The NIV Study Bible

genesis chapter xiii

Abram and Lot Separate

13:1 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him.

13:2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold,

13:3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier

13:4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.

13:5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.

13:6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together.

13:7 And quarreling arose between Abram's herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at the time.

13:8 So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers.

13:9 Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left."

13:10 Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)

13:11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company:

13:12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom.

13:13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.

13:14 The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west.

13:15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.

13:16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.

13:17 Go, walk through the length of and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you."

13:18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the Lord.

Other Notes

verse 2 — had become very wealthy. Abram left Egypt with greater wealth than he had before — even as Israel would later leave Egypt laden with wealth from the Egyptians (Ex 3:22; 12: 36)

verse 6 — land could no support them. Livestock made up the greater part of their possessions, and the region around Bethel and Ai did not have enough water or pasture for such large flocks and herds.

verse 7 — Perizzites. Their identity remains obscure, but reference may be to rural inhabitants in contrast to city dwellers.

verse 9 — left... right. Abram, always generous, gave his young nephew the opportunity to choose the land he wanted. He himself would not obtain wealth except by the Lord's blessing. (see 14:22 to 24)

verse 10 — plain. The Hebrew for this word picturesquely describes this area as oval in shape. The precise location of the "plain" and its "cities" is still disputed. One plausible proposal locates them just southeast of the Dead Sea; another proposal locates them just northeast of the Dead Sea.

like the land of Egypt. Because of its abundant and dependable water supply, Egypt came close to matching Eden's ideal conditions (see 2:10).

verse 12 — Lot... pitched his tents near Sodom. Since the people of Sodom were known to be wicked (see v. 13), Lot was flirting with temptation by choosing to live near them. Contrast the actions of Abram (v. 18).

verse 14 — Lift up your eyes... and look. Lot and Abram are a study in contrasts. The former looked selfishly and coveted (v. 10); the latter looked as God commanded and was blessed.

verse 16 — like the dust of the earth. A simile (one commonly used in the ancient Near East) for the large number of Abram's offspring (see 28:14; 2Ch 1:9; Nu 23:10). Similar phrases are: "numerous as the stars in the sky" and "as the sand on the seashore" (22:17).

verse 17 — walk through the length... of the land. Either to inspect it or to claim the right to live in it while looking forward to the promised ownership.

verse 18 — Mamre. A town named after one of Abram's allies (see 14:13).