Chapter Thirteen
Separate Ways
13:1 So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb. 2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the LORD.
Abram, Sarai, and Lot left Egypt and headed back north into the Negeb with everything they owned. They continued traveling until they returned to Bethel, the last location where Abram built an altar. There is no mention as to any conversations or conflicts along the way, but undoubtedly Abram recognized that he made some foolish decisions, perhaps he was heading back to the last altar site to seek forgiveness from God.
Embedded in the middle of this narrative is a statement that Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold. Soon we will see in verse six that their possessions were great (Hebrew word ‘rāḇ’,[1] meaning a large number or a tremendous abundance of things). Abram was indeed a wealthy man and probably could afford nearly anything and live anywhere he wanted, but instead lived in tents and was faithful to God.
13:5 And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, 6 so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, 7 and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.
Perhaps due to his association with Abram and the promise of blessing for those who bless Abram, Lot also was able to acquire a great number of possessions (see Genesis 12:3). In any case, both Abram and Lot had a large number of possessions, and both had significant livestock. Apparently, the land was either not able to sustain the needs for a combined large herd of animals or the land was already occupied. Besides the lack of physical needs, there was something closer to home going on, strife (Hebrew ‘rîḇ’,[2] meaning controversy or contention) was building up between the herdsmen. Many believe that Abram may have lost some of the respect of the servants and herdsmen, as the result of the events in Egypt, and so the contention begins.
The text next informs us that both the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the same location. The Perizzites are not named in the “Table of Nations” (see Genesis chapter ten) but are often referenced in the Old Testament. Sometimes when shown with the Canaanites, as they are here, many scholars believe it can be a general reference to all family groups within Canaan, since the name implies living in villages (referring to non-walled communities). The Perizzites were later conquered by Ephraim and Judah (see Joshua 11:3; 17:15; Judges 1:4-5).
13:8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other.
Regardless of the reason, Abram understood what was going on and thought the best course of action was to separate. He gave Lot the choice of which direction to go. Lot did not disagree and so chose the Jordan Valley. Verse ten contains a couple of non-translated Hebrew words, combined with the translation of the word ‘valley’ (Hebrew word ‘kik·kǎr’[3] referring to something round), the original text essentially means something like, “all around the Jordan.” The author compares it with the land of Egypt (undoubtedly referring to the area around the Nile River) and that of the Garden of Eden. So Lot, choosing the best farm land for himself, began to travel east toward Zoar (a city south of where Sodom and Gomorrah are believed to have been located). The author reminds his readers that this took place before those cities were destroyed by God (perhaps by Moses’ time that region was no longer favorable for farming).
13:12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD.
The land of Canaan was still largely uninhabited, the larger settlements were generally closer to water or on major trade routes. Abram accepted the more-challenging farming terrain, perhaps by now he realizes that God will guide him and bless him, even in difficult scenarios.
Lot apparently enjoyed the city life as he settled among the cities of the valley. He didn’t move to Sodom at first, perhaps since it was known for its sin and corruption, but he did eventually move very close.
13:14 The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17 Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” 18 So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.
It is unclear if Lot was a hindrance to Abram’s relationship with God, but now that Lot had separated from him, God once again spoke to Abram. In this revelation, God reconfirms His eternal covenant with Abram, by showing him the extent of the Promised Land and once again He reiterates His promise to make him a great nation. Here He promises that the number of Abram’s offspring would be “as the dust of the earth.” Although the descendants of Abram would not only include the Hebrews, Israelites, Jews, and the descendants of Ishmael, producing a very large number indeed, we will see that God typically only refers to the people associated with His promises through his son Isaac and then later through Jacob (which is still a great number of people).
Abram continues until he arrived in Mamre, a town near Hebron, named after the Amorite chief who had settled there earlier. Mamre, along with his brothers Aner and Eschol, were considered allies of Abram (see Genesis 14:13, 24). Upon his arrival at the Oaks of Mamre, Abram built another altar. God would later appear to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre to announce the blessing of a son for Sarah, and to warn Abraham about the fate of the city of Sodom (see Genesis 18:1-21). Abraham will also purchase land that includes a cave east of Mamre from Ephron the Hittite, to be uses as a burial ground for his family (see Genesis 23:17-20; 25:9; 49:30; 50:13). Apparently, Abram lived peacefully in the Mamre area for many years, until a small confederation of kings started to disrupt the peace.
Considerations
Large settlements of people during Abram’s day began for the same reason some cities still grow popular today, usually due to a favored location. Be it near the water for transportation or located on a trade route, people will gather to form a city or town for mutual benefit. Being pioneers in any time period in history undoubtedly required one to be hard working and hardy (not prone to injury or sickness). Abram certainly seemed to have the characteristics of a true pioneer, but it appears that his nephew, Lot, was not. While it is true that Abram had the promises of God to guide him, Lot seemed to be in need to be near other people, which is typically not a problem.
Like many popular places in the world today, corruption ran unchecked in the Jordan Valley. For whatever reason, Lot lived near enough to those cities to influence him. Even though Lot undoubtedly knew that these cities were worldly and potentially dangerous for him and his family, he made the decision to move close to Sodom. A decision that would ultimately get his wife killed.
The Word of God helps us to see and identify the dangers of the world. While God will warn and lead believers out of danger, the decision to act and do something, remains on us. We should always keep our eyes on God and never consider that worldly thinking cannot harm us. Once we have convinced ourselves that no problem exists or that we believe we know when to turn away before a problem can occur, we have fallen for temptation.
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[1] Strong’s Hebrew 7227.
[2] Strong’s Hebrew 7379.
[3] Strong’s Hebrew 3603.