Abstract:
Migration of people, whether legal or not, is no doubt one of the universe’s enigmas. As a
subject that seeks the engagement of interdisciplinary approaches, the biblical text is not in
shortage of references to the movement and resettlement of individuals across different
narratives and literary forms. Numerous references to ‘sojourners’, ‘migrants’, and the
intricacies and reactions that migration generates are found in several portions of the
Pentateuch. By employing a narrative methodology and a hermeneutic of ethical deduction as
interpretive approach, this article holds that, the patriarchal narrative of Genesis 12:10–20, is
fittingly, a narrative of migration that raises several ethical challenges that are profoundly
relevant to migrants in socio-economic situations. Abraham’s vulnerable position as a migrant
under socio-economic circumstances to Egypt created fear in him and presented him moral
dilemmas in which inequalities created by wealth and poverty posed dangers of losing faith.
Many individuals and families are faced with similar circumstances today, being caught up in
webs of difficult considerations and forced to make unpleasant decisions.
CONTRIBUTION: This article employs a narrative reading of Abraham’s sojourn in Genesis
12:10–20 in an attempt to bring together biblical, literary and theological discourses into
dialogue with ethics and migration. The article serves as a viable starting point for discussions
about the ethical considerations faced by migrants in socio-economic situations, and how
principles of honesty, empathy and responsible decision-making can guide their actions.
