And the LORD appeared to him, and said: this expression and a discussion of its meaning occurs in 12.7.

Do not go down to Egypt: Isaac is warned not to do as his father had done in 12.10. The words of the LORD are a negative command followed by a positive command.

Dwell in the land of which I shall tell you: dwell in this context means to “camp,” “pitch tents,” “set up camp.” The land refers here to a land, country, that has not yet been disclosed to Isaac. Tell you means that the LORD will show or point to the land where Isaac is to set up his camp. In the message to Abraham in 12.1, the verb is “show.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .