in the presence of his father Terah
The phrase "in the presence of his father Terah" underscores the personal and familial impact of Haran's death. The Hebrew word for "presence" is "paniym," which can also mean "face" or "before." This suggests that Haran's death was not only a private sorrow but a public event witnessed by his family. In the patriarchal society of the time, the father's role was central, and the death of a son in his presence would have been a source of deep grief and perhaps even shame. This detail emphasizes the human element in the biblical narrative, reminding readers of the real emotions and relationships involved in God's unfolding story.

in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans
The mention of "in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans" provides a geographical and cultural context for the narrative. Ur was a prominent city in ancient Mesopotamia, known for its advanced civilization and idolatrous practices. The Chaldeans were a Semitic people who inhabited the region. The Hebrew term for "native land" is "moledeth," which conveys a sense of origin and belonging. This detail highlights the cultural and religious background from which Abram (later Abraham) would be called by God. It serves as a reminder of the divine call to leave behind familiar surroundings and step into the unknown, trusting in God's promises. The reference to Ur also situates the narrative within a historical framework, providing a tangible connection to the ancient world.

In Ur of the Chaldees.--Ur-Casdim. A flood of light has been thrown upon this town by the translation of the cuneiform inscriptions, and we may regard it as certain that Ur is now represented by the mounds of the city of Mugheir. When first we read of this city, it was inhabited by a population of Accadians, a Turanian race, sprang probably from an early offshoot of the family of Japheth; but in course of time it was conquered by men of the Semitic family, who from thence overran the whole of Shinar, or Babylonia, and expelled from it the descendants of Cush. Mr. Sayce (Chald. Gen. p. 20) puts this conquest at some very uncertain date, two or three thousand years before Christ; but the establishment of a powerful monarchy under a king named Lig-Bagas, and the consolidation under his sway of several petty kingdoms, into which Chaldea had been previously split up, he places with some confidence at 3,000 years before the Christian era (ibid., p. 24). Now, there are in our museums inscribed bricks and engraved cylinders actually from the library of Lig-Bagas, and we learn that the Accadian literature was still older; for many of the works found at Agane are translations from it: and thus all those difficulties as to the antiquity of the art of syllabic writing which used to exist when men had nothing better to judge by than Egyptian picture-writing have passed away. Abraham migrated from a town which was then a famous seat of learning, and where even the ordinary transactions of life were recorded on tablets of terra-cotta. Very probably, therefore, he carried with him bricks and cylinders inscribed with these ancient records. We are no longer, therefore, surprised at the striking similarity between the narratives in the Book of Genesis prior to the migration of Abraham and those preserved in the cuneiform inscriptions. But the believer in inspiration cannot fail to be struck also at their dissimilarity. The cuneiform inscriptions are polytheistic, acknowledging twelve superior gods, and of gods inferior a countless multitude. The Semitic race is accused of adding to these a number of goddesses, chief among whom were Beltis, the wife of Bel, and Istar, the planet Venus. Of all this there is no trace in the Biblical records; nor is there in the whole Chaldean literature anything so grand and Divine as the thoughts expressed in the opening words of Genesis: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

As Ur is an Accadian word, we must reject all Semitic interpretations of its meaning; we must further add that Mr. Rawlinson gives reasons for believing that its early importance was due to its being a great maritime emporium (Anc. Mon., i. 27). It was, we read, a walled town, and the great port for the commerce of the Persian Gulf, while round it lay a marvellously rich country, said to be the original home of the wheat-plant, and famous for its dates and other fruits. Its being called Ur-Casdim, "Ur of the Chaldees," shows that they had already won it from the Accadians when Terah dwelt there. Its subsequent name, Mugheir, probably means "mother of bitumen"--that is, producer of it.

(1) Abram's settlement among them,

(2) the preservation of the name Kesed among his kindred (Genesis 22:22),

(3) the close affinity to a Shemite tongue of the language known to modern philologists as Chaldee, an Arameean dialect differing but slightly from the Syriac (Heeren), and . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...