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Selected Verse: Acts 7:4 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ac 7:4	Strong Concordance	Then [5119] came he [1831] out of [1537] the land [1093] of the Chaldaeans [5466], and dwelt [2730] in [1722] Charran [5488]: and from thence [2547], when [3326] his [846] father [3962] was dead [599], he removed [3351] him [846] into [1519] this [5026] land [1093], wherein [1519] [3739] ye [5210] now [3568] dwell [2730].
	King James	Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
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.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

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.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Land of the Chaldeans - From Ur of the Chaldees, Gen 11:31. When his father was dead - This passage has given rise to no small difficulty in the interpretation. The difficulty is this: From Gen 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 Gen 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 Gen 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 difficulty: (1) Errors in "numbers" are more likely to occur than any other. In the "Samaritan" copy of the Pentateuch, it is said that Terah died in Haran at the age of 105 years, which would suppose that his death occurred 40 years before Abraham left Haran. But the Hebrew, Latin, Vulgate, Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic read it as 205 years. (2) it is not affirmed that Abraham was born just at the time when Terah was 70 years of age. All that the passage in Gen 11:26 proves, according to the usual meaning of similar expressions, is, that Terah was 70 years old before he had any sons, and that the three were born subsequently to that. But which was born first or what intervals intervened between their birth does not appear. Assuredly, it does not mean that all were born precisely at the time when Terah was 70 years of age. Neither does it appear that Abraham was the oldest of the three. The sons of Noah are said to have been Shem, Ham, and Japheth Gen 5:32; yet Japheth, though mentioned last, was the oldest, Gen 10:21. As Abraham afterward became much the most distinguished, and as he was the father of the Jewish people, of whom Moses was writing, it was natural that he should be mentioned first if it cannot be proveD that Abraham was the oldest, as assuredly it cannot be, then there is no improbability in supposing that his birth might have occurred many years after Terah was 70 years of age. (3) the Jews unanimously affirm that Terah relapsed into idolatry before Abraham left Haran; and this they denominate "death," or a moral death (Kuinoel). It is certain, therefore, that, from some cause, they were accustomed to speak of Terah as "dead" before Abraham left him. Stephen only used language which was customary among the Jews, and would employ it, doubtless, correctly, though we may not be able to see precisely how it can be reconciled with the account in Genesis.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

Land of the Chaldeans - From Ur of the Chaldees, Gen 11:31.

When his father was dead - This passage has given rise to no small difficulty in the interpretation. The difficulty is this: From Gen 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 Gen 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 Gen 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 difficulty:

(1) Errors in "numbers" are more likely to occur than any other. In the "Samaritan" copy of the Pentateuch, it is said that Terah died in Haran at the age of 105 years, which would suppose that his death occurred 40 years before Abraham left Haran. But the Hebrew, Latin, Vulgate, Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic read it as 205 years.

(2) it is not affirmed that Abraham was born just at the time when Terah was 70 years of age. All that the passage in Gen 11:26 proves, according to the usual meaning of similar expressions, is, that Terah was 70 years old before he had any sons, and that the three were born subsequently to that. But which was born first or what intervals intervened between their birth does not appear. Assuredly, it does not mean that all were born precisely at the time when Terah was 70 years of age. Neither does it appear that Abraham was the oldest of the three. The sons of Noah are said to have been Shem, Ham, and Japheth Gen 5:32; yet Japheth, though mentioned last, was the oldest, Gen 10:21. As Abraham afterward became much the most distinguished, and as he was the father of the Jewish people, of whom Moses was writing, it was natural that he should be mentioned first if it cannot be proveD that Abraham was the oldest, as assuredly it cannot be, then there is no improbability in supposing that his birth might have occurred many years after Terah was 70 years of age.

(3) the Jews unanimously affirm that Terah relapsed into idolatry before Abraham left Haran; and this they denominate "death," or a moral death (Kuinoel). It is certain, therefore, that, from some cause, they were accustomed to speak of Terah as "dead" before Abraham left him. Stephen only used language which was customary among the Jews, and would employ it, doubtless, correctly, though we may not be able to see precisely how it can be reconciled with the account in Genesis.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
After his father was dead - While Terah lived, Abraham lived partly with him, partly in Canaan: but after he died, altogether in Canaan.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
When his father was dead - See the note on Gen 11:26.

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²¹ Unto Shem [08035] also, the father [01] of all the children [01121] of Eber [05677], the brother [0251] of Japheth [03315] the elder [01419], even to him were children born [03205].

³² And Noah [05146] was five [02568] hundred [03967] years [08141] old [01121]: and Noah [05146] begat [03205] Shem [08035], Ham [02526], and Japheth [03315].

²⁶ And Terah [08646] lived [02421] seventy [07657] years [08141], and begat [03205] Abram [087], Nahor [05152], and Haran [02039].

³² And the days [03117] of Terah [08646] were two hundred [03967] [08141] and five [02568] years [08141]: and Terah [08646] died [04191] in Haran [02771].

⁴ So Abram [087] departed [03212], as the LORD [03068] had spoken [01696] unto him; and Lot [03876] went [03212] with him: and Abram [087] was seventy [07657] [08141] and five [02568] years [08141] old [01121] when he departed [03318] out of Haran [02771].

²⁶ And Terah [08646] lived [02421] seventy [07657] years [08141], and begat [03205] Abram [087], Nahor [05152], and Haran [02039].

³¹ And Terah [08646] took [03947] Abram [087] his son [01121], and Lot [03876] the son [01121] of Haran [02039] his son's [01121] son [01121], and Sarai [08297] his daughter in law [03618], his son [01121] Abram's [087] wife [0802]; and they went forth [03318] with them from Ur [0218] of the Chaldees [03778], to go [03212] into the land [0776] of Canaan [03667]; and they came [0935] unto Haran [02771], and dwelt [03427] there.

²⁶ And Terah [08646] lived [02421] seventy [07657] years [08141], and begat [03205] Abram [087], Nahor [05152], and Haran [02039].