Genesis 13:1-18
1 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.
2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
3 And 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;
4 Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
5 And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.
6 And 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.
7 And 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.
8 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.a
9 Is 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.
10 And 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.
11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
14 And 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:
15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
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 also be numbered.
17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plainb of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.
Genesis 13:2. Very rich. Here is another proof of God's fidelity in fulfilling his promises to Abraham. This has often been the lot of faithful men.
Genesis 13:9. Separate thyself. Generous actions excite generous sentiments. “Aristippus being angry with Æshines sent for him, and said, You are aware that I, as the elder, might exercise a compulsive power. True, replied Æshines, I am indeed the cause of the quarrel, and you are the author of friendship.”
Genesis 13:10. The garden of the Lord. Augustine thinks this text a full proof that Eden was not a spiritual, but a real terrestrial abode. Isaiah 41:3. Lot chose the plain irrigated by the Jordan; and having little regard to religion in this instance, he lost all he had by disastrous events. He should have left the choice to his uncle, and counselled with the Lord.
Genesis 13:18. Plain of Mamre. Hebrews אלון ailon is rendered δρυς oak, by the LXX. So chap. 12., the oak, grove, or holt of Moreh. So Judges 9:6; the oak of the pillar which was in Sichem. Jerome does not appear to be supported in rendering this word “plain,” though followed by many versions. Mamre, the name of some Amorite, as Genesis 14:24, who had given his name to the country, as was the ancient custom of men. Psalms 49:11.
REFLECTIONS.
Abraham, after the famine was over, hasted out of Egypt to the land of his pilgrimage; and his first object was, to go to the place of the altar, and thank the Lord for his preservation. Devotion, after deliverance from great afflictions, is peculiarly seasonable, and a debt we owe to God. In the quarrel which happened between the herdsmen, Abraham acted towards Lot a condescending and generous part. When disputes arise between religious families, they are often so intemperately conducted as to occasion injury to their souls, and scandal to the cause of God. When envy and selfish passions are suffered to prevail, they destroy union of spirit and concord in the church. But when those evils do arise, they may, on the contrary, be so managed as to reflect very great honour on the christian character. Let them, like Abraham, make disinterested and liberal proposals, or refer the dispute to arbitration; and by acting ingenuously the souls of good men will, after an explanation, become the more united.
Abraham after becoming rich was not the less pious. He was neither haughty in spirit, nor extravagant in equipage, nor voluptuous in living. He still retained his simplicity of life. What a pattern for men whom providence has prospered in the world!
As guardian to Lot, his character is equally high. He received the dying charge of Haran, and executed it as unto God, who ever lives the orphan's father, and the orphan's friend. All tutors and guardians have here a perfect model for imitation.
But did Lot err? Was he his own master before he had acquired discretion? Was he attracted merely by the rich pasturage of the Jordan; and did he in the time of danger, instead of trusting in the promise, seek refuge in Sodom? Ah, worldly prudence may serve our interests for the moment; but it is often followed with disappointment and shame. One false step may be the total ruin of a whole family.
After Lot's separation, the Lord once more met Abraham in sacrifice, and renewed the covenant, promising also that as the dust of the earth, and as the stars of heaven are innumerable, so he would make his posterity. It is thus that christian families, before and after remarkable changes in their houses, should meet with God at the throne of grace in extraordinary devotion. The Lord will accept their offering, and crown it with new promises and abundant blessings.