicates that he was a worshipper of the moon god.
• Haran, the father of Lot and probably Terah’s youngest son, died at a comparatively young age prior to the death of his father (Genesis 11:28).
• Because of Haran’s premature death, the rest of the family—especially Abram—took responsibility for caring for Lot (verse 31).
• Abram married his half-sister Sarai (meaning “princess”). Sarai was the daughter of Terah, but she and Abram had different mothers (Genesis 20:12). Sarai was unable to bear children.

To learn more about the origins of mankind, read our article on Genesis.

Tomorrow on the Daily Bible Verse Blog: “Leaving Ur.”