The Law · Chapter 13 of 50

Genesis 13

Abram returns from Egypt wealthy and comes back to the altar he had built near Bethel. When strife arises between his herdsmen and Lot's, Abram generously offers Lot first choice of the land. Lot chooses the well watered plain of Jordan and settles near wicked Sodom. After they separate, the LORD renews His promise, giving Abram all the land in view and countless descendants. Abram then moves to Mamre and builds an altar.

What happens in Genesis 13

Abram comes up from Egypt with his wife, Lot, and great wealth in cattle, silver, and gold, and journeys back to the place between Bethel and Hai where his altar stood, calling on the name of the LORD. Lot also has flocks, herds, and tents, and the land cannot support them both, so strife breaks out between their herdsmen. Abram, unwilling to quarrel with a brother, offers Lot his choice: if Lot goes one way, Abram will go the other.

Lot lifts his eyes, sees the well watered plain of Jordan like the garden of the LORD, and chooses it, pitching toward Sodom, though its men are exceedingly wicked. After they part, the LORD tells Abram to look in every direction, promising all the land to him and his seed forever, and descendants as countless as the dust. Abram moves to the oaks of Mamre in Hebron and builds an altar there.

Genesis 13 in context

Genesis 13 follows Abram's failure in Egypt and restores him to the land and the altar. Within the Law it advances the Abrahamic story, showing his faith and generosity and renewing God's covenant promises of land and offspring first given in chapter 12.

The parting from Lot narrows the focus to Abram as the bearer of promise and foreshadows Sodom's judgment and Lot's later peril.

Main themes of Genesis 13

Genesis 13 (KJV)

1And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. 2And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. 3And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; 4Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD. 5And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. 6And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. 7And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. 8And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. 9Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. 10And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. 11Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. 12Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. 13But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly. 14And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: 15For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. 16And 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 also be numbered. 17Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. 18Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.

Verses to carry from Genesis 13

“And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.”Genesis 13:8

“For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.”Genesis 13:15

“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 also be numbered.”Genesis 13:16

Reflection

Abram could release his claim to the best land because he trusted a better promise. When conflict tempts you to grasp and defend, ask whether faith might free you to yield instead. Notice, too, that Lot chose by what his eyes could see. Not every well watered plain is a safe place to pitch your tent.

A prayer from Genesis 13