And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
There was a severe famine in the land, so Abram traveled down to Egypt to live there temporarily because the famine was so bad where he was.
This verse shows that even after God's promise to bless Abram in the promised land, he faced serious hardship and had to leave temporarily to survive.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred shortly after God called Abram to leave his homeland and promised to make him a great nation in Canaan. Famines were common in ancient times due to failed rains or other natural disasters, and Egypt was often a refuge because the Nile River provided more reliable water for crops. Abram's journey to Egypt would have been dangerous and difficult, requiring him to trust that he could eventually return to the land God had promised him.
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