Yes — Terah was Abraham's father, a descendant of Shem, and the family link through whom God's call on Abraham was introduced.
Scripture names Terah as the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran, placing him at the end of the Genesis 11 genealogy before the account turns to Abram. Les Feldick teaches that Terah's family were idolaters who 'served other gods,' and that Terah's insistence on traveling with Abram caused God to keep the family in Haran until Terah died. Only then did Abraham continue into the Promised Land.
Genesis 11:26 — This verse directly identifies Terah as the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
Joshua 24:2 — This verse reveals that Terah and Abraham's other ancestors served other gods, explaining the idolatrous background from which God called Abram.
Genesis 11 traces the generations of Shem after the Tower of Babel. Verse 24 records, "And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:" Verse 26 says, "And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran." Thus Scripture places Terah as the direct father of Abram, who would later be called Abraham. Genesis 11:31 continues the narrative: "And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there." Joshua 24:2 adds Terah's spiritual condition: "And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods." So the Bible presents Terah as an idolater and as the patriarchal link between the post-Babel family line and Abraham.
Les Feldick places Terah in the line of Shem. In Clip 4 he says, "Out of this line of Shem comes the man Terah. Terah came from Ur of the Chaldees... and Terah had three sons." Les identifies those sons as Abram, Haran, and Nahor, and notes that Haran was the father of Lot (Clip 1). Les also teaches that Terah was an idolater. He says, "They all served other gods. So what were they? Idolaters. Abram was raised in idolatry" (Clip 2). Les then connects this to God's call of Abram: God told Abram to leave his idolatrous family, but "Abram was not totally obedient" because his father insisted on going with him (Clip 6). The family left Ur and journeyed to Haran, and Les explains that God "kept them until Terah, Abraham's father, died" (Clip 5). After Terah died, Abraham came down into the Promised Land (Clips 3, 5).
Genesis 11 traces Shem's line down to Terah. Les Feldick states plainly, "Out of this line of Shem comes the man Terah" (Clip 4). He also says Terah "came from Ur of the Chaldees" and had three sons (Clip 4). Les identifies those sons as Abram, Haran, and Nahor, and adds that Haran was the father of Lot (Clip 1).
Yes. Joshua 24:2 says Terah and the fathers "served other gods." Les Feldick expands on this, saying, "They all served other gods. So what were they? Idolaters. Abram was raised in idolatry" (Clip 2). This idolatrous family background is why God called Abram to make a clean break.
Les explains that old Terah and his three sons had made their way from Ur up into Syria, to the place that later became Haran (Clip 3). He says that God stopped the little caravan there and "kept them until Terah, Abraham's father, died" (Clip 5). He adds that Abram was not totally obedient because his father insisted on coming with him, so God stopped him halfway until Terah died (Clip 6).
Les teaches that after God scattered the peoples from the Tower of Babel, He "puts the finger on one man" — Abram — and tells him to leave his idolatrous family (Clips 0, 6). Because Terah traveled with Abram, the break was not complete. After Terah died, Abraham came down into the land of Canaan (Clip 3). Les notes that years went by, "probably as much as 25," before Abraham left Haran for the Promised Land (Clip 5).
Setting After Babel
Les sets the stage for Terah's family by explaining that God scattered the nations from Babel before the Genesis 11 genealogies narrow down to Abraham.
Terah's Three Sons
Les identifies Abram, Haran, and Nahor as Terah's three sons and notes that Haran was the father of Lot.
Terah's Idolatry
Les teaches that Terah's whole family, including Abram, served other gods, making Abram someone raised in idolatry.
Journey From Ur to Haran
Les traces Terah and his sons from Ur up into Syria to the place called Haran, where Abraham later waited before entering Canaan.
Terah in the Line of Shem
Les states that from Shem's line comes Terah, who came from Ur of the Chaldees and had three sons.
Delayed at Haran Until Terah Died
Les explains that God kept Abraham's caravan at Haran until Terah died, and then brought Abraham into the Promised Land.
Abram's Call and Terah's Role
Les says Abram was not totally obedient because his father insisted on going with him, so God stopped the journey halfway until Terah died.
God’s Promise to Abraham: Understanding Genesis 12 & 15
All right, now let's chase some Scriptures. But for now, let's just establish the fact that indeed when God made this covenant with Abraham that He promised them to be a nation. Let's take that first, not the land but the nation. Genesis 15, come down to verse 2, and all these things just point up how human all these patriarchs were.
Genesis 11:24: And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:
This records the generation immediately before Terah, showing that Nahor fathered Terah.
Genesis 11:26: And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
This names Terah's three sons, placing him as Abraham's father.
Genesis 11:31: And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
This records Terah's journey from Ur toward Canaan and his stopping at Haran.
Joshua 24:2: And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.
This reveals that Terah's family served other gods, making them idolaters.
Terah was a descendant of Shem and the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Scripture places him in the Genesis 11 genealogy, and he traveled with Abram from Ur of the Chaldees as far as Haran, where he died.
Yes. Joshua 24:2 says Terah and the fathers served other gods. Les Feldick points out that this means Abram was raised in idolatry before God called him.
According to Les Feldick, Abram's father Terah insisted on going with him, and God kept the family in Haran until Terah died. Then Abraham continued into the Promised Land.
Terah is Abraham's father, and Abraham is the man God called to become a nation. Thus Terah is the family link between the post-Babel world and the nation promised to Abraham.
Watch the Teaching: God’s Covenant with Abraham: Genesis 12 Bible Study Explained