13 1 Abram departeth out of Egypt. 4 He calleth upon the Name of the Lord. 11 Lot departeth from him. 13 The wickedness of the Sodomites. 14 The promise made to Abram is renewed. 18 Abram buildeth an altar to the Lord.
1 Then [a]Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him toward the South.
2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver and in gold.
3 And he went on his journey from the South toward [b]Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,
4 Unto the place of the (A)altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the Name of the Lord.
5 ¶ And Lot also, who went with Abram, had sheep, and cattle and tents,
6 So that the land could not [c]bear them, that they might dwell together: for their (B)substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.
7 Also there was debate between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle, and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle, (and the [d]Canaanites and the Perizzites dwelleth at that time in the land.)
8 Then said Abram unto Lot, Let there be no [e]strife, I pray thee, between thee and me, neither between mine herdsmen and thine herdsmen: for we be brethren.
9 Is not the whole land before thee? depart I pray thee from me: if thou wilt [f]take the left hand, then I will go to the right: or if thou go to the right hand, then I will take the left.
10 So when Lot lifted up his eyes, he saw that all the plain of Jordan was watered everywhere (for before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, it was as the [g]garden of the Lord like the land of Egypt, as thou goest unto Zoar.)
11 Then Lot chose unto him all the plain of Jordan, and took his journey from the East: and they departed the [h]one from the other.
12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot abode in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent even unto Sodom.
13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked and exceeding [i]sinners against the Lord.
14 ¶ Then the Lord said unto [j]Abram, (after that Lot was departed from him) Lift up thine eyes now, and look from the place where thou art, Northward, and Southward, and Eastward, and Westward:
15 For all (C)the land which thou seest, will I give unto thee, and to thy seed [k]forever,
16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed be numbered.
17 Arise, walk through the land, in the length thereof, and breadth thereof: for I will give it unto thee.
18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelled in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.
Footnotes
- Genesis 13:1 His great riches gotten in Egypt, hindreth him not to follow his vocation.
- Genesis 13:3 He calleth the place by that name which was after given unto it, Gen. 28:19.
- Genesis 13:6 This incommodity came by their riches, which brake friendship and as it were the bound of nature.
- Genesis 13:7 Who seeing their contention, might blaspheme God and destroy them.
- Genesis 13:8 He cutteth off the occasion of contention: therefore the evil ceaseth.
- Genesis 13:9 Abram resigneth his own right to buy peace.
- Genesis 13:10 Which was in Eden, Gen. 2:10.
- Genesis 13:11 This was done by God’s providence, that only Abram and his seed might dwell in the land of Canaan.
- Genesis 13:13 Lot thinking to get paradise, found hell.
- Genesis 13:14 The Lord comforted him, lest he should have taken thought for the departure of his nephew.
- Genesis 13:15 Meaning, a long time, and till the coming of Christ as Exod. 12:14 and 21:6; Deut. 15:17, and spiritually this is referred to the true children of Abram, born according to the promise, and not according to the flesh, which are heirs of the true land of Canaan.